Textile engineer Vinay Narkar looks to move behind a chandrakala saree

Textile and saree engineer Vinay Narkar looks during reviving a chandrakala saree that is compared with Makar Sankranti

The chandrakala saree

Every Sankranti, many married Maharashtrian women follow a tradition of assembly for a haldi kumkum ceremony, draped in black sarees. However, a black chandrakala saree that is traditionally compared with this festival is frequency ragged any more. This week, Solapur-based saree and weave revivalist Vinay Narkar will move a handwoven saree behind into a spotlight with an exhibition.

The normal motif

“Last year, we worked with a Irkal tradition of sarees, that is primarily a north Karnataka and Maharashtrian tradition. During a process, we came opposite a chandrakala saree. we had listened about it given my childhood, by my grandmother and in literature. But we had never seen one; even my grandmother didn’t possess one. Most Maharashtrian communities follow a tradition of gifting a chandrakala saree in black or sapphire blue to a bride on her initial Sankranti,” says Narkar. Though black is customarily deliberate inauspicious, Narkar feels that it competence have to do with a northern transformation of a object and a finish of winter. He also found references of a saree in other colours.

A saree desirous by Raja Ravi Varma paintings

With a vigilant to revitalise a saree, that represents a starry night, and uses a star or moon motif, Narkar headed to Baroda to find a imitation of Maharani Chimnabai Gaekwad in a chandrakala saree. He also found an MV Dhurandhar portrayal in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya of a lady draped in this saree. The north Karnataka districts of Gulbarga, Bidar and Bijapur also follow this tradition. “Originally, it was a nine-yard Irkal saree with star or moon butas done with khari print. It afterwards extended to other weaving traditions such as a Paithani (with a pattern being dots) and Chanderi. The pattern of a moon with a flower is seen in a Benarasi tradition too. we have also used a perplexing zari kasuti elaboration from Karnataka. Black Paithanis still exist, though chandrakalas were lost,” rues Narkar. What sets a chandrakala saree detached from a others is that it’s not a weaving tradition though an aesthetic; a saree can be woven regulating opposite techniques.

Vinay Narkar

Narkar feels that one of a reasons that led to a decrease in recognition was a khari imitation used to make a motif. It would wear out in places and not final long. “Also, might be a character preferences altered with time. The biggest reason, that relates to many disintegrating weaves of Maharashtra, is since it was one of a beginning states to be industrialised. Other informal sarees such as a Vidarbha saree, a Solapur saree, a Poona saree have all disappeared,” he explains. For this collection, Narkar has worked on a string silk fabric to give a saree a selected feel compared with a tradition.

‘Textiles pronounce of history’
“Each segment of India has opposite stories compared with a crafts. These fables are even mentioned in ancient Indian treatises. Craftsmen recount these stories even today. Textiles also pronounce of new history, as there was a graphic category separation for weaves ragged by a royals and a masses. The use of gifting a black saree for Sankranti continues even today. My mother-in-law had means me a navy blue saree for Sankranti, that was a closest to black as we don’t wear black in a family,” says engineer Shruti Sancheti who works with several weaving clusters of Maharashtra. Yellow for Saraswati pooja, and bullion and red or white and red for weddings, a use of colour and pattern bears specific significance. “I am a Rajput, and several people and royals from my village wear black on Diwali as it falls on amavasya,” explains Sancheti.

Also check
Narkar will be displaying a set of contemporary sarees with a use of visual art. He has also recreated a Paithani from a Peshwa era, that is displayed in Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Pune. The black saree uses a polka dot motif. “The ostentatious Paithanis are a outcome of complicated times. we found a dot pattern in Mumbai’s aged markets where people sell zari from aged sarees.” Another story from a collection is a Raja Ravi Varma saree. “Ravi Varma was really lustful of a nine-yard saree. Almost all his characters were seen wearing it. He has used a same pattern of a saree in opposite colours for his paintings – Laxmi in red, Saraswati in white, Radha in pinkish for romanticism, and Subhadra in blue,” says Narkar.

From: Jan 11 to 13
At: ARTISANS’, Kala Ghoda
Call: 9820145397

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