Banaras weavers are also equally famous for the intricate and dedicated sarees. Saree Streams: Yarn and Look
The saree segment typically consists of two sub segments.
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Satin-based work (largely Karnataka yarn) |
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Organza type work (largely Chinese yarn) |
The weaver is concentrated mainly in and around the city of Varanasi, and few parts of the other near by districts-Chandauli, Mirzapur, Azamghar (Mubakpur), Jaunpur and Sant Ravidas Nagar. Nearly 1.2 million people are engaged in this important sector.
Some of the most famous sarees of the Banaras are :
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Banaras Silk Jamdani, |
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Jangla Saree |
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Jamwar Tanchoi Saree |
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Tissue Saree, |
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Cutwork Saree |
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Butidar Saree |
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The silk Jamdani, a technical variety of brocade or the figured muslin, traditionally woven in Banaras may be considered to be one of the finest products to come out of the Banarasi loom. Here silk fabric is brocaded with cotton and rarely with zari threads. Jamdani is woven by transfixing the pattern thread between a varying numbers of warp threads in proportion to the size of the design then throwing the shuttle to pass the regular weft. By repeating this process, where in the size and placing of the cut-thread is in accordance with the character of the pattern, the Jamdani weaver produces a range of intricate designs.
Some of the traditional motifs of Jamdani include Chameli (Jasmine), Panna hazar (Thousand emeralds), Genda buti (Marigold flower), Pan buti (Leaf form), tircha (diagonally striped) etc. The most attractive design feature of the Jamdani saree is Konia or a corner-motif having a floral mango buta.
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Brocade weavers of Banaras have often endeavored to add a sense of gaiety and festivity by brocading patterns in colourful silk threads amidst the usual gold and silver motifs, of the brocade convention. The saree is an example in which munga motifs have been laid. Jangla wildly scrolling and spreading vegetation motif is among the eldest in Banaras brocades. This old rose saree is embellished with beautifully contrasted gold creepers and silver flowers of the Jangla motif. The borders have brocaded running creepers in munga silk and gold and silver zari threads. The end panel is a combination of motifs of the borders and condensed Jangla of the field. Muga silk brocading enhances the beauty of the saree while reducing the cost. All over Jal Jangla design to get the stylish work of the sarees and also used meena work for the decoration of the fabrics. The exclusive design of a saree is time-consuming skilled work. |
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The tissue sarees of Varanasi are known to be astonishingly delicate. They combine the use of gold and silver metallic threads. The renowned zari brocade weavers of Banaras have evolved a technique of weaving tissue material, which looks like golden cloth. By running zari in weft a combination of zari and silk in extra-weft (pattern thread) and silk in warp, the weave of this saree is densely patterned with golden lotuses floating in a glimmering pond. The drops of water are created by cutwork technique. The borders and the end panel have a diaper of diamond patterns enclosed by a border of running paisley motifs. |
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This type of saree is prepared by cut work technique on plain ground texture after removing the floated thread which are not woven (designed) during the weaving process, which provides an attractive Transparent look.
Cutwork is the cheaper version of the Jamdani variety. The jamdani effect is given in the cutwork, where the pattern is made to run from selvedge to selvedge hung loosely between two motifs, and the extra thread is then cut manually.
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The most striking feature of this dark blue silken saree is that it is brocaded with patterned threads of gold, silver and silk. Due to darker shade of gold and lighter shade of silver this variety of patterning in brocade is conventionally known as Ganga-Jamuna, indicating the confluence of these two rivers whose waters are believed to be dark and light respectively.The end panel has a row of arches, in each of which a bouquet of flowers is placed. A slightly smaller and variegated bouquet is diapered all over the field.
The butidar saree is a rich kind of the Banarasi saree of traditional pattern motif of designs locally, popularized such as Angoor Bail, Gojar bail, Luttar Bail, Khulta Bail, Baluchar Bail, Mehrab Bail, Doller Butti, Ashraffi butti, latiffa butti, resham butti, jhummar bhutti, jhari butta, kalma butti, patti butti, lichhi butti, latiffa butta, kairy kalangathakka anchal, mehrab anchal with the use of real gold and silver zari and katan silk in the weft. |
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Using a technique similar to that of brocade, weavers of Banaras weave sarees use colourful extra weft silk yarn for patterning. This variety is known as Tanchoi. This maroon coloured saree on satin weave is brocaded with elaborate motifs from the jamawar shawl tradition from Kashmir, the characteristic feature of which was paisley motif, often elaborated into a maze, which would look kaleidoscopic in character. The field has a densely spread minute diaper of jamawar style paisley. The end panel has large motifs of multiple paisley forms one growing out of the other. The border as well as the cross-borders of the end panel has miniature paisley creepers. |
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