My own Paithani is undoubtedly an heirloom and that too, in a dual sense.... I am a proud owner of my grandmother’s traditional Nav-vari (Nine yards) Paithani saree. Besides this, I have a beautiful bespoke Paithani which was gifted with a lot of love by my parents. It was a centrepiece and most enviable part of my trousseau. Each of these two gorgeous weaves hums a rhapsody of heritage, culture, and exquisite creativity. At the fulcrum of this proud tradition beats the resounding heart of my beloved state of Maharashtra and furthermore, the glory of my country, Bharatvarsha. I scored a hat-trick, a few years later, when my husband gave me another magical creation for my son's wedding! I exalt in the trio and enjoy the artisanship whenever I drape my Paithanis. Is it surprising then, that I thought, I would share with you the Saga of this grand expanse of dreams....so here an ode to the passion called Paithani. I freely disclose that the Saree, its acquisition, and ownership and above all the amazing feel of its silken spell is what every woman needs to feel feminine. Needless to say, I am taking you through the ramparts of history; a sojourn which will bring you incomparable joy, wonder and sense of pride at being Bhartiya!
Let us begin at the beginning and weave a yarn of wonder! The history of Paithani Saree originated during the Satavahana Empire from 2nd Century B.C. to 2nd Century A.D. The silk handloom gets its name from the town of origin, Paithan, made originally with the finest silk from China and pure zari spun locally. Paithani is a variety of saree, named after Paithan region in Maharashtra state where these sarees are woven by hand. They are made from exceptionally fine mulberry silk and are considered as one of the richest sarees in Maharashtra. The present day Yeola town near Nashik, Maharashtra is the largest manufacturer of Paithani.The art of creation of a Paithani is more than 2000 years old developed in the then splendid city of Pratishthan ruled by the legendary Satavahanas ruler Shalivahana, now Paithan in Marathwada, some 50 km from Sambhajinagar (formallyAurangabad). It is believed that the Nizam of Hyderabad was also attracted to the Paithanis and made several trips to the small town of Paithan.
The main raw material used for weaving Paithani saree is Mulberry Silk yarn and Zari. Preferably, filature silk is used as warp and charakha silk is used as weft. Another major raw material is pure gold and silver ‘Zari.’ However, nowadays, imitation gold and silver zari are used to bring down the cost of the saree, thus making the Paithanis more affordable for all. Paithani evolved from a cotton base to a silk base. Silk was used in weft designs and in the borders, whereas cotton was used in the body of the fabric. The present day Paithani has no trace of cotton. It is woven in simple pit or throw shuttle frame loom without having any designing devices. In its weaving, the picks will not move directly from one end to the other end of saree, width wise, but the weft yarn of small lengths returns being interlaced or interlocked with the threads of different weft colours as per designs. This procedure of returning of threads is called “Tapestry” weaving which is the most labour intensive and time consuming one. While paithani silk sarees were originally woven with threads of silver and gold, they are now available in yarn and zari work. The modern-day weavers create splendid cotton ball designs, geometric patterns, and flower vines to enhance the saree's beauty.
A saying about the Paithani, the sumptuous golden weave patronised by the Nizams and Peshwas of the Deccan region, perhaps sums up this entire story. “Sau dakkhan ke baraabar ek Paithan” (one Paithan equals a hundred Deccans). Rasika Mhalgi Wakalkar, founder chairperson of TVAM Foundation quotes it in her note in the exhibition catalogue of Kath Padar: Paithani & Beyond. Her foundation is currently working towards public awareness of lesser-known textile-cultures of the Deccan.
One is a unique, double-interlock form of tapestry weaving with gold-silk-cotton fabrics we may recognise as ceremonial or bridal cloth worn in royal Maratha households and aristocracies. Particularly as saris, shawls or patkas (headgear) worn by men. These are aesthetically visualised in paintings by artists such as M.V Dhurandhar and Raja Ravi Varma. The other is the ancient town on the north bank of the Godavari River in Maharashtra. Once known as Pratishthan, a famous centre of trade, the capital of the powerful Satavahana dynasty that had well-established trading links with the Roman Empire, it stands on an archaeological mound.
Both Paithan and the Paithani weave also stand, quite literally, on a barely excavated, profound relationship between the patterning of textiles, architectural woodwork in local wadas (mansions), and civilizational discoveries of a certain era, trade routes that linked the world with India and how different dynasties influenced weaving. Not only does the style of the woven Paithani change under patronage, from the Nizams to the Peshwas, but also in the movement of the Maratha nobility to other parts of the subcontinent, or the family politics inside elite households, which impacted weaving techniques and vocabularies.
Essentially a double-interlock form of tapestry weaving prevalent in Western, Southern and Central India. The Paithani is resplendent with the use of gold zari, multi-coloured vegetal, floral and bird motifs—especially the mor (peacock), munia (parrot), and lotus. It is memorable as a jewel-toned fabric with flower-shrubbery on borders that, to the untrained eye, may look similar to Kani shawl motifs.
Some textiles represent the discontinuous supplementary weft technique as seen in the Jamdani. One is representative of a genre of Paithani known as Armur, named after a handloom centre in Telangana, with paisleys woven in brocade; another is dyed in indigo with shades of madder red and is reminiscent of the handwoven pashminas of Kashmir. There is a Paithani with akhroti (walnut) and narali (coconut) motifs dating back to early 20th century, and on the other hand, one which depicts architectural pillars and curved cups attributed to Paithan. For a textile expert, it may be easy to distinguish a Paithani made under the patronage of the Nizams of Hyderabad from one woven in muslin in the Deccan. They traced weaving trajectories from Aundh to Yeola, Narayanpet to Patan, Chanderi to Telangana, Kanchipuram to Patan with scholastic, anecdotal, and cultural references as each of these centres have their own version of the Paithani.
What then is Paithani?
“It is a weaving technique, which is at the root of every kind of regional weaving tradition where further permutations and combinations have created different sari identities,” says Kaul. “Paithani is essentially a notion of universal beauty,” writes Morwanchikar, in an essay translated from Marathi.
So, what is my recommendation! Well, ladies acquire this fabulous weave for yourself. It will send your spirits and soul soaring! Men, gift the amazing woman in your life this work of art. Let us together get lost in the passion called Paithani!
