The grandeur of Gods is certainly why the idea of heaven appears tempting to us mortals. We humans are insanely driven to feel what makes us relate to the idea of grand and gold in what we envision as royalty. The origin of Kanchipuram silk is linked to such regality and its beauty is appreciated forever since we can count back. The story of its development is as mystical as the textile appears and enraptures all eyesight.
I. The Origin Story of Kanchipuram Silk
If the legends are to be believed, the Kanchipuram silk was originally weaved by God’s own and adorned by the mightiest ones. The history of Kanchipuram silk is garlanded with the magical coronations. If the mythological legends are to be believed, Sage Markanda, one of the most revered in the Hindu scriptures, was the master weaver of Gods, and the silk that he made is the finest of all. It is said that the direct descendants of Sage Markanda are the ones who continued with this tradition of silk-weaving through the ages, and even centuries later the legacy stands and blooms. The reason these families are considered as direct descendants is because the place gets its name as the residential place of people dedicated towards Brahma worship, one of the superior forms of the almighty as per Hindu mythology. As we continue to immerse ourselves in the glory and sheen of the beautiful and intricate variety of mulberry silk. The fact that this textile resonates with heavenly attributes ignites the demand and desire to flaunt this textile is ever increasing.
The Kanchipuram silk is famously regarded as Kanjeevaram silk, considering the misinterpretation of the name by the colonizers of the Indian terrain. The name of this variety of silk is derived from the place it originated, which is a quaint town in Tamil Nadu and has stood the test of passing times and has continued with their ancestral tradition of weaving one of the finest varieties of silk. Essentially, the art of weaving Kanchipuram is being carried out as a family heirloom practice. Even today the city of Kanchipuram is immersed deeply in the art and craft of traditional heirloom practices, be it weaving their infamous silk or designing other intricate items.
The history of its opulence is gathered through journals that date back to the rule of the Chola empire, whose mighty King Krishnadevaraya, was responsible for the spread of this artistic textile by engaging in art and culture transactions, along with calling scholars and travelers across the world to his kingdom, so that they can explore the beauties that they have to offer and document them for further acknowledgment. Several historical accounts dating approximately 400 years back have described the majestic textile weaved by certain sections of the Chola dynasty. Traditionally, the ones who were involved with this weaving were from two major weaving communities, called the Saligars and the Devangas, who originally hailed from the Deccan plateau, but settled in Kanchipuram and continued their traditional practices. However, the initial French invasion of the town in the seventeenth century halted the weaving process but was restored later on considering the antiquity was only attainable with the traditional ones. The specific reason why the Kanchipuram silk weaving was stopped is because of the stiff competition that the indigenous varieties of silk across France, or other European kingdoms caused an economic downfall. However, the appeal of Kanchipuram silk bloomed magnanimously as and when the weaving was restored.
II. The Traditional Details of Kanchipuram Silk
The usage of Kanchipuram silk is mainly observed in the development of sarees, which is a traditional Indian female attire, and also dhotis which are adorned by the men. The textile is modeled into three major parts. These are identified as the main body, pallu or the fall of the saree, and finally the border. In the case of dhoti, it is only the body and border, however, some traditional designs are known to carry the specific pallu as well to accentuate the entire look. In the traditional forms, bright and vibrant colors were chosen and would be in contrast to each other in the three major parts to put together the design. In recent times, the usage of soft hues is particularly relevant and provided owing to the increasing demand for this particular silk variety.
The Kanchipuram silk commences the rich tradition and the pallu demonstrates the grandeur of the temples or the mythological history of the place. In exquisite designs, portions of the Indian Vedic transcriptions or stories are also woven together. Some of the pieces have been designed with stories representing Yashoda Maa and Lord Krishna, Kaliyamardanam, amongst many others. Another reason that Kanchipuram silk is held in high regard by Indians is its association with their deities and the opulence that it represents considering that it uses silver or gold threads for the rich designs with the weaving process, popularly referred to as zari.
II. The Weaving Process
The weaving details of Kanchipuram textile are nothing short of attaining the elixir, as is well known that the original weaver community is essentially related to God’s own. Kanchipuram silk attracts everyone whether you understand textile or just wear clothes for the sake of it, this variety will pull the strings and grab the central attraction. Considering the accolades that this textile receives, it is obvious to mention that the process of weaving this beautiful textile is equally intricate.
The weaving of Kanchipuram silk is regarded as one of the finest works to be performed by hand-crafters. The Kanchipuram silk is developed over the finest threads of the mulberry silk variety. The chosen silk yarn to weave a Kanchipuram silk must be heavy and selected after much investigation of the type and quality. The next step that follows is dying the yarn into the color of choice and from there the material is further soaked in rice water to strengthen the color and mainly the textile resistance power to increase the durability. Also, the soaked material is always sun-dried, which makes the point of its possible production only in a climatic zone suitable for that. Pale threads are all dried and colored separately to ensure the integrity of the color. Also, the process is done manually with hands to guard the softness and sheen of the silk threads. The colored threads are reared with hands to check the quality and color density, post which they are separated into individual thread rolls which will now be used for the next section of work.
Weaving a Kanchipuram silk is a fruit of dedicated labor and precision in the overall process, another requirement is the zari, which are the silver or gold threads originally from Gujarat, popular for the sheen and exquisiteness. The complete weaving of a Kanchipuram silk takes around 4 weeks and is a unique blend that restores the traditional style of weaving all the components separately and then tying it all together in an interlock knot style of weaving, popularly known as Korvai weave amongst the artisans.
In the weaving room, the first and foremost requirement is to check for the quality of threads to avoid any unwanted knots which can cause an uneven texture to the final product. The weaving equipment is designed as three shuttles, the weaving frame is constituted of a total of 240 holes in the warp section and the weft consists of a total of 60 holes to weave the complete yard as a strong and durable material. The separate threads which were selected are set in the looms manually tucking from one end to the other.
One wonders as to how the design is added to the saree through the process of weaving. The beautiful design is first sketched out on art pages, replicated through computerized designs for symmetrical measurements, and is put one over the other in a given sequence on top of the cardboard stencil, which is a movable piece of the loom, and as the artisan looms through the design is knottily woven into the silk cloth. Essentially, the body and border are weaved separately, and only after careful inspection are the two pieces brought together by what the artisans call Korvai, or knotting two separate pieces together. Though the body and border are attached later, it does not cause any issue to the strength of the overall piece, as it is impossible to detach it with any form of manual pressure.
IV. Quality Control for Kanchipuram Silk
The Kanchipuram silk is known for its extensive detailing and exquisiteness which is to be made with resolutions towards the quality specifics. The authenticity of the Kanchipuram silk can be verified through a variety of measures. The first and foremost specification is to check the quality of the zari, considering that the Kanchipuram silk is preciously applauded for its intrinsic weave. The borderlines of the Kanchipuram silk hold the key to understanding the authentic and derived versions of the textile. There are two kinds of zari that we observe are used these days. Originally, the zari was made of silver thread which was wrapped around the silk thread and then dipped in gold. These days the electroplated zari is in common use, which is made out of copper wires electroplated against silver thread, and known as the tested zari. Attention to detail is needed to differentiate the original Kanchipuram zari from the regular ones used for price compatibility.
The second form of quality test is the smoothness check, the easiest way to understand a good quality Kanchipuram silk is through simple touch. The saree is rubbed against each other to determine the softness and evenness of the cloth. The appearance or feeling of a rough patch while doing so gives proof of a mixed or artificial textile. Moving along some other quality checks, we find that the Kanchipuram silk is easily differentiated through some visible checks, as the luster of Kanchipuram silk is unmatchable, and the originality is given when the textile is placed at a certain angle against the light. For an original Kanchipuram silk, the color appears to pop out. The dull frame of the Kanchipuram textile is simply an artificial variety of the weave. Hence, these points can be readily used to differentiate and decide on the textile quality that the customer is willing to buy. Some other measures, that one can reflect upon for the verification of Kanchi pattu with that of other silks is that it is heavier because of intrinsic thread work and heavy border work. Also, Kanchipuram silk has a uniform weight all over the textile piece, and it would not appear as falling at a certain edge.
Two other procedures to check the authenticity of the Kanchipuram silk are classified as the ring test and the silk hallmark test. The originality of the textile can be determined by passing the textile piece through a finger-ring of appropriate length. If the silk cloth passes through the ring smoothly and at once, it is exclaimed of being the purest form of Kanchipuram silk. Lastly, another method that is followed to determine the quality and purity of the textile is to look for the certification attached to the silk by a hallmark sign. This hallmark sign is only credited by the Silk Mark Organization of India after a series of quality checks and site inspections.
V. Economic Prospects
The Kanchipuram silk is renowned for the majestic amalgamation of tradition with mythological beliefs and very bravely also stands still through and through the different tests of relevance, requirement, or reverence. Each piece of Kanchipuram silk is known to hold the fort of its rich history; hence, the demand is continuing to rise. The traditional weaving community has also been restored and has also revoked their prospects. The silk industry has also resurfaced considering the requirement within India and also overseas. The demand for Kanchipuram silk has considerably grown with achieving the Geographical Indication tag in the year 2006.
The implementation of this piece of silk is observed in apparel and other designer pieces of interior designs or customized pieces across the world. European and American designers have also adapted to the rich textiles of Kanchipuram and are increasingly collaborating or wishing to source the raw material for designing opulent pieces. In all such spheres, the first and foremost requirement is to be aware of the quality, for which Mars serves as your confidante to extract the best in terms of quality and sheen.
How Mars Quality Will Help You?
Outsourcing goods and raw materials are crucial to various business sections, and the coordination of the right sellers and right buyers is of utmost importance. Mars Quality, in sync with what we strive for, also reflects the same functions in the quality assurance and correct coordination of the exporting parties with their importing partners. As is observed, the Kanchipuram silk is an intricate piece of Indian artwork and requires proper assessment for quality and purity. As a quality control company in India, Mars Quality is responsible for performing third-party textile inspection regarding the quality, weaving procedures, and raw material inspection, and also guides through the quality checks for proper packaging and further shipment. This entire procedure is dependent on quality checks at different steps to ensure the utmost quality and strength of the silk textiles.
At Mars Quality, our major objective is to spread out and include variety in our services and also expand our horizon across continents. Presently, our presence is mapped across a total of 100 countries, with the list only getting bigger.
