Narayanpet
Sarees are traditional handlooms made in Narayanpet, a town in Mahbubnagar
District, abricA.P., India. The
characteristic Zari check patterns on a silk or cotton body with a contrasting
colour temple border and plain border on both sides, are distinguishing
features of the Narayanapet Sari. A family tradition involving all its members,
the Narayanpet handlooms are woven in silk and cotton, though the preference
was once more for silk on account of the returns.
Narayanpet
Sarees originally came through a Marathi influence; the royal patronage of
Shivaji, the Marathi ruler. Later Lokapalli Sansthanam, an organized body, devoted
efforts to see this traditional art form flourish. Even today, wearing a
Narayanpet Saree is considered auspicious, and offering of the same is meant
for the Goddess.
The
Narayanpet saree has a fineness count of
80:80. Fineness count is a number expressing how fine the fabric is. Higher the
count, finer the material. Here fineness is indicative of the fibres per unit
length of warp and weft.
The handloom
weaving of the Narayanpet Silk fabric could take 2-3 days to complete.
Comparatively, a Narayanpet Cotton Saree would take a day to weave. It is
roughly estimated that there are about 1000 families or slightly more, involved
in the making of this ethnic fabric. Employing vegetable dyes, the Narayanpet
Saree has colours both rich and bright. The colour is mostly retained
throughout the life of the fabric.
The Saree making process involves
separation of gum from the yarn, bleaching so that the yarn loses its natural
colour and would readily acquire the vegetable dye colour. Washed again after
colouring and dried in shade for fastness of colour to be retained, the yarn is
spun into threads. Threads are laid out on the warp (length wise lay) and
rolled onto small sticks for the weft (breadth wise weaving).
A weaver
makes 30 sarees from one beam of warp. It would take a month to complete
weaving of one beam. Narayanpet handloom sarees are traditionally woven in the
interlocked-weft technique.
Geographical
Indication(GI) Status has been awarded to the Narayanpet
Saree in April 2013. The GI status recognises the valuable contribution
made by these weavers in keeping alive a cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh
and is a big relief to the beleaguered weavers of Narayanpet.
Narayanpet
Saris are worn in their various forms for different occasions.
Fancy blockfloral prints on narayanpet cotton saree is preferred for daily casual, by
college professors, corporate women and teachers.
The Pure Handloom
Narayanapet Sari is fashionable wear with its kundans on thread embroidery designs,
and zari border with an attractive pallu. It is generally worn for college
parties, festivals and event functions.
Unnati
Silks has believed in healthy fusion of traditional and
trendy.Combining the basic fabric with different combinations of prints,
patterns, colours and applied to different styles, new seamless versions have
emerged.
Pure cotton
plain body with traditional pattern designer pallu and coloured borders,
Or pure
cotton sarees with block prints on body with designer block-printed pallu with
multi-colour double borders,
Or pure
cotton plain body sarees with temple design zari border and zari border pallu
with plain borders in moderate colours.
These are but a few examples of Unnati’s innovative experiments on
healthy fusion with Narayanpet sarees.
Unnati Silks, devoted to
ethnic sarees and salwar kameez materials, has trendy designs, attractive
patterns, pleasing colours and combinations in its wide collection of Rajkot
Silk Patola Sarees and Cotton Patola Sarees at very reasonable prices. Dispatch
is within 24 hours of order, with free delivery & COD for retail, and world-wide
express shipping. Contact: UNNATI SILK PRINTS PVT. LTD,#3-4-360,
Vajra Complex, General Bazar (Tobacco Bazar), M.G.Road, Hyderabad-500003.
AP,India.040-64555251 or 97000 57744. www.unnatisilks.com
