Like Mother like daughter goes a popular adage and very rightly so. My mother is a connoisseur of art and she has very well passed it to me. As an art lover, you like everything which is handmade with lots of love and handloom sarees are no different. A patron of hand loom sarees, she has a whopping 1000 plus sarees in her closet. When she was putting a trousseau for me, she carefully collected a range of sarees from the chanderi, Maheshwari and Bengali muslin for the summers as they were light and fresh to the rich and sophisticated Banarasi's and Kanjivaram's for the festivities.  |
| A beautiful Kanjivaram saree |
My mom gifts me a hand loom Saree (generally 3-4) on each and every festival and there are plenty of such occasions throughout the year. Over the last decade, I have become a proud owner of atleast 630 such precious pieces. Being a doctor, my mom thought I would have to wear a silhouette which exudes grace and dignity, and what better than a hand loom Saree. I too religiously wore an enchanted piece of craftsmanship each day during the first year as a Consultant Dental surgeon at a leading hospital. But in the chaotic hustle bustle of every day, tying sarees became a chore and these beauties were carefully stacked in the furthest corner in my wardrobe. Every time, I gazed at these fascinating six yards of wonder, my heart ached. The weaver had not only put days of hardwork but a part of his heart and soul too.
So, I promised myself that no matter what, I will wear a Saree at least once every month and thus #12sareepact came into being. Once you make your mind, it's not that difficult. Last year I wore sarees on each and every occasion - to weddings, PTM's, girlie get together's, to even a plush fine dining.
It would amaze you to know that there are at least 70 different types of hand loom sarees are found across the country. They are distinguished on the basis of fabric, weaving style or motif. The few prominent ones are
NORTH INDIA
Banarsi, Tanchoi and Shalu from Uttar Pradesh
CENTRAL INDIA
Chanderi, Maheshwari and Dhokra silk from Madhya pradesh
Kosa silk from Chhattisgarh
EAST INDIA
Tant, Jamdani, Muslin, Tussar, Dhakai Katan, Kantha silk, Baluchari, Batic, Korial, Shantipuri from West Bengal
Mekhla cotton and Moonga silk from Assam
Ikkat silk & cotton, Bomkai, Bapta, Sonepuri , Khandua silk and cotton from Odisha
Manipuri Tant Saree from Manipur
WEST INDIA
Paithani and Lugade from Maharastra
Bandhini, Patola and Gharchola from Gujarat
Kota Doria and Lehriya from Rajasthan
SOUTH INDIA
Mysore silk, Molakalmuru from Karnataka
Dharmavaram, Chirala, Bandar, Venkatgiri and Mangalagiri from Andhra Pradesh
Pochampally, Gadwal silk from Telangana
Mundam Neriyathum, Balarampuram, Kalpathi, Mayilati silk from Kerala
Kanchipuram ( Kanjivaram), Kumbakonam, Thirubuvanam from Tamil Nadu
These are a symbol of our rich culture and heritage, we need to preserve it before it becomes history and only a part of our text books. These days you don't need to go to the dusty by lanes of Varanasi or Kanjipuram to find yourself that special Saree, you can do that from the comforts of your home by logging on to www.jharonka.com. They have a wide range of handloom sarees which are reasonably priced right at your doorstep.So, now nothing should stop you from owing your perfect 6 yards of wonder.
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