The Queen of Silk Sarees: Paithani

Paithani has become the most versatile and beautiful Indian Dressing of all time. Let us learn about the legacy of one of the most loved sarees.

Paithani work and fabric

India is well known since ancient times for its handloom and cloth weaving industry. The Paithani, originating from Paithan, is one such handloom treasure purely woven in silk and zari (thread made of gold or silver). Royal Paithani saree dates back to over 2000 years ago; it was an integral part of women's attires in the Maratha, Satavahana, Mughal and Nizam eras. Every woman dreams of having at least one Paithani saree. No Maharashtrian wedding is complete without Paithani.

The name pathani comes from its birthplace- Paithan, a town in Maharashtra. Trade records from the 2nd century BCE maintain mentions of the silks and cotton of Pratishthana (Paithan) being exchanged for Roman wines and olive oil. It is a symbol of the state’s history; the love affair with Paithani began with the royals of the 18th century.

Paithani saree results from a careful, complex and delicate process of hand weaving and dyeing. The main raw material used for paithani is Silk yarn, Zari and colors. Preferably, filature silk is used as warp and charkha silk is used as weft. Another major raw material is pure gold and silver ‘Zari. Tapestry weaving is the base of Paithani craftsmanship. The weaving of a Paithani saree could take from 7-15 days to 18-24 months, depending upon the complexity of the design, making it one of the most expensive sarees.

The oldest traditional Paithani designs are the Vine and Flowers (Asavali) and Squarish floral motifs (the akruti). Some oth%r traditional designs are the petal form (kalas Pakli), the Fan (Pankha), Cocount (Narali) and cotton bud (Rui phul). Begum Niloufer, from Nizam family, is attributed for her contribution of the motif Parinda (Pheasant bird). No two Paithani sarees are exactly the same as each saree is woven individually and has different and unique motifs. The splendour of the saree comes from this intricate zari that forms the border and the pallu.

Now-a-days one can easily find many fake or duplicate Paithani sarees in the market available at a very low cost. However, no machine-made fabric can be compared with the hand-made paithani sarees by the master craftsmen of Maharashtra. It is the combination of simplicity and grandeur that makes the saree one of a kind. A heavy weight bright coloured silk saree with zari designing work in body, border and pallu.

The weaver’s community is shrinking as the younger community does not prefer doing the traditional jobs and are migrating towards the cities. This has caused loss of traditional knowledge systems of weaving. However, due to the dedication and faith of certain groups of weavers this tradition has been kept alive for the past 2000 years.