Innovation, assimilation and, increasingly, synergy between weaver, designer, dyer, artisan and entrepreneur have often revitalised ethnic fabrics and weaves. The latest is the story of the Veeravanallur cotton sari. The fine dhoti material has morphed into soft supple saris embellished with ancient textile traditions such as bandini, block prints, ajrakh, kalamkari, vegetable dyes, etc. This means a new lease of life to the weaver and the craft.
Now for the background… Nestling on the banks of the Tamiraparani in Tirunelveli district, Veeravanallur is home to a sizeable Saurashtra weaver community that settled there nearly one hundred years ago. They specialised in dhoti and korvai silk saris. However, by the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century the korvai had all but vanished and the demand for dhotis dwindled thanks to changing lifestyle. “Their wages have increased yet not enough to sustain generation next. The USP of the woven fabric of Veeravanallur was its suppleness and softness but more markets had to be opened up, awareness created and innovations done,” says Gita Ram of the Crafts Council of India, which is reviving the tradition. Besides, CCI’s “Educate to Sustain’ initiative gives scholarships to the children to finish their schooling white simultaneously learning their familial craft from their parents.
What better way to widen the market than make the fabric an ideal sari material? The count was tweaked and the weaver was happy to produce the sari, unbelievably soft and sensuous to the touch. Their looms had begun to hum again. Samples were sent to Aranya, Chaubundi Bailou and Jabbar Khatri. Their answer was the canvas was perfect for the textile arts!
Shilpi, boutique chosen to display the saris, sent some to Bhuj for tie and dye and ajrakh, to Baghru for block printing, Nandana for dye resist prints, Machilipatnam for Kalamkari block printing, etc. The result, an exquisite collection of saris, stoles and dupattas, now on view at ‘Shilpi.’ Each is a work of art. The sari montage includes Machilipatnam's Kodali Karpur design in a field of red flowers, Sungudi in pink dots, geometric block print impressions in fascinating black and red strips, discharge saris from Kala Dera in Jaipur in soft mellow shades, beautiful Kalamkari saris in vivid vegetable colours with lyrical floral motifs in indigo, oranges and green and Jabbar Khatri's brilliant bandinis. On view at Shilpi, 79 C.P. Ramaswami Road, Alwarpet.
