KANCHIPURAM WEAVES
A spectrum of heavy, lustrous, textured and brocade sarees with wide borders and elaborate end-
panels in contrasting colours are woven on handlooms with twisted three-ply yarn at the temple
town of Kanchipuram in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Sarees woven in Kanchipuram have traditionally been worn for temple festivals, ceremonies and
weddings. The length of a saree is broadly divided into the main field, borders and an end-panel,
which is the most elaborate section of the textile and is typically woven in a different or contrasting
colour to that of the body of the saree. To achieve this, a new set of separately-dyed warps for the
end-panel are twisted, on-loom, with the warp ends of the field.
Nature, legends, religion, temple architecture and art-forms have inspired traditional motifs of
elephant, peacock, horse, parrot and others; and designs of checks and lines are popular in the
main body being woven in silk yarn or gold threads. The colours selected for weaving are rich with
striking combinations that make for eye-catching sarees. The textile featured above is
from
V. Satya Moorthy
.
Dhunseri Group of Companies, Dhunseri House, 4/A Woodburn Park, Kolkata 700 020
