WEAVER'S WORLD / MYSORE / TEXTILES

WEAVER'S WORLD / MYSORE / TEXTILES

The traditional Mysore Silk saree is regal in appearance and inspiring in its unchallenged position of pride. A royal fabric of grandeur, the Mysore silk saree was originally meant exclusively for the Royal family. Over a period of time it was available for high ranked and special status persons in society. Today it is available to the market. Despite numerous other saree varieties flooding the market, neither has its demand reduced nor its appeal diminished for the undimmed finery and exquisite workmanship that are its hallmarks of excellence continue to remain as they always were.

The special appeal of the Mysore Silk Saree

The distinguishing feature of this saree is the usage of pure silk and 100% pure gold zari (a golden coloured thread containing 65% of silver and 0.65% of gold).The Mysore silk sari is famous for the purity of its silk and a very painstaking process in its making, which ensures that every aspect of the sari is perfect. It has place of pride for its sheen, the purity of the zari used, its softness and its non-crushable quality. The sari rarely fades owing to the purity of the gold and silver used. Despite being a costly and delicate fabric, it does not require excessive care for its maintenance.

Mysore silk saris are further enhanced with the use of kasuti embroidery, thickly woven pallus and colour experiments. Kasuti work involves embroidering intricate patterns like chariot, lamps and conch shells on the fabrics. Locally available materials are used for Kasuti. The patterns are stitched with different varieties of stitches to obtain the desired pattern. Kasuti is a traditional form of embroidery practiced in Karnataka, India. Kasuti work is very intricate and sometimes involves putting a large number of stitches by hand on traditional silk sarees. The Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation (KHDC) has Intellectual Property rights on Kasuti.