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Gharchola Sari from Gujarat with Zari-Woven Elephants and Peacocks

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$80

Gharchola is an auspicious wedding staple from Gujarat and Rajasthan since many years. As the name says, ‘Ghar’ means home and ‘Chola’ means clothing, this apparel is mostly worn by newly wedded bride as a warm welcome blessing by everyone to her new home (husband’s home). It originated from the Khambat region of Gujarat and is said to be a sub-set of Bandhani; popular in mostly bright colors of red, green, pink, yellow etc and worn as a chunari over head and shoulders by the new bride.

As shown on this page, gharchola is crafted in checkered patterns that are filled with small zari woven elephants, peacocks and floral motifs. The attractive floral woven border and a double shade pallu mark the advent of contemporary gharcholas. Its making is an intricate and time consuming process that can take upto 7-12 days to finish a single masterpiece.

Those visible on this page are crafted in lighted hues with plain zari for those who wish to opt for traditional as well as elegant richness at the same time; mostly made in venkatgiri cotton and in a blend of cotton and silk. These saris are a must buy to have a unique wardrobe of different styles and tastes.

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Item Code:	SDQ48
Specifications:	Art Silk
Dimensions	Blouse/Underskirt Tailormade to Size

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Weaving a story: The Making of an Ikat Saree

Ikat textile is not an indigenous art that originated from India but it is believed to have come from Indonesia and other countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand. The word “Ikat” has come from the Malaysian/Indonesian word Mengikat which refers to tying a bundle of yarn or threads together. The weaving style of Ikat sarees is special and unique. Although the motifs and patterns on these sarees may look simpler, it involves a complex weaving technique that gives a distinctive look to them. Ikat sarees are much loved in India for they add grace and elegance to a woman's overall beauty. The Ikat textile art has been practiced in India for over a thousand years and in recent years or decades, it has majorly developed in three states which are Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Gujarat. Eventually, these regions evolved their own style of designing and weaving Ikat sarees so much so that they are in high demand even in the international fashion world.

The characteristic designs of Ikat sarees are little blurred, multicolored and complex or complicated patterns, and the most common motifs are squares, hearts, paisleys, hexagons, diamonds, etc. The process of producing Ikat patterns requires hard labor and is usually done by skilled and experienced artisans. The steps involved in the process are as mentioned below:

1. Yarns are tied and dyed

Ikat patterns are developed by a special technique called the resist dyeing method. In Ikat art, instead of producing designs on fabric or the finished cloth, they are formed in yarn made of either cotton or silk. In the first step, the yarns are tied in a bundle and are wrapped or folded around a horizontal and/or vertical axis. The bundle is covered with wax or some other dye-resistant material with the desired pattern and the required color is applied. This process (tying and dyeing) is repeated several times until all the colors required are applied to complete the design.

2. Yarns are spun

Now the dyed yarns are dried and spun using the winding machine. Then the required length of yarn is cut off from the spinning machine and is ready to be woven into fabric.

3. Weaving is done

Once the yarn is dyed, the threads are unbundled and wound onto the loom as warp (longitudinal yarns) and weft (latitudinal yarns). The yarns are aligned properly in a way that the exact desired patterns and motifs are obtained. Thin bamboo strips are lashed to the threads to avoid their tangling or slipping as the loom is geared up to weave them. The designs that are formed out of the dyed yarns appear blurred rather than clear or sharp and this is the most important and main trait of Ikat sarees.

Since Ikat designs are created by directly dyeing the yarns rather than the cloth, they are formed on both sides and hence there is no need of giving a special finish to the saree. Ikat sarees come in many varieties of designs and patterns. Simple patterned sarees may take between 20 to 30 days to complete while the process may even go on for months to produce a detailed saree. Ikat sarees remain one of the most sought-after sarees among Indian women and their love for these is only increasing day by day.

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