Weave Me A Deam

Lock up in your looms,
The flowers and the blooms
In colours from the rainbow.
Or match the shades of purple blue and green1
To those on a peacock's feather
And match them sheen for glorious sheen.
Add a dash of gold, Splatter spangles of stars,
Make them subtle or make them bold

Through the threads weave in my dreams in yellows, greens or simply reds.

Silk, glorious silk has this ability to make the heart wax lyrical... Its sheer presence inspires sanctity and awe. For this is the fabric associated with Lord Vishnu, the creator of the universe.

Silks from Kanchipuram are indeed legendary, but those from other parts of tjhe country, too have their tale to tell and their tradition to keep alive. So,e of the hamlets and villages in our country quietly produce silks that are slowly going into extinction-despite the best efforts of Indian brides to be married in the most romantic of fabrics!. Fascinating in its construction, the Baluchari silk of Bengal, was made in a village on the banks of the Bhagarithi river. During its hey day, the Baluchari fired the imaginations of Dutch, French and British invaders. It reached its pinnacle under the lavish patronage of a muslim king who demanded that the Baluchari silk be used to adorn the bodies of royalty alone. The single most distinctive feature of the Baluchari was its rich pallu. Woven in silver it depicted images of kings and noble men atop their perch on elephant backs. Dancing maidens were another recurrent theme in the Baluchari silk.

Despite the fact that the Baluchari of today is not a patch on the original, its appeal is still intact. Weavers add a whimsical twist to the Baluchari today. Letting their imagination run riot, it is not unusual to see a Baluchari with aeroplanes, ships or trains woven into the pallu.

Also from Bengal, the smooth Tussars and knotty and rough Matka silks command an appeal that is distinctive. Tussars, especially become more attractive when they are embroidered by the delicate, yet lovingly done Kantha Kaam. Traditionally, Kantha designs have dancing peacocks, dancing swans, stylized Barkura horses and various other nature inspired themes. Done in running stitch, the Kantha embroidery is quite simple in its construction, but time consuming to the novice, as the running stitch is used to fill in the designs as well.

Mekhala silk from close by Assam has small motifs woven into the fabric.

Distinctive in style, the Mekhla silk chadar is an essential part of the Assamese bridal attire.

Wilder, yet equally exotic, woven on bamboo looms, Eri is an unwieldy silk. The worm that contributes to the construction of this silk is rather wild himself. For he lives and grows in the north erastern forests, unlike his sophisticated cousin who is fed mulberry leaves to produce the most sensuous silk. The silk derived from the rugged Eri is stiff and is used mainly to make shawls that are quite attractive and are immensely popular in that part of the country.

A treasure house of textiles India is sometimes a mystery to the Indian herself. The more one looks, the more one finds--to revive, to rediscover or dream about...