Paithani

Paithani is a variety of sari, named after the Paithan town in Aurangabad from state of Maharashtra in India where the sari was first made by hand. Present day Yeola town in Nashik, Maharashtra is the largest manufacturer of Paithani.
Paithani is characterised by borders of an oblique square design, and a padar with a peacock design. Plain as well as spotted designs are available. Among other varieties, single colored and kaleidoscope-colored designs are also popular. The kaleidoscopic effect is achieved by using one color for weaving lengthwise and another for weaving width wise.
The history of Paithani sarees can be traced back to 2nd century BC in Satvahana Dynasty, at that time the paithani was made with pure gold wire with cotton and silk. The greeko Romans were very fond of this paithani saree 2000 years ago. They use to exchange gold for this luxurious Paithani saree. At that time this paithani was only worn by royals. Paithani was also known as "Pratishthani" as it was originated in the ancient city of Pratishthan now known as Paithan. Paithani also has the traces in many ancient Hindu and Buddhist texts. Paithani is also known as "Dev vastra"(fabric of God). Paithani has a very rich history of 2500 years but still many of us are unaware. Historians have noted fine Paithani sarees with delicate gold and silver thread-work being sold in Greece in exchange for gold between 200 and 400 BC. In 18th century the Paithani thrived under the patronage of the Peshwas. It is believed that Madhavrao Peshwa had a special love for Paithani textiles. Legend also has it that the Paithani caught the fancy of the Nizam of Hyderabad too and that it was his daughter in law Nilofer who introduced new motifs to the border and pallav designs.
Paithani sarees are handwoven masterpieces known for their luxurious silk, intricate zari work, and heritage value.
Paithani is a sari made of silk and zari. It is a plain weave, with weft figuring designs according to the principles of tapestry. Traditionally, Paithanis had a coloured, cotton muslin field that often contained considerable supplementary zari patterning. However, in the 19th century, silk fields were also woven.
There are three types of silk threads used:
This raw silk is cleansed with caustic soda, dyed in the requisite shades, the threads are carefully separated. Khari ( True / Real ) zari costs about Rs. 1800 for 250 grams.
Golden threads are obtained from Surat, the quality being 1200 yard (1080 meters) per tola (11.664 grams). Gold threads are used in double and one of the finest varieties so much so that the closely woven surface looks like a mirror. The texture of the fabric is fairly compact with about 160 ends and 170 picks per inch (2.6 cm).
Zari is a metallic yarn, made of pure silver. Originally, zari was manufactured in Yeola; Surat now being another zari-producing center. Initially, zari used in making Paithani was drawn from pure gold. However, silver is the affordable substitute today.
20-22 denier-organized silk is used in warp, while twofold ply, very lightly twisted 30-32 silk is used for weft. The warp yarn cost Rs. 2900-3200 per kg whereas weft yarn costs Rs. 2400-3000 per kg. A single sari may weigh from 1.45 kg or more depending upon the weight of the silk and zari used. The warp is usually made in the peg or drums warping process and is tied in ball form at the back of loom. It is usually made for 2 pieces of sari and is about 11.5 meters in length. While coloured silk is mostly used in figure work, the solid border have extra weft figuring threads. The weft for borders and body being different, three shuttle weaving is adopted, two for border and one for plain body. The border therefore appears as separately woven and then stitched to the body of the sari. Some times a separate padar warp is twisted on the body. The end piece has fine silk. Warp threads are only of zari forming a golden ground upon which angular, brightly coloured silk designs are woven in the interlocked weft, producing a tapestry effect which makes it very elegant.
Due to proximity to the Ajanta caves, the influence of the Buddhist paintings can be seen in the woven Paithani motifs:
Small motifs like circles, stars, kuyri, rui phool, kalas pakhhli, chandrakor, clusters of 3 leaves, were very common for the body of the sari.
The weavers of Yeola dye yarns themselves. Yarn is purchased from Bangalore.
The dominant traditional colours of vegetable dyes included:
It takes approximately one day to set the silk threads on the loom. "Tansal" is used to put the "wagi". The "pavda" works like the paddle to speed up the weaving. The "jhatka" is used to push the "kandi" from one side to the other. "Pushthe" is used in designing the border of Paithani in which it is punched according to design application. "Pagey" are tied to the loom. The threads are then passed through "fani".
There are two types of motion:
Taking up and letting off the warp are done simultaneously.
Paithani saris are silks in which there is no extra weft forming figures. The figuring weave was obtained by a plain tapestry technique. There are three techniques of weaving;
Weaving could take between 18 and 24 months, depending upon the complexity of the design. Today there are many weavers who are working for the revival of this treasured weave.
In the days of Peshwas, the borders and the Padar were made of pure gold mixed with copper to give it strength. The proportion was 1 kg of gold to 1 tola of copper. The combination was spun into a fine wire called the zari. In recent times, zari is made of silver, coated with gold plating. The borders are created with interlocked weft technique either with coloured silk or zari. In the border woven with a zari, ground coloured silk patterns are added as supplementary weft inlay against the zari usually in the form of flower or a creeping vine.
Two types of border are the Narali and the Pankhi.
Even if a very good weaver has woven the main body, a master weaver is needed for the intricate inlay border paths. The borders and the padar are woven in zari regardless of the colour of the sari.
Paithani can be classified by three criteria: motifs, weaving, and colours.