Contents: (Re)storying Indian Handloom Saree Culture (Issue 68)
Contents: (Re)storying Indian Handloom Saree Culture (Issue 68)
Posts from the ‘Issue 1/ Beyond Mumbai, 2012’ Category
Jul 11
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Issue Editorial: (Re)storying Indian Handloom Saree Culture
By Anindita Chatterjee
The fascination triggered the researcher in me to undertake a serious academic study which included a research project on the evolution of the traditional Indian saree in 2019 that was funded by the ICSSR, Govt of India, which made me talk to several weavers across the nation, study the government policies and look at the real situation.
Jul 11
Traditional Baluchari saree with the mythical motif of Radha-Krishna” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image004-1.png?w=135″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image004-1.png?w=461″/>
Can the Saree Speak?
By Sharbani Banerjee Mukherjee
Bengal is a veritable storehouse of a plethora of styles and genres as far as weaving is concerned. Bishnupur in the district of Bankura is famous for its phenomenal range of sarees of silk and tussar. The butter-soft Bishnupuri silk is woven, dyed and printed in the small town of Bishnupur in a wide range of colours from whites, off-whites, pastel shades to rich and bright colours are found here.
Banarasi Saree: Six Yards of Hand-Crafted Opulence
By Smita Ray
Banarasi weave bears the distinction of being the companion of an Indian bride, just as she embarks on her marital life. The intricate handwork embroideries of gold and silver zaris speak of the meticulous craftsmanship of the artisans. Traditionally valued for their texture, motif and uniqueness, this sartorial elegance epitomizes social status.
The Warp and the Weft and a Visit to Pulugurtha
By Nishi Pulugurtha
My saree story began years go. There is no way I can pinpoint a specific time. I was told that I had a runny nose always. The joke in the Pulugurtha household was that I sneezed as I came into the world. I would rub my nose against any cloth that came in my way – the curtains, Appagaru’s pyjama and Amma’s saree. Was that how the fabric came to be part of my being? I am not sure.
Pacts, Hashtags, Saree Sisterhoods: Revival of Saree on Social/Digital Media Vis-a-Vis My Saree Journey on Instagram
By Pratibha
Succumbing to the exciting inkling of having my own IG page, I created @yarnsofsixyards_et_al – a moniker chosen very thoughtfully by me after mulling over it for days as to what should be the name of my handle – ‘yarns’ being the homonym here, meaning both a ‘thread used for weaving’ and a ‘story’, albeit a bit rambling and implausible!
Jul 11
Schoolgirls in Sari Uniform” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image002-2.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image002-2.jpg?w=640″/>
The Saree as School Uniform: Narratives of (Dis)empowerment?
By Sunrita Chakravarti
Having been to an ‘English medium’ school myself, I distinctly remember the associations which came to mind with the utterance of the expression ‘Bangla medium’. The coloured border white saree generated both interest and an acute sense of difference – a marker of class, perhaps.
Jul 11
Source: YouTube” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image013.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image013.jpg?w=1024″/>
“It takes the shape that you are”: Reading the Interface between Sari and Transnational Identity Formation
By Nilanjana Chatterjee
Annette Philip, the Keralite Artistic Director of Berklee India Exchange at Boston, has been positing sari as a strategical means to articulate her multifaceted identity formation. As an Indian American thinker, she has experimented with various ethnic music forms pertaining to diverse culture groups. However, when it comes to choosing a dress code, Philip consciously chooses sari.
Jul 11
ANI Image” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/runa.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/runa.jpg?w=1024″/>
A Panchnama of sarees: the strength beyond self
By Runa Chatterjee
Through the journey of sarees thus travels the story of strength and women’s emancipation. Like a palanquin, the saree bears the soul within veiling the body only to reflect the diaphanous feminine persona. Eclectic and diverse, it is this yarn that has spun innumerable tales of sacrifice and determination annealing and strengthening the woman within.
Doing It Her Way: A Niece Remembers Her Stylish Aunt
By Shymasree Basu
When I look back to reexamine chotopishi’s life, I see this woman who always reveled in her own authenticity. But I also see her sarees. Even in her earliest photographs she is at home in her sarees. Goofing around, with her titan tresses open she looked winsome as her uninhibited, candid self. As she matured, her saree choices became more eclectic.
Unravelling the Self in the Saree
By Niveditha K Prasad
It is a scene meant to project her power, her unforgotten vengeance, that she really hasn’t changed after all this time. But she has – she’s no longer clad in bodycons and boots, she’s wearing a turquoise saree. The saree screamed out “watch out, she’s out for you and how.” The saree then, to me, had made its wearer in the movie more visceral, like it always has, ever since fabric touched flesh.
Jul 11
My sister’s handiwork on her MIL’s Benarasi” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image008.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image008.jpg?w=1024″/>
The Saree: An Inheritance
By Sreemati Sen
My mothers’ wedding sari was a gorgeous red with stripes of real zari all over. But with time, it gave way. Mother’s creative mind decided to reinvent the sari. She cut the portions of the sari which were still intact and appliqued them on three tussars. The result was three saris, identical but distinct. Well, it has always been the tradition in our family to divide the saris equally amongst the siblings.
Jul 11
Pochampally from Odisha” data-medium-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image002.png?w=225″ data-large-file=”https://cafedissensus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/image002.png?w=768″/>
Saree Story: A Personal journey Across Memory, Space and Time
By Sharmistha Sarkar
The first memory of the saree is the anchal of my mother’s saree that I used to wipe off my face as a child. I hid myself behind it and wrapped it around me like a shield. Being a Bengali by birth, my association with the saree goes back to my years of early childhood when I dressed in my mother’s saree and strutted around the house.
Handloom, a Long-lived Tradition
By Suparna Garai
Despite several issues and problems, the Indian handloom has somehow sustained itself over the years. India still desperately seeks to hold on to its ancient glorious traditions embedded within heritage, history and culture. With nearly 44 lakh people still working in the handloom industry, it can be safely averred that handlooms would not die a sudden death.
Café Dissensus 