AMUDHA : REAL ZARI (5G TAMIL NADU ZARI)

Handwoven Kanchipuram Korvai Silk Sari: Aayiram Butta 

A decade of dreaming: The number of thousand is very special to many cultures. The holy chants of Hindu gods & goddesses are often based on the 1000 names & qualities that praise them. It is not uncommon to celebrate 1000 moons. The Abrahamic religions reference how one prophetic day can equal a thousand years on earth. So, it is no surprise that weavers would incorporate 1000 motifs like rudrakshams or kamalams into a sari to lend a level of auspiciousness that is only enhanced by the symbolism of the gesture. At some level, the technical nuances & aesthetics overshadow the symbolism, and the much-discussed Ayiram Butta sari is one such classic example. Whatever the reason these saris came to be, today, they stand for a level of craftsmanship that we can only hope to emulate & copy, let alone overtake.

Our first brush with Ayiram Butta occurred almost a decade back when these saris became a rage among sari lovers. The idea of 1000 buttons of Rudraksham sounded important, and we began looking for the perfect thousand butta saris. While these saris exist in abundance, a simple flip of the sari's reverse can reveal how these buttas are connected by floats and possibly woven by a simplified jacquard & mechanised technique. One can't help but wonder if technologically advanced machines only look at the cosmetic appeal to replicate & if they sacrifice the weave integrity in this process. Over the years, we continued to covet the perfect ayiram butta sari. Luckily, we have collected a few cherished pieces and studied this technique with reverence. We sincerely wish to recreate the technique (and not just the design) of Aayiram Buttas.

• Prized & Rare
• Crafts deeply rooted in history - The korvai of Kanchipuram
• Real Zari, Pure silk
• Korvai borders
• Unique Petni Adai Pallu 
• Parvai Original Motifs
• Occasion wear
• Luxurious comfort
• Soft and smooth texture & easy to drape
• Easy to care for and will retain its beauty for years - (Something we are a big believer in).
• Labour Intensive craftwork requiring over 200 person-hours
• Artisans fully paid dignified wages
• Available as a single piece only
• Durable, sustainable, biodegradable

Ayiram butta is not about the number of buttas to us. Before the advent of punch cards, the loom had to be painstakingly set up with mathematical precision to ensure the body features the buttas at the correct placement. The buttas in an ayiram butta sari are usually centrally align onto a checked outline -, which calls for an expert warp & weft arrangement. It is the coming together of this loom set-up that first intrigued us. Once such a loom is set up, in adai, every butta is woven individually, like embroidery. The tightness of these motifs determined not just the physical strength of the weaver but also their technical expertise. After all, a poorly woven butta would come loose with washes & spoil the entire sari. While the pick determines the density of the weft, the structure of the sari is dependent on the physical strength & nuanced understanding of the technique of the weaver seated at the loom. This is often complicated by adding the two border shuttles in a korvai loom where the borders may have another adai design. So, an ayiram butta woven in the 1950s in an adai loom was the coming together of the loom set up with mathematical precision and the weaving done with extreme physical strength, patience & diligence. 

An elegant Kanchipuram silk sari handwoven in dual shades of yellow and red, adorned by individually handwoven extra weft kamalam motifs in gold zari throughout the sari is a sight to behold. The deep red borders feature retta petta lines of kalamaam motif adding to the beauty of this elegant drape. The sari ends in rich elaborate pallu handwoven in multiple lines of kamalam motif, mayil motif and lines and bands of gold zari. It is complemented with a deep red blouse.

Dimensions:

• Length - 5.5 meters
• Width - 1.27 meters,
• Blouse - .80 meters
• Weight - 842 gms
• Garment care: Take care of your garment, for these are heirloom pieces that can be passed across generations. We recommend gently hand-washing these sarees in cool water with mild detergent. Shade dry these sarees & avoid drying them under direct sunlight.

• Woven in: Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
• Warp Ply - 2 Ply Pure Mulberry
• Weft Ply - 4 Ply Pure Mulberry
• Zari : 5 G Tamil Nadu Zari
• Reed - 40 Kunjam Reed
• Pick - 48 picks per inch
• Technique:  Handwoven on a traditional floor loom entirely on an adai
• Pre-loom preparation time: 25 days
• Motif: Kamalam (8 petaled floral motifs), Mayil motifs( peacock)
• Weaving process: 120days

• Designed by: Ane Thomas
• Executed by: Nikhil Kumaran
• Dyers: Thaygarajan and his team of 2 dyers
• Preloom Preparations: nearly six people are involved in warping and sizing. The loom setting was done by Venkatesh and Narayanan.
• Petni: Mala
• Woven by: 2 Weavers, Seenu & Rajesh

What does it take for a sari to be displayed in museums, discussed in books & spoken about with reverence? Is it the colours, motifs & designs? Or is it the construction, technique & perfection? When one learns to look beyond the design and appreciate art for art's sake, one begins to appreciate the art for its artistry, mastery & perfection. Through Amudha, we at Parvai seek to look beyond the design language, look past the trends and instead draw our focus to possibilities when technique meets art.

Note: This product is handwoven and handblocked, so slight irregularities might exist. Imperfections and variations in the product cannot be termed defects, as these are intrinsic to the handmade process. The product colours may vary due to the light sources or monitor setting.

Do you want to know more? We are available at +917358550888 (WhatsApp) & happy to speak to you about our creations.