Exclusive block printed Maheshwari cotton sarees

Maheshwari saris are largely produced in the town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The origin of these saris dates back to the 18th century, when the state of Indore in Madhya Pradesh was ruled by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. It is believed that Queen Ahilyabai herself created the design of the first sari.

Maheshwari sari is gossamer thin - a delicate blend of silk and cotton yarn - made in tiny checks or stripes with a colored border. Maheshwari saris are available in both cotton and silk. The designs in the Maheshwari saris were inspired by the detailing on the walls of the Fort of Maheshwar. The popular designs were inspired from the designs on the fort walls are the ‘Chatai’ pattern, the ‘Chameli ka phool’, the ‘Eent’ pattern that is the ‘Brick’ pattern as well as the ‘Heera’ pattern that is the ‘Diamond’ pattern. These designs are found on Maheshwari saris even today.

Hand block printing is among the important crafts of Madhya Pradesh. The popular colours used in this process are vegetable and natural dyes like Indigo, turmeric roots, pomegranate skin, lac, iron, and other substances that create an effect that is rich yet subtle. These natural colours do not fade easily, permeate the fabric and lend it an attractive look. The Malwa and Nimar regions are renowned for their hand block-printed cotton textiles.

The entire surface of such a sari is either chequered or plain or has stripes, combined with complementary colours. A specialty of these saris it is reversible border (Budri), which makes it wearable on both the sides. Traditionally, the pallav of Maheshwari sari was characterized by three colored and two white alternating stripes. Maheshwari saris were initially made only in dark shades like red, maroon, black, purple and green. Today, these saris are also being made in lighter shades and gold and silver threads are being made use of.

The Maheshwari Saris are exclusive for their unique designs on silk and cotton fabrics, the fine use of zari and brilliant use of stripes, checks and exquisite floral borders. Distinctive features of the Maheshwari Saree are its light weight, shiny lustre, and a fine display of colours, with brilliant motifs, an attractive Pallu and a border to match. Madhya Pradesh is famous for its delicate weaves in Maheshwari sarees. The textiles of Madhya Pradesh are a part of the rich heritage of India. The weaving, printing and coloring of textiles of Madhya Pradesh have been influenced by the bordering States of Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, but at the same time they have developed their own distinctive style and individuality. The Malwa region is famous for hand block printing on cotton, and Ujjain has large communities who specialize in odhnis and quilts. These printed quilts were well-known in the court of Emperor Akbar.

In local dialect, the most popular colors used in Maheshwari saris are ‘Angoori’ (grape green), ‘Dalimbi’ (deep pink), ‘Gul Bakshi’ (magenta), ‘Jaamla’ (purple), ‘Tapkeer’ (deep brown), ‘Aamrak’ (golden), ‘Rani’ (deep pink), ‘Dhaani’ (green) and ‘Kaashi’ (light purple). Usually, vegetable dyes are used in the preparation of these saris.

Unnati Silks has trendy designs, attractive patterns, in vivid colours and pleasing combinations in its various collections of sarees and salwars. Unnati is a one stop store for 300 + varieties of ethnic sarees and salwar kameez. Dispatch is within 24 hours of order. Free delivery & COD is provided for retail. Worldwide express shipping caters to most countries across the world.

Prachi.L She is a freelancer long associated with ethnic fabrics, known for her special leaning towards ethnic sarees. She enjoys the privilege of being a part-time consultant to Unnati Silks. S.E-mail her at unnatikaro@gmail.com.