A remarkable exhibit has just concluded in Mumbai’s Khotachiwadi area. The quaint and still lively East Indian colony of Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay, is enjoying a cultural revival thanks to the opening of 47-A, a gallery space managed by Srila Chatterjee of Baro Market, and Tara Lal and Mortimer Chatterjee of Chatterjee + Lal gallery. The show, called ‘Weaves of the Deccan’, recreates textiles and Maratha art from the west Deccan region, researched and curated by textile revivalist and designer Vinay Narkar.
I’ve been following Narkar’s work for four years now mostly because my own knowledge of Maharashtrian weaves is so limited. We understand saris as Benaresis, Chanderis, Kanjeevarams and Pochampallis – the more glamorous renditions of silk and gold weaves that are enjoying a renaissance in new India’s penchant for our traditional drape.
Maharashtrians saris, other than a locally mandated Paithani, are lost to the modern consumer.
"This is absolutely true," Narkar, 49, comforts me when I apologise for my ignorance. "When we talk about the Paithani, we talk about modern renditions now available of the traditional paithani. The traditional paithani weave is very different. Only the technique is adopted by contemporary designers, the colour sensibilities and styles are a little random. I think this is why they have failed to impress newer buyers. Also, we must remember, that industrialisation came to Maharashtra very early on and this had a big impact on Maharashtra's handlooms," he explains.
Paithanis are fine silk saris with gold or silver motifs, they hail from the town of Paithan in central Maharashtra, near Aurangabad.
Narkar used to be a corporate lawyer in Mumbai. His love for saris came from a personal passion, his wife and he enjoyed learning about the textiles wherever they travelled. His family hailed from Solapur, and once he decided to have a sari woven for his wife from there. It was so beautiful that many relatives asked him to make saris for them too. His side gig became mainstream when the late and legendary costume stylist Bhanu Athaiya visited Solapur for an event. One of his saris was presented to her, and she asked him to show her all his work. She bought everything and convinced him of his design prowess. Within a year, Narkar was a full-fledged designer recreating historical weaves with weavers. He had also moved to Solapur. This was in 2012.
The exhibit at 47-A shows that saris from the Deccan are rooted in the vernacular. “They are age-old designs. The ornamentation is very different, the lines, the checks, borders and pallus – all are inspired by local items. They are simple and humble elements but explored in a complex manner, in a grand and exhaustive design. These small elements have a big impact,” he smiles. And you can see it in the modern and complex styles on display.
There is little flora or fauna, these saris are mostly checkered. “Most design traditions are hugely influenced by Mughal aesthetics, but this region pre-dates the Mughals. These local crafts had limitations, so ornamentations were limited. But the weavers kept fine-tuning what they knew, so the checks got smaller and more multi-coloured. Even the borders are striped. Except the Paithani, all borders have striped pallus," he explains.
Some of the other local weaves of the western Deccan region are Maheshwar, Narayanpeth, Ilkul, each one has a striped pallu.
One sari is labeled the ‘motichoor’ or ‘pieces of a pearl’. This is the smallest check a man can make with his hands, it is made of a single thread on a warp and a single on a weft. The 2X2 check is called the green gram check. The 4X4 check is called the channa, and the 8X8 is called the tafla. "I have no idea what tafla means," he laughs. "It’s obviously a food not available anymore but the name has stayed."
Like everywhere in India, crafts were popularised by the royals of the region. "The Chhatrapatis were the most famous royals of Maharashtra, Shivaji’s family," Narkar avers. "But Maharashtrian were simple people, they never had many luxuries in life. Shivaji’s grandson Chhatrapati Shahu was held captive by Aurangzeb for 18 years, and he learned all about fine things from the Mughals. He tried to revive the aesthetics of the region," Narkar says. "The Peshwas were the real contributors to culture in Maharashtra. Towards Karnataka, it was the Nayak dynasty of Gulbarga. In Telangana, the Raos of Vanaparthy were great connoisseurs of art, and their paithanis were very unique."
A dark chandrakala sari hangs in one room. It has the magical chaand-sitara motif made famous by Mughal aesthetics. “It is Maharashtrian folklore, it is explained as the night sky. This is an interpretation of that,” Narkar says, reminding us that the sky, the moon and the stars remain the same for all of us, and across centuries.