Ilkal saree gets its name from Ilkal, a town in the Bagalkot district in the state of Karnataka. People in and around Ilkal are involved in the craft of weaving these sarees. The characteristic feature of these sarees is that their body is made of cotton while the pallu and the border are woven using art silk. Many times, pure silk is also used.
Ilkal sarees are woven on a pit loom, locally known as the kuni magga. Before weaving, the yarns are first dyed in desired colors by dipping them in both cold water and hot water solutions and then letting them dry in the sun. After the yarns are ready, the weaving process begins. Ilkal sarees are woven by employing a unique technique called Tope Teni. In this, the body warp threads of the saree are joined with the pallu warp threads using a series of loops. Ilkal sarees are made in bright colours like red, maroon, blue, dark green, violet etc. The saree body design is generally made up of stripes, checks, rectangles, squares etc.
Ilkal sarees are recognised by their wide and bright coloured borders. There are a few traditional border designs. These are - Gomi (angle brackets like design within two stripes), Chikki Paras (multiple little triangles within wide stripes), Zari (borders woven using silk and gold threads or zari) and Gayatri (round motifs within a spaced border).
Weaving sarees is generally a household activity with participation from female members of the family. Weaving one Ilkal saree usually takes 7 days on a handloom. Of late, these sarees are also being woven on power looms. Ilkal saree has been accorded GI (Geographical Indication) tag by the Government of India.
Molakalmuru sarees, Molakalmuru, Chitradurga
Molakalmuru lies in the Chitradurga district in the state of Karnataka. The word Molakalmuru means ‘broken knees’ in Kannada. According to folklore, the town was named after a battle between the British and the natives in which the latter faced defeat. The people of Molakalmuru are majorly engaged in weaving and agriculture as means of their livelihood. Molakalmuru sarees are made of pure silk in which the body and border of the saree are woven with contrasting colors to give it a vibrant effect.
The majority of weavers belong to the Sokulasali, Pattasali and Padmasali communities. It is said that the People of the Sokulasali community migrated to the Chitradurga from Maharashtra while the people of Pattasali and Padmasali communities are from the Ranebennur and Melukote region of Karnataka. Molakalmuru sarees eventually gained popularity for their fine weaving and usage of pure silk and zari threads.
Molakalmuru sarees are woven on a pit loom with three shuttles. There are two types of techniques used to weave these sarees, Kuttu and Chalu techniques. Kuttu technique involves the manual interlacing of the body and the border weft threads using three throw shuttles, whereas the Chalu technique involves connecting the existing warp ends and the new warp end at the pallu portion. Maroon, Blue, Red, Green and Pink are the predominant colours of Molakalmuru sarees.
Traditional motifs used in the Molakalmuru sarees are mostly inspired by nature and include lotus, peacock, paisley, swan designs.
It is said that during the rule of Krishna Rajendra Wadeyar, the then Prince of Mysore, Molakalmuru Sarees received special patronage due to their extraordinary look and authenticity. It has been accorded the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.
Navalgund durries, Navalgund, Dharwad
Navalagund, when translated, means ‘hill of peacocks’. It is a town in the state of Karnataka famously known for Navalgund durries which have been accorded with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. These durries made of cotton were originally created by a group of weavers during the reign of Ali Adil Shah, the King of Bijapur. Navalgund durries in the local dialect were called Jamkhanas, meaning floor mats or coverings.
There are broadly three types of Navalgund durries: Jamkhana, Ja-namaz and Guddar. Jamkhanas are floor coverings which are used for some special occasions like weddings, religious gatherings etc. There are specific jamkhana designs like chaar mor jamkhana (durrie with four peacocks), bada phool jamkhana (durrie with geometrical designs) and ek mor jamkhana (durrie design with a single peacock).
Ja-namaz are basically prayer mats which are used by the Muslim community for their prayers. Both Jamkhanas and Ja-namaz are woven mostly by Muslim weavers. The third type of Navalagund durrie is Guddar, which is a type of floor covering and also used to cover stored grains. The weavers of Guddar durrie don’t have much connection with the Jamkhan weavers.
It is interesting to note that the designs created while making the durrie carry a distinct touch highlighting the skill of the weaver. This craft is dominated by women weavers.
These weavers are said to have been extremely possessive about the techniques of their craft and do not impart their skills to anyone but their family members.
The colours used in Navalgund durries are mostly red, yellow, green, black and white. A typical Navalgund durrie has three parts, which are the centre and the two ends. The centre carries more geometrical designs whereas the ends have symmetrical designs.
Some of the most common designs used in the making of Navalgund durries are badi ghari (a zigzag diamond shape with a double edge), nanhi ghari (a simpler version of zigzag diamond shape), lehri (geometrical pattern depicting wave) and phul ( geometrical flowers).
Kasuti Embroidery, Uttara Kannada
Textiles embroidery is an old art form, enhancing the beauty of the fabric. One such embroidery comes from the State of Karnataka called Kasuti. Kasuti is a well-celebrated folk embroidery art form found in the Uttara Kannada district. The motifs used in this type of embroidery are religious in nature such as the Gopurams of temples, the chariot and palanquin in which the deity is carried on ceremonial occasions etc. Some of the other popular motifs are lotus, the tulsi katti (a pattern depicting the enclosure for the sacred tulsi plant), elephants, peacocks with spread plumage, birds of various kinds, animals and flowers. The articles of everyday use like cradles, anklet-bells, palanquins also serve as an inspiration.
The women courtiers in the Mysore Kingdom during the 17th century were expected to be skilled in sixty four art forms, of which Kasuti is said to be one. Kasuti embroidery is typically done on Ilkal sarees, Mysore silk sarees, Ravike (bodice) etc. It is done using silken and gold threads making this textile an important part of occasions like weddings. Sarees having kasuti embroidery, therefore, make an essential part of the bridal trousseau. For example, a black silk saree having Kasuti embroidery called Chandrakali was considered an essential item in such occasions.
The Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation (KHDC) holds GI (Geographical Indication) protection for Kasuti embroidery.
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