LO O M

C R A F T CL US TER I NT E RNSH IP D O CUME N T

DE PART M E NT OF FASH ION COMMUNI CAT I ON

L IF E T HAT
LO OPS
A ROU N D
TH E
 Stu dy a nd D oc um e n t a t io n o f A ran i S i l k S ar e e We av in g C ra f t, T hi r u v a n na m a l a i , Ta m i l N a du

D o c u m e n te d by :

A ar t i Ve r m a
A li c e S u r i n
A p ar n a K
Arya Menon
M. K aav y a
Prab h at Yad h av
Rehna Anna Oommen
S a n c h i t K au s h a l

C e n t r e N am e : C h e n na i

C o py righ t @ Nat i o n al In s t i t u t e o f F as h i o n Te c h no l o gy, Ye a r : 2 0 1 8

A l l r ig h t s r e s e r ve d .
No pa rt o f t h i s d o c u m en t m ay b e r e pr o du c ed , s t o r e d i n a r e tr i ev a l s y ste m o r tra ns m it te d i n
a ny fo rm by m e an s o f e l e c t ro n i c , m e c h an ic a l , ph o t o c opy i ng , r e c o r di ng o r o the r w i s e; w i th out
p ri o r p e rm i s si o n f ro m Na t i o n a l I n s t it u t e o f F as h i o n Te c h no l og y, exc e p t by a r ev i e w /r ea de r
wh o w i s he s t o q u o t e a b ri e f p as s age i n c o n n e c t i o n w i th a p a p e r r ev i e w /e s s ay w r it te n f or
i n c lu si o n i n a pe r i o d i c al , n ew s pa p e r o r b r o a d c a s t.

M en t o r: N.Ve n n i m a la i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
D e pa rt m e n t C C : D r. Mar t i n J ey a s i ng h Ma th e w s
C O N TENTS

4 DE PART ME NT O F FA SH ION COMMU NIC ATION, NIF T C H E NN A I

1 INTRODUCTION TO ARANI 13
5 SAREE 71

2 SILK
Types of Indian Silk
15
Significance of Saree
Framework of a Saree
Handloom Saree
Characteristics of Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu
Silk & India Arani Handloom Cluster
History of Arani Silk Saree
3 WEAVING
Authenticity of Weaves
25 Traditional Weaving Techniques of Arani
Designs, Motifs and Colors
Weaving Process Specialty of Arani Pattu
Raw Materials, Tools and Equipment
Making of Arani Silk Saree

4 INTRODUCTION TO LOOMS
Classification of Looms
35
Weaving in Arani
Zari

Handloom
Types of Handloom 6 ARANI SAREES 111
Extra Weft and Extra Warp
Parts of a loom
Invention of Dobby Loom
7 OBSERVATIONS 119

Dobby Loom
Advantages of Dobby Loom 8 MARKET ANALYSIS 121
Difference between Dobby and
Jacquard Loom
Jacquard
9 SWOT ANALYSIS 131
Types of Jacquard
Cost
Weaves Achieved by Jacquard
10 CONCLUSION 133

Modern Jacquard
Present Scenario
11 GLOSSARY 137

12
Parts of Jacquard Machine
Size of Jacquard BIBLIOGRAPHY 138
Power Loom
Modern Loom
Looms used in Arani
Economic Importance of
The Handloom Sector
Handlooms of Tamil Nadu

C R A FT R ES E ARC H D OC U M ENTAT I O N, 20 18, AR ANI SI L K SAREES 5

6 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 PREFACE
As part of our 4th semester, we the students of National Institute of
Fashion Technology Chennai were sent to Arani, a saree weaving
cluster for our Craft Cluster documentation study. Semester 4
(2016-20) of the Fashion Communication department as a whole
went to the town of Arani situated about 142 kilometers from
Chennai.

The class was divided into groups of 8 there by resulting in 4

groups each and each group focused on a specific part of the Arani
Silk Sarees.

The four main topics were Design, Preprocessing, Weaving and Marketing.
This document has been made for a better understanding of the
craft and for the promotion of Arani Silk Saree and as a token of
appreciation to the weavers for their hard work.

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8 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and fore most, we would like to thank K.P.K. Jayaraja
Shivam, Textile Designer at Shri Vasthra Design Creation
and H.Ragupathy Ramasamy, Director at Arani Handloom
Silk Park, RMKV for giving us the opportunity to meet
these talented weavers and learn the story behind Arani
and Kanchipuram Silk Sarees.

We whole-heartedly thank our director Dr. Prof. Anita

Mable Manohar Ma’am for being supportive of the craft
cluster tradition that NIFT Chennai has been following
for years. We also thank our department, the Department
of Fashion Communication and the Centre Coordinator
Dr. Martin Jeyasingha Mathews and our two mentors
Mr. Vennimalai and Divya N for being pillars of strength
and support. We thank them for guiding us through the
right paths of this incredible journey which has educated
us in so many ways. Last but not the least; we want to
thank our co-classmates for coordinating with each other
and educating each other throughout and for standing
together as a well spirited team.

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10 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 11
 Country - India
State - Tamil Nadu
District - Tiruvannamalai
Sub District - Arani
Area - 11.62 sq km
No. of Wards - 33
Rainfall - 957.7 mm
Temperature - Max 36.3°C; Min 21.2°C
Sub District HQ - Arani
District HQ - Tiruvannamalai (62 km)
State HQ - Chennai (140 km)
Railway Station - Kalambur (12 km)

12 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

INTRODUCTION TO ARANI
The town, Arani situated north of Chennai, lies on the banks of the river Arani in
Tiruvallur district. The town gets the name from the word “arayam” which means forest
in Tamil.

The small lanes of the town, filled with silk threads in every color possible surrounds
us as we walk down the streets. And our ears start to enjoy the music of the ‘thari’ that
echoes all around.

The weavers of Arani start their day early in the morning while the town sleeps.
Breakfast is never served after nine but tea stalls function throughout the day. Even
the little town of Arani has its own kind of 24/7 Starbucks coffee.

Most houses are small with low roofs and have old and worn out furniture making the
looms inside look like artifacts. The weavers are very passionate about weaving as a
profession but when asked about the next generation’s role in it, they don’t prefer it.
In the 2011 Indian census, Arani’s population amounted up to 63,671. The total
geographical area spreads over 12 km per sq. area of land. Total population density of
the town is 5471 people per sq. km. Thus, the people in this town are familiar with each
other.

Weaving is not a new craft to Arani. The town has been known for the craft since
generations, starting 400 to 450 years back. It all started out with 1 or 2 families
initiating the craft. Today there are 25000 handloom weavers in Arani.

It is believed by the weavers that the craft of silk weaving was brought to them 600
years back by the then king who produced silk for his personal use.

Arani is home to the beautiful Lord Shiva temple, Sampangi Pichandeshwar where
the Goddess Sri Sivakaamavalli is worshipped. This is a major source of attraction for
tourists in town. The other temples in Arani are Vijaya Ganesh Alayam, Chamundeeswari,
Adhikesava Swami, Bhavani Amma Alayam, Siddhi Buddhi Presannavinayagar Kovil and
Rama Kovil.

Arani’s beauty and its weaving craft is overshadowed by Kanchipuram. The weavers in
Arani are specialized in every kind of weave and can adapt to almost any technique or
weave, which is their greatest strength.

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14 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
S IL K
Silk has been the queen of textiles for centuries.
Among all textile fibers, silk reigns supreme.
It’s a natural fiber often used to make cloth. Silk
has set a standard in luxury fabrics. The origin
of silk dates back to ancient China. It is highly
valued because of its excellent properties. Not
only does it look and feel luxurious but it also
is light weight resilient and extremely strong
and can be dyed with infinite subtle or bold
colors. Silk is always dry washed. Using water
leads to fading in color of the silk because of
the chemical dyes used nowadays.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 15

 When worn or draped, its fluidity is spellbinding. Exquisite
qualities like natural sheen, inherent affinity for dyes and
vibrant colors, high absorbency, light weight, resilience,
excellent drape and so on have made silk irresistible
and inevitable. The writings of Confucius and Chinese
traditions say that a silk worm’s cocoon fell inside the tea
cup of Empress Leizu, Wife of the Yellow Emperor. Wishing
to extract it from her drink, she began to unravel the thread
of the cocoon. She then had the idea of weaving some of it
for herself. On further request of her husband, she taught
the Chinese the art of raising silkworms, sericulture,
and came to be known as the goddess of silk in Chinese
mythology.

Though silk was exported to foreign countries in great

amounts, sericulture still remained a well-guarded secret
by the Chinese. Consequently other people invented
various methods to source this incredible fiber. The level of
quality of the Chinese silk has not been achieved since they
refuse to expose their secret. Pure mulberry silk is used to
weave sarees. The quality of silk can only be maintained if
the climate is right and if there is very limited rainfall.

16 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 17
18 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
CHARACTERISTICS
OF SILK
•Low density makes for light and comfortable clothing
•High resistance to deformation

•Good insulation properties; warm in winter and cool in summer

•Strongest natural fiber available

•Shimmers and shines

•Good affinity to dye

•Comfortable to wear

•Can withstand higher temperatures compared to wool and remains

unaffected at 40 degree celsius. It decomposes at 175 degree celsius

•Sunlight tends to encourage the decomposition of silk

•Lustrous
•Silk has good absorbency and thus has good affinity for dyes. Dyed

silk is colorfast under most conditions, but its resistance to light is

unsatisfactory

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 19

 SILK IN INDIA
In India 90% of silk fabrics are handwoven. The
artistic sense and aesthetics of Indian weavers lie
in their mastery over the creation of floral designs,
beautiful textures, fine geometry and the durability
of such work. The weaver not only weaves with
yarn but with intense feeling and emotion. In India,
there are a number of silk weaving centers spread
all over, known for their distinct and typical style
and products. For Indians, particularly women, silk
is a lifeline - The Elixir. For them, Saree is almost
synonymous with Silk.

The saree is the epitome of womanhood in India and

the 9 yard cloth has been the traditional costume
since time immemorial. There are innumerable
references in Indian literature about this draped
garment and the style of wearing which differs from
time to time, region to region and people to people.
The silk saree of India are among the living examples
of the excellent craftsmanship of the weavers. The
beauty of most Indian sarees don’t lye just in the
brilliance of color or the intricacy of designs but the
intense feeling with which the saree has been woven.

20 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the states
leading in production of silk in India. India’s Silk Industry is the world’s second
largest after China. India is the world’s second largest producer of silk, the largest
consumer of silk and silk products, and the largest importer of raw mulberry silk.
However, domestic silk textile producers are facing intense competition from
China, and India’s share in global trade in silk has been declining.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 21

 T YP E S O F S I L K
IN I N DI A
22 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
•Tanchoi Silk:
A weaving technique which is a blend of silk from India and
China.

•Matka Silk:
A rough handloom silk fabric made from the waste mulberry
silk without removing its gum (sericin) part. Largely
produced in Karnataka and Kashmir.

•Mulberry Silk:
Purest form of silk extracted from Silkworms, usually
produced in yellow, white, or greenish yellow.

•Murshidabad Silk:
Silk produced at the ‘Silk Mecca’ of East India.

•Angora Silk:
Known for tender texture, the Angora silk yarn is made from
the fur of meek ‘Angora’ rabbit.

•Mysore Silk Crepe:

Woven from hard spun silk yarn and comes from the silk city
of Mysore in Karnataka.

•Kosa Silk:
Comes from Chhattisgarh, and is known for its soft texture
and dull-brownish look. Available in shades of gold pale, dark
honey, cream, etc. Kosa is one kind of Tussar Silk.

•Tussar Silk:
Also known as Wild Silk, Tussar radiates gold sheen in its
fabric and is exclusively produced in India.

•Muga Silk:
Produced only in Assam, Muga silk yarns are fully yellow in
color and are considered the strongest natural fibre.

•Eri Silk:
Also known as Errandi or Endi in most parts of India. Eri Silk
is the purest form of silk from the East, with a dull yellow,
gold like sheen.

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24 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
W E AV I N G
There are many kinds of weaving looms to choose
from, depending on what you plan to weave.
When planning on buying a weaving loom, there
are several things to consider. These include how
large a piece do you intend to weave, how much
experience do you have with weaving looms,
how much space is there for your looms and how
much time are you willing to spend on it.

Weaving is a technique of fabric production. It

consists of intertwining two separate yarns or
threads at right angles to form a fabric or cloth.
Those two threads are called warp and weft.
Fabric is usually woven on a loom which is a
device that holds the warp threads in place while
weft is woven through them. There are also
other methods of weaving. The method where
the warp and weft interlace with each other is
called the weave. The basic types of weave are
plain weave, satin weave and twill weave, matt
and khataari. These give different patterns and
textures for the fabric.

AUTHENTICITY OF THE
WEAVES
Plain is called Anni. Satin is called Khataari. Twill
is called Banaras. Matt is called Double Anni.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 25

 wef t

wa rp

Weav i n g Pro ce s s

WEAVING
PROCESS
In the loom, yarn processing includes shedding,
picking, battening and taking-up operations. These
are the principal motions.
The primary motions can further be divided as
shedding, picking and beat up motions. The shedding
opens the warp sheet into layers to facilitate
passage of shuttle. The picking motion causes the
shuttle carrying weft to be propelled from one end
of the loom to another. The beat-up motion lays the
previously laid weft to the fell of the cloth.

Shu t t l e

26 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 The secondary motions comprise of take up and let
off motions. The take-up motion helps wind the cloth
on to the cloth roller and also influences the pick
density in the cloth. The let-off motion helps let the
warp from the weaver’s beam at a uniform rate thus
maintaining the warp tension constant throughout
the weaving process.

The auxiliary motions consist of the warp stop

motion, weft stop motion and warp protector motion.
The warp stop motion is used to stop the loom in the
event of warp breakages. This is necessary to prevent
fabric defects such as missing ends and floats. The
weft stop motion is used to stop the loom in the
event of weft exhaustion or weft breakages. This is
necessary to prevent missing weft threads called
cracks, in the fabric. The warp protector is used to
prevent multiple warp thread breakages in the event
of shuttle getting trapped in the middle of the warp
sheet.

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 Plain Weave

28 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 P lain Weav e

The plain weave, or linen weave as it is also called, is the simplest

of all weave. Here, the threads are woven together one after
the other. This weave is one of the strongest weaves, as the
threads are constantly crossing over each other. The plain
weave repeats on 2 Ends × 2 Picks. The plain fabric comprises
of a high percentage of the total production of woven fabrics
and it can be produced on a loom with two harness. It has
the highest number of interlacing as compared with other
weaves and therefore it produces the firmest fabric. It has
the maximum number of binding points. The thread density
is limited. Both sides of the weaves are identical. The threads
interlace on alternate order of 1 up and 1 down. Each thread
gives maximum amount of support to the adjacent threads.
Texture is stronger and firmer than any other ordinary cloth.
Made from all kinds of textile raw materials and yarns. To form
the weave, a minimum of 2 heald frames are required. Cloth
thickness and mass per unit area are limited.

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 Sati n W e a ve

30 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 S atin Wea v e

Satin
Contrary to popular opinions, satin is a type of weave and not a fiber. That is to say
that many types of satin exist, from cotton satin and polyester satin to silk satin. The
satin weave gives the fabric a shiny surface, which is often associated with exclusive
fabrics. It is also very lustrous. It has some subcategories such as, Satin, Slipper Satin,
and Crepe Back Satin.
One of its type is also called as Khataari weave

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 Tw i l l W e a v e

32 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 Tw ill Weav e

Twill
The twill weave creates a diagonal pattern in the fabric. Depending on which
technique is used in the weave, the diagonal pattern will get different pitches,
and you can thus find Twill material with different patterns. This type is also the
most commonly-used weave for denim. Here one of the threads is white and the
other colored, which is what gives denim its characteristic appearance.

Herringbone
The herringbone weave is a variation of the twill weave. The threads are woven
so that a herringbone pattern appears in the fabric. Just as with twill weaves, a
herringbone weave has countless variations, which gives different appearances
to the fabric.

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 Pe d dle s of a Lo om

34 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

INTRODUCTION
TO LOOM
A loom is a mechanism or tool used for
weaving yarn and thread into textiles. Looms
come in various sizes. The size of the loom
determines the width of the weave material.
The length is controlled in the table looms.
They come in huge free standing hand looms,
tiny hand-held frames, to vast automatic
mechanical tools. A loom can pertain to an
electric line construction like that of a wiring
loom. The main task of looms is to clutch the
twist threads under pressure to enable the
progress of interweaving the woof strands.
The loom’s system and exact form can differ
to some extent; however it still performs the
basic application.
The Pit Loom was the first ever loom in
history. Subsequently, the handloom was
developed and then the power loom.

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36 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 H A N DLOO M P OW ER LOOM

DOB BY JACQUA RD SHUTT LE SH UTT LE-

LESS

WARP WEFT PATTE R N P ROJECTILE

PATTE RN

MU LTIP LE R A P IER
TA PPET BOXE S

DOB BY AIR -JE T

JACQUAR D WATER -JE T

C LAS SI FI CATION
O F LO OMS
CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 37
 H A NDL OOM
H AND LO O M
A ‘handloom’ is a loom that is used to weave
cloth without the use of any electricity. Hand
weaving is done on pit looms or frame looms. In
a wooden vertical-shaft loom, the heddles are
fixed in place in the shaft. This loom is powered
by hand. The warp threads pass alternatively
through a heddle, and through a space between
the heddles (the shed), so that raising the shaft
raises half the threads (those passing through
the heddles), and lowering the shaft lowers the
same threads—the threads passing through the
spaces between the heddles remain in place.
The hand loom was operated by the weaver using
his hands to propel the shuttle from one end to
another. The weaver used his feet to operate the
heads. The production in this type of loom was
obviously very less and thus varied from weaver
to weaver.

38 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 39
40 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
T Y P E S O F LO OM
Technically handlooms are classified into three : Advantages
1. Primitive or Vertical Loom •We can achieve texture fabric by using this type of
2. Pit Loom loom
3. Frame Loom •An average weaver can weave a medium width fly
shuttle loom at 80-110 pics per minute
1.Primitive or Vertical Loom •It is a fly shuttle loom, therefore the production is
A primitive loom is generally made by sinking the frame high because of the introduction of slew and shuttle-
into the ground and the work is done inside the pit by boxes
both feet. The framework is of bamboo. This loom has •Here, the shuttle is transferred from one box to
been in use since 5000 to 6000 B.C. This loom is still used another
for weaving silk pieces, silk shirt and sarees and so on by •The looms are settled on the floor in such a way that
weavers. yarn can get moisture
•Production quantity of this loom is double than that
Feature of the primitive loom or vertical loom
•This type of loom is used for finer yarn •Fly shuttle pit loom, back and beast beams have
•Made of wood or metal been introduced to remove difficulties like knot or
•Must be heavy and smooth yarn breakage
•Can accommodate a greater quality of weft in the
Advantage pirn
•Quality fabric can be obtained by skilled labor
•Set- up cost is very low Disadvantages
•Primitive loom can work with dobby and jacquard •This type of loom set up is difficult.
attachment •Pit loom is one types of hand loom, so it’s tough to
achieve higher production from here.
Disadvantage •Difficult to control more number of heald shaft
•Slew is suspended from the top and its action is very Plain weave is the most commonly used technique
weak. to weave fabric on pit looms. Design and variety in
•Warp threads are drawn directly from the warp beam fabric woven with plain weave is created through
texture, stripe and check. Texture is created by using
2.Pit Loom different thicknesses of yarns. Stripes and checks are
Pit loom is created by sinking four posters into the ground. created by color or by using different thicknesses in
Two peddles are set in the pit for the weaver to operate. yarn.
Pit loom weaving is considered to be better for weaving
as the fabric woven retains the character of the fiber and Dimensions of a Pit Loom
the fabric , due to the proximity to the ground. The ground The height of the pit is decided according to the
absorbs the tension and speed and makes the fabric more weaver’s convenience of reaching the peddle.
breathable. Pit looms are usually made in weaver’s houses, Generally it’s 4 feet. The overall height of the loom is
so they make it according to their convenience. Thus they 9 feet. If at all the depth of the pit is not correct, then
don’t have any problem reaching the pedal. the weavers put sand inside the pit accordingly.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 41

 S HA FT F RAME H EDDL E

BATTE N H A N DTREE

U PR I GH T SH U TT LE RACE
POS T BATTEN SL EW
PAWL S

B REAST BEA M

WA R P RACH ET
BE A M WH EE L

P L AI N TA KE U P
WH E E L MOTION
H AN DL E
JACKS
WH E E L

FRON T
P OST
R E AR
POST

B RA KE
TREA DLE
TREA DLE
CLOTH SET
BE AM LA M S

Ha nd lo o m

42 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

FRAME LOOM
Frame Looms have similar mechanisms that ground Advantages
looms hold. The loom was made of rods and panels •It has an increased speed as one hand of the weaver
fastened at the right angles to construct a form similar operates the picking handle and the other remains free
to that of a box to make it more handy and manageable. to operate the slew
Frame looms are being utilized even now because of its •Fabrics of long width can as conveniently be woven as
portability and affordability. the narrow ones
•Large no. of heald can conveniently be operated
Features •Let off is done with a pawl lever arrangement
•Twill, satin fabric can be produced by using this types
of loom machine Disadvantages
•The movement of the slew is given by the left hand of •Difficult to fit
the weaver •Fabric may compres
•These types of looms are made on a frame
•Beam diameter may increase in case of frame loom

WA RP YA RN H EDDLES

WOVEN CLOTH
REED

CLOTH
ROLL

HA RN E SSE S

FI LL I N G YA RN CLOTH ROL L

WA R P B EA M
SHU TTLE

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 43

 EXT R A W EF T
AN D EXT R A
WA RP
The extra yarns for fi guri ng ca n be i nt roduced
in a f ab ric ei t her as warp or w e ft ,or i n a
co mbi natio n of t hes e t w o.For an ext ra warp
weavi ng a separat e warp b e am i s e mpl oye d
becau se o f t he di fferent t ake up rat e s and
ten sio n em pl oyed duri ng w eavi ng process .For
the cas e of ext ra we f t f i guri ng t he w eav i ng
ma ch ine must have t he capaci t y of i nsert i ng
two or mo re w eft . t hread s t o b e i ns e rt e d i n
co nti nuo us orde r w i t h t he ground threads ,or
int ermi tte nt orde r ,w hi l e whe re t hey a re
int rodu ce d t he arrange m ent of the fi g uri ng
an d grou nd t hread s may be 1 and 1, 1 a nd
2,1a nd 3 e t c, accord i ng t o t he s truct ure of t he
cl oth a nd sol i di t y Of t he f i gure re q ui re d.The
vi si bi lit y of the fi gure s l arge l y d epends on
thi s fa cto r.

In compa ct f abri cs t he ex tra t hre a ds are

bou nd in o n t he unde rsi de of t he cl ot h,ei t her
betwe en co rres pondi ng f l oat s i n t he ground
textu re,or by m ea ns of speci al st i t chi ng
thre ad s.

The extra t hre ad s are i nt e rw ove n on t he fa ce

of th e clo th i n t he f orm of sm al l auxi l i ary
fig ures o r f l oat s t hus a ddi ng t o t he ful l ne s s of
the texture.

44 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

E x t ra Wa rp fi gur ing
T he c h i e f a dva ntag e of t he ex tra wa rp
me t h o d i s i n p roduc tiv ity b u t a t p re s en t
i t i s mo st l y ut iliz ed fo r c on t in u o u s
s t y l e s ar ran ge d o n e e nd o f gro u nd ,on e
o f ex tra, exc ep t do bby e ff e cts w h ich are
s t i l l p r o duc e d in a c ons idera ble va riet y o f
i n t e rm it t e n t f igu rin g arra n gem e n ts .

T he r e as o n f o r the de c line o f th e f a ncie r

J a c qua r d s t rip e st yle s lie s in th e f a ct t ha t
e a c h di f f e r e n t des ign f re q ue n tly req u ires
t h e h a r n e ss to be re -t ied o r o th e rw is e
mo di f i e d wh ic h is c o stly it s elf an d wh ich
o f t e n l e ads to f u rt he r co s t s by incr eas in g
t h e l e ng th of t h e we av ing m ach in e
d o w n t i me .

E x t ra Wef t Fi gur ing

E x t ra we ft f ig ured f abrics m ay be f orm e d
wi t h on e , tw o or mo re ext ra w ef t p ick s
i n a d d it i on to the g rou nd w e f t .O n ly o ne
s e r i e s of wa rp t hrea ds is us e d an d th e
e f f e c t i s o bt aine d by f loatin g t h e ex tra
we ft w he r e de sire d on t he f ace o f th e
g r o un d c l ot h p roduc e d by t he in te rlacin g
o f t h e wa r p w ith the g rou nd w e f t in plain
o r i n so me o th e r s imple w e ave o rde r.
We av i n g ma c hine u se d f o r th is p u rpo s e
mu s t h ave the c ap ac ity t o in s ert m ore t ha n
o n e k i nd o f we f t.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 45

 PARTS OF A LOOM
HEALD/HEADDLE:
Wire or cords with eyelets that hold warp yarns in a place.

Function:
1. It helps in shed formation
2. It is useful in identifying broken ends
3. It determines the order or sequence of the warp threads
4. It determines the warp thread density in a fabric
Heald Shaft/Harness: A wood or metal frame that holds the heald/heddles in position in the loom during weaving. It is
usually more than one in number.

WARP ROLLER:
The warp roller which consists of the lengthwise yarns is located
at the back of the loom and it releases the warp yarn to the
weaving area of the loom as needed. The warp rollers are part of
the warping machine used in the processes of warping. These are
made of steel and these have two rows of pegs on the hexagonal
form roller. The diameter of the roller is said to be 5 yards in
diameter. These warp rollers are fixed to a pedal and heald frame
to form the whole warping machine.

War p R o lle r
46 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 BOBBIN WINDERS:
A winder is used to wind yarn on the bobbin. It consists of a
spindle driven by a wheel that is turned by hand or electricity.
The best winders have a spindle tapered to fit different sizes of
bobbins.

Bo bb i n W in de r

S HU TT L E :
Thi s is a ve hic le f or w e f t an d it p as s e s t hro ugh th e divi ded
wa r p f o r t he inte rlace m en t of t he w ar p & weft.

S HU TT L E B OX:
Comp a r tme n t of e ac h e nd o f th e s lew of a s hut tle l oom u se d
to r e t a in t he sh u tt le b et w ee n p ick in g mot ion .

BOBBIN WINDERS:
A winder is used to wind yarn on the bobbin. It consists of a spindle driven
by a wheel that is turned by hand or electricity. The best winders have a
spindle tapered to fit different sizes of bobbins.

PICKER:
It is a piece of leather or other metal placed in grooves or on a
spindle inside the shuttle box.

S hut tl e

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 47

 B E A M S:
A cylin dr ical b ody with en d flan ge s on w hi ch mul t i pl es of
w arp e n d s are wo und i n su ch way t o pe rmi t t he re mov al
o f th e ya rns a s a wa rp s he et. Th is i s a l s o know n as t he
w e ave r’ s be am . It is f ixed a t the back of t he l oom . The
w arp s h e et is wo un d o n to th is beam. T he l e ngt h of w arp
in t he b ea m may be m ore th an a thousa nd me t re s . The se
b e am s are main ly wood fo r ha ndl ooms and m et al for t he
p o w er lo o ms .

C yl indr ic a l B e a m

BOBBIN:
Bobbin is an elongated spool of thread, used in the textile industry.
The weft yarn wound on a bobbin (pirn), sets into a shuttle.
Commercially manufactured bobbins have rims that prevent the
yarn from sliding over the edges. Homemade bobbins made by the
weavers themselves from paper or cardboard is called ‘quills’.

Generally, it is made of plastic, metal, bone, or wood and smaller

versions of these are used in sewing machine made in stainless
steel.

In modern processes, the spun fibers are wound on bobbins; the

weft filling in weaving comes off bobbins. The bobbin carries the
weft or filling yarns, which unspools and interlaces with the warp
yarns (stretched on the loom) to make the cloth as the weaver
passes the shuttle from side to side, hand to hand. Bobbins are
the spindle or the cylindrical object in which the threads are
being wound. These bobbins are used in twisting the threads and
winding it.

B ob b in

48 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

CLOTH ROLLER:
It is located at the front of the loom. After completion of
weaving the woven fabric is wound on it.

SLEW:
It is the portion of loom that carries the reed and
oscillates between the harness & the falll of the cloth.

LEASE RODS:
The division of warp yarn into one & one, two & two, & so
on is termed as Lease. The two rods passed between the
two successive divisions of warp yarns are called lease
rods.

TEMPLE:
A roller device on a loom that holds the cloth at a proper
width to prevent it from being drawn in too much by the
filling.

BEATER:
This is inevitably a combination made up of metallic
wires set vertically in a frame. The spaces between the
wires are known as dents. There is a beater which has a
Reed frame mounted on it. The weaver holds the beater
and gives the beater a to and fro motion for beating the
last pick to the fell of the cloth.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 49

 Re ed

REED:

Reed is a metallic comb that is fixed to the slew with a

reed cap. It is a device used to separate yarns on a loom
& to beat up the filling during weaving. Reed, which is
made of bamboo is selected according to the fabric. The
zari loses its coating when the steel reed is used which is
why bamboo reed is preferred which is much softer and
has more durability of the fabric and more strength. The
reed is made of a number of wires and the gap between
the wires is known as Dents. Each dent can accommodate
one, two or more warp ends. The count of the reed is
decided by the number of dents in two inches.

The reed performs a number of functions which are

enumerated as follows:
•It pushes the lastly laid pick of weft to the cloth fell
•It helps in maintaining the position of the warp threads
•It acts as a guide to the shuttle which passes from one
end of the loom to the other.
•It determines the fineness of the cloth in conjunction
with the healds.
•It determines the openness or closeness of the fabric

50 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 REED

WA RP

WEF T

C LOT H
SHUTTLE

PA RT S O F LO OM

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 51

 DOBBY LOOM
Dobby is short for “draw boy” which refers to the weaver’s
helper who used to control the warp thread by pulling on
draw threads. The dobby mechanism is used to program
the harness combinations for the weave pattern. A
Dobby Loom is a type of floor loom that controls the warp
threads using a device called a Dobby. A dobby loom is an
alternative to a treadle loom. A manual dobby uses a chain
of bars or lags each of which has pegs inserted to select the
shafts to be moved. A computer assisted dobby loom uses
a set of solenoids or other electronic devices to select the
shafts. Activation of these solenoids is under the control of
a computer program. In either case the selected shafts are
raised or lowered by either leg power on a dobby pedal or
electric or other power sources. A dobby pit loom is used
for weaving saris with simple patterns and dainty designs.
The warp has threads stretched lengthwise in the loom.
The loom shafts have heddles that provide control to the
loom for thread movement; each heddle has an eye in
which individual warps are threaded. The weft has threads
which go back and forth between the warp. The saree is
made by passing of threads over and under one another
in the warping and wefting process. The weaver controls
when the thread is to be passed from one side to another.
The weaver pushes the paddle and beats the threads in a
rhythmic motion.
ADVANTAGES
The advantage of a dobby loom becomes even more
pronounced on looms with 12 shafts (4094 possible
sheds), 16 shafts (65,534 possible sheds), or more. Another
advantage to a dobby loom is the ability to handle much
longer sequences in the pattern. A weaver working on a
treadled loom must remember the entire sequence of the
treadlings that make up the pattern, and must keep track
of where they are in the sequence at all times. Getting lost
or making a mistake can ruin the cloth being woven. On a
manual dobby the sequence that makes up the pattern is
represented by the chain of dobby bars. The length of the
sequence is limited by the length of the dobby chain.

52 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
DOBBY LOOM AND
JACQUARD LOOM
The main difference between a dobby and jacquard
loom is how the warp yarns are moved up and down.
In the case of a dobby loom, you can only control the
warp yarns in groups, moved by harnesses (the silver
and tan paddle looking things). When a harness goes
up or down, all the warp yarns attached to it move
with it. That, combined with the loom only being
able to hold a certain number of harnesses limits
how complex a pattern can be.
Dobby looms are best used for simple geometric
patterns because of the limitations of the harnesses.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 53

 E l e ct r i c J a c q ua r d
54 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
J ACQ UA R D
T h e j ac qu ard lo o m wa s on e of the m os t fin es t fabri cs i n a l l of Europe and
imp o rta nt w e av in g ad van ces in hi sto ry. thi s was i n no s mal l pa rt due t o t he
I n aro un d 4 t h cen t ur y Byza nti um, co mplex i t y a nd l uxe qual i t y of t he i r
line n and wo o l we re b e ing woven in to si lk bro ca de s. Throughout al l of t he se
c o mp lex patt er ns to f o rm beaut ifu l ce ntu ries, b rocades w ere woven by
f a bric s. W it h th e im p ort o f si lk weavin g ha nd o n l arge l oom s ca l l ed draw l oom s.
a rou nd th e 6 t h ce n tu ry, b ro cad e be came Thes e l ooms requi re d t wo pe opl e t o
a s lux u rio us t o t ou ch as it wa s t o th e opera te , a w eaver a nd a draw boy. The
eyes . B yz a n tin e craf ts m e n be gan to weaver woul d ca l l out t o t he draw boy,
w e ave silk in to br oca de s , d ama sks , an d let tin g hi m k now w hi ch t hreads t o l i ft
t ap es try -like f ab rics , s u it abl e for even an d wh en, so t hat t he corre ct col oure d
a k ing . By th e m id dle age s, b rocad es thre ad s woul d s how t hrough ea ch l i ne
w e re so ex pe n s ive th at th ey were o nl y of we ave. Thi s w a s an i ncre di bl y l abor
available t o th e u p pe r n ob ili ty and in tens ive and sl ow proces s. B y t he end
t he ver y rich . B roca de s o on beca me a of a f ul l day, a g ood t ea m of we aver
s ymbo l o f w e alth an d p ow er, a nd wa s an d draw b oy coul d ex pect t o have
f avou re d by mo n arch s t h rou gho ut the co mple t ed roughl y t wo sq uare i nches
me diev al w o rld. Th e n o b ili ty’s l ove of fi nel y pat t erne d si l k cl ot h. Seve ral
a f fa ir w ith bro cad e co n tin ued i nto th e French i nvent ors t ri e d t o creat e a
Re naiss an ce age , es p e cially in I tal y. bet ter l oom but t hei r at t e mpts w ere
A ro un d in th e 1 5 t h ce nt u ry the Ita li a ns in vain . A t l a s t i t w a s a f orme r draw
be gan to ma ke a n am e f o r t he ms elves as boy J o se ph Ma ri e J acquard who w as
ma kers o f t he su ccess ful .

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 55

56 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
Draw boys we re al ways s ma l l chi l dre n, as
th ey h ad to be a bl e t o cl i mb on t op of t he l oom
i n ord er to wo rk. They t ypi cal l y s pent 6-8
h ours a d ay work ing, l i ft i ng ab out 30 pound s
o f weavin g re eds at a t i me , at t he di re ct i on
o f th e we aver. Thi s was backbre a ki ng work ,
o ften don e i n h orri bl e cond i t i ons , a nd
m any draw boys we re cri ppl ed due t o t he
prof es sio n.
By la te 1 70 0’ s machi ne s w e re deve l oped
to hand le al l s ort s of re pet i t i ve t ask s . They
were a lrea dy bei ng w i de l y use d t o creat e
s impl e patte rned fabri cs , but brocad e s
s til l re qui red an art i st ’ s t ouch, s i nce the i r
de si gns were f ar m ore com pl ex . I n order to
crea te su ch a pa tt e rn,
th ere wou ld n ee d t o b e a way t o progra m t he
m achin e to cha ng e i t s w eave de pendi ng on
whi ch l in e o f the pa t t ern w as bei ng cre a t e d.

J acqu ard crea ted a s i mpl e b ut i nge ni ous

s olu tio n, us ing st i f f punch ca rds si m i l a r
to t he ree ls s til l se e n i n pl aye r pi anos and
m ech an ical m us ic boxe s t od ay. I n 1801, hi s
i nit ia l con ce pt w on hi m t he at t e nt i on of
N apo leo n h ims el f, w ho ca l l e d J acqua rd t o
Pari s an d comm is si one d hi m t o pe rfe ct hi s
proces s i n th e nat i onal i nt e rest . The fi nal
vers ion , whi ch d ebut ed i n 1804, beca me t he
worl d’s f irs t program mabl e machi ne. It w as
l ate r a stro ng i nf lue nce for Charl e s Ba bb age ,
credi ted with cre a ti ng t he worl d ’s fi rs t
compu ter. The punch ca rd s he creat e d are
a ls o th oug ht to be t he ori gi n of b i na ry code
s ys tem s.
J acqu ard ’s inven ti on hel pe d not onl y t he
textil e i ndu st ry, but hel pe d i n t he adv a nce
o f techn olo gy. The j a cq uard l oom not onl y
cut b ack on th e amount of huma n l ab or, but
a ls o a ll owed fo r pa t t erns t o now be s t ored
o n card s an d b e u ti l i zed ove r and over agai n
to ach ieve th e s a me product .

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 57

 T Y P E S O F JAC Q UAR D
Ja cq u ard lo om s ca n b e catego rize d i nto t wo, one i s t he
o rdinar y lo o m an d th e oth er are th e specia l l ooms . The
s p ec ial lo o ms are f u rthe r m ore mo dif ied t o ma ke s peci a l
w e ave s s u ch as Len o we ave made by Le no J ac quard or t o
in c reas e th e f ig u rin g ca pa city of jacqu ard.

A ja cq u ard h ea d ca n pro duce al mo st a n inf in i t e v ari e t y of

w e ave s . Th ere are m any fa bri cs prod uced with a j a cq uard
lo o m th at d on’ t f it in to on e pa rti cu lar weave ca t egory or
a n ot h er, es p e cially b ro ca de & ta pest ry.

Bro ca de :
B ro cad e s are f a brics wi th an e la borate e mbo ssed or
e mbro ide re d s u rf ace effe ct, usu ally with d iffe rent ground
a n d p att ern w e ave s . Con tin uo us bro cade s have t he weft
t h rea ds le f t lo o s e a nd flo at ing o n the ba ck . Di s cont i nuous
bro cade h as a dd itio n al yarns wh ich are o nly wove n i nt o t he
p a tte rn ed ar eas , res u lti ng in a s mo oth er back.

Bro ca di n g:
B ro cad e o r o th er jacqu ar d we aves wi th the i ncl us i on of
g o ld o r s ilver co lo re d t hrea ds . I t is als o call ed I mperi a l
B ro cad e .

Dama s k:
Pa tte rn ed f abrics are t he on es wit h a grou nd of one w eave
( us ually plain , t will o r satin ) and d esi gns in ot he r w e aves
( pa rticu larly s atin an d twil l vari an ts ), s o t hat t he pat t erne d
a rea s h ave s h ee n an d ref lect lig ht, Dama sk s a re al ways
r eve rs ible , w it h th e pa tte rn weaves b ecomi ng t he g round
w e ave s o n th e reve rs e ( so on a fa bric wi th a pl ai n ground
a n d s at in p at te rn f ron t, th e g roun d woul d be s at i n a nd
t h e pat te rn pla in o n th e reve rse) . There a re t one - on- t one
da mas k s , w it h dif f e ren t we aves wi thi n the dama s k crea t i ng
e labora te f lo ra l or geom etri c patt erns , and mul t i col ore d
da mas k s , w he re th e back grou nd co lo rs an d the pat t ern
c olo rs rever s e f ro m f r on t t o b ack.

58 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 Brocad e
Ima ge Credi t s - http: //w w w.
i nd i anl ace s andf ab ric. com

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 59

 H OOK S

NECK
BA N D

HARNESS
CORDS

60 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

JACQUARD
MECHANISM
1. Jacquard Head:
This part of the loom comprises of tools such as knives, hooks, needles, springs card, cylinder and
endless paper pattern for the creation of motifs and weaves.

2. Harness:
This is the second spectrum of the loom which mainly consists of neck cords, harness cords, mails and
weighs (spring or elastomer). This mechanism links the jacquard head to the entire loom.

3. Jacquard Harness System:

The Jacquard harness is the system of chords, heddles and lingoes that transmit the movement of the
hooks to the individual warp threads. The harness is designed as the perfect interface between the
jacquard machine and the warp yarns of the fabric. Harness chords are attached to the heddles, each
with an eye through which a warp yarn is threaded. The heddles are selected according to the warp
setting and the yarn count of the warp ends.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 61

Po w e r lo om
62 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
POWER LOOM
A power loom is a type of loom that is powered mechanically
instead of using human power to weave patterns or thread
into cloth. The power loom is an invention that combines
threads to make cloth. Power looms were assembled in the
weaving shed of a mill and driven by a steam engine by belts
from overhead shafting. Power looms were a major advance
over the hand looms used before.

The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund

Cartwright and first built in 1785. It was refined over the
next 47 years until a design by William Kenworthy and James
Bullough made the operation completely automatic.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 63

64 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
SL No. Func ti on s Ha nd lo om Power l oom Moder n Loom
1 Ty p es of Lo o m I t ’s a sh utt le lo om It’s als o a shut t l e l oom It ’ s a s hut t l e l e ss loom
2 Driv ing M eth o d Dr iven by ma nual Drive n by e l ect ri c I t’ s d ri ve n by electric
met hod po wer or st eam pow e r
3 N um be r of Wa rp Sh e ds Hig he r warp s hed Lo we r s he d nee ded Lowe r s he d need ed
nee ded
4 P ro duct ion Cap acity Lo wer produ ct ion H ig her product i on t han H i ghe r ca pa city than
hand l oom pow er l oom
5 Q ualit y of De s ign Sim p le de si gn ca n be C om pl ex de si g n can be Com pl ex de sig n
P ro duc e d prod uced produced
6 Runn in g Spe ed S lo w s pe ed H i gh spee d H i gh s pee d
7 Va riet y of De s ign Le s s n um ber. of de si gn More numb er of More num ber of de sign
v ar ieti es can b e des ig n va ri e t i e s than vari et i e s than power
pro duced handl oom l oom
8 I nit ial Inve s tm e n t I nvestm ent i s lo we r H i ghe r I nves t ment i s highe r
9 Sh eddin g me th o d S he d di ng is do ne u si ng She d di ng i s d one Aut om at i cally
ped al a ut om at i cal l y
10 P ic kin g and Be atin g Do ne manu al ly Aut omat i cal l y A ut om at i cally
Me tho d

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 65

P i t Lo o m

66 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 BEAUTY OF THE
SUNKEN FLOORS OF
THE SAURASHTRIAN
COMMUNITY
Saurashtrian community of Arani has its own beauty of pit
looms. Sunken floors are made as pits on 1st floor rather than
ground floor.

LOOMS OF ARANI
There are two types of looms in Arani, Plain loom and Drop Box.
Pit Looms and Jacquards are most commonly used in Arani to
weave pure Silk Sarees. Pit looms were the very first looms of
Arani. The idea behind the pit loom is that, the yarn works inside
the pit so that the warp yarn may absorb moisture and results
in better weaving. The weavers have these pit looms in their
own houses so the height of the pit is decided according to the
height of the weaver. The overall height of the loom is about 9
feet and the depth of the pit is about 3 to 4 feet according to the
height of the weaver so that his foot easily reaches the peddle.
Traditional Arani loom size is 132 inches. Standard pit loom is
4 feet to 5 feet. Arani also have electronic jacquard controlling
two looms in R & D unit of RMKV, which eliminates the physical
strain of handloom to attract the younger generation to the
industry.
Knee pain, neck pain, back pain, strained eyesight are very
common problems faced by the weavers during weaving.

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 ECONOMIC
IMPORTANCE
OF HANDLOOM
SECTOR
1. The socio-economic costs of finding alternative
livelihood for over 15 million people will be too heavy for
the nation and unthinkable.
2. The capital cost of the handloom industry is lower than
that of many small scale industries and village industries.
3. Closure of handloom units may lead to a large scale
urban migration.
4. Land being un-expandable, additional employment
is unlikely to come from agricultural sector. Handloom
offers a non-land based employment opportunity.
5. Handlooms meet the clothing requirement of rural
India with varying climatic conditions. Agriculture and
handlooms constitute the core of the self-sustaining rural
economic development.
6. It offers scope for unlimited flexibility in design
production ideally suited to export markets.
7. Handlooms offer work to rural women.
8. Handloom activities are eco-friendly and have no
adverse impact on ecology and energy requirements.

Keeping the above principles in view, the Government of

India constituted the All India Handloom Board in 1953

68 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

HANDLOOMS OF
TAMIL NADU
Handlooms provide employment to around 10 lakh
people through weaving and allied trade activities. In
Tamil Nadu the handloom centers produce pure cotton
goods, pure silk sarees and dhotis, furnishing goods and
blended goods.

Out of 4.2 lakh handlooms, around 65,000 are silk

weaving handlooms. Silk handlooms produce around
30 lakh meters of silk goods valued at about INR 2000
million. The major silk weaving centers are Kanchipuram,
Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Arani, Salem and Paramakudi.
Silk goods include pure silk sarees and dhotis, which are
mainly worn during wedding seasons. The above centers
are the home of the finest, and pure silk goods. The golden
zari thread is used in extra warp and weft figuring using
ethnic motifs like Kalasam, Mango, Parrot, Temple and
Floral designs using Dobby or Jacquard. The colors are
fascinating and rich. Korvai sarees are those items that
come with solid borders from the skillful hands of the
weavers.

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70 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 The saree has glorious traditions that
S AR E E

date back to almost as far behind the

annals of history as the Indus Valley
Civilization. History and research show
the proof of weaving and usage of
unstitched fabric by the people of the
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

The richness of the colors, the exquisite

weaving skills of diverse communities
and the truly amazing diversity in styles
of draping has made this nine-yard
piece cloth the epitome of womanhood
in India.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 71

 FRAMEWORK
OF A SAREE
The saree evolved from a three-piece ensemble
comprising of the Antariya, the lower garment; the
Uttariya; a veil worn over the shoulder or the head;
and the Stanapatta, a chest band.

The saree is a long piece of fabric which is

approximately 6 to 9 yards in length. It comprises of
3 parts:

The first part is the Pallu, which is the end piece of

the saree. called as Aanchal, also called a Pallu or
Palav. It is usually more densely ornamented than
the field in matching or contrasting color. It’s usually
the fanciest part of the saree and is draped over the
shoulder.

The second part is the body of the saree (middle

part). From the middle part is where the pleats are
folded into the petticoat.

The last part is the inner end/edge of the saree.

This part is the first part of the saree that should be
tucked into the petticoat.

Thalaippa:
This is the foremost portion of a saree which is
woven in the beginning. It is the fanciest part and is
draped over the shoulder.

Border:
The saree usually has borders along the top and
bottom lengths of the cloth. The borders are a main
design element when wearing the saree and come in
an astounding variety of patterns and motifs.

72 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

S TA NA PAT TU

STA NA PATTU Thal i appa

Blo u s e

UT TA RI YA

B orde r

FI RST PART
- PA LL U

MIDDL E PART -
P L EATS
A NTA RI YA

TH IRD PART - I N N E R EDGE OF

PE TTI C OT SAREE

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 73

74 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
H A N D LOO M
SA R EE
Handloom - The arduous and authentic work of the
weaving craftspeople. A hand loom saree takes days to
complete and each thread is meticulously and patiently
laid against the next in the process. At times 60 to 100
threads per inch. The production of handloom saris are
important for economic development in rural India.
Completion of a single saree takes two to three days
of work. Several regions have their own traditions of
handloom sarees.

A handloom saree is often woven on a shuttle-pit loom

made from ropes, wooden beams and poles. The shuttle
is thrown from side-to-side by the weaver. Other weavers
use a fly-shuttle loom which can produce different types
of patterns. The sarees can vary in size and quality. The
handloom sarees are made from silk or cotton threads.
Traditionally the processes involved in thread dyeing and
warping were outsourced. Sizing, attaching the warp,
weft winding and weaving were done by the weavers.

It is important to understand the complex process that

plays a major role behind weaving. Handloom sarees and
the final product which we get from shops.
The government of Tamil Nadu is doing their best for
marketing the handlooms made by the weavers of Tamil
Nadu through Co-optex. However the weavers feel that
it’s not sufficient for the survival of the handloom sector.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 75

 76
SAREES OFDE
TAMIL NADU
PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
SAREES OF TAMIL NADU
Over the ages, India has conjured up different images at different times, but
one constant throughout the centuries has been its textiles. And the one region
which has always been in the picture in this regard, has been Tamil Nadu. The
raw materials used in the silk weaving centres are not indigenous to Tamil Nadu
for ‘Zari’ comes all the way from Surat while the neighboring state of Karnataka
supplies the silk. Karnataka meets the silk needs of not just Kanchipuram, Arani,
Kumbakonam but the whole of India.

The Chettinad Sarees

From the coarse Chettinad sarees, to the sarees of Salem, Rasipuram and
Coimbatore, to the fine gold bordered muslins of Madurai or its more recent
medium weight reasonable sarees that are printed or resist-dyed and are
popularly referred to as the “Madurai Sungudi”, the weaves of Tamil Nadu offer
wide choices.

Thanjavur And Kumbakonam Silks

Thanjavur is another silk centre, which specialises in the use of Zari and brocade
work. These sarees are heavy and opulent. Thanjavur and Kumbakonam
create sarees similar to that of Kanchipuram’s but the Mundhi or end pieces
are finished differently. Using a technique called “Porai” the weavers pull the
warp threads, at the join of two colors, into loops at the back and then cut it
close.

Tamil Nadu silks are long lasting. Traditionally, they were washed by being
beaten on a granite stone (it is so even today in many homes) and they survived
many a generation.

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78 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
ARANI
HANDLOOM
CLUSTER
Arani, a town in the state of Tamil Nadu, is one among Handloom weaving artisans of Arani handloom cluster has
the 234 state legislative constituencies and one of the 39 received National level Awards, and even International
central parliamentary constituencies; it is also a part of Guinness recognition for their excellent work in silk saree
Tiruvannamalai district’s 11 taluks. weaving. Silk saree weaving has been Arani’s identity for
Silk weaving was introduced in Arani during the period of more than half a century.
Vijayanagar Empire (17th century A.D).
Arani Handloom cluster is the largest cluster in Tamil
Nadu for weaving Handloom Silk Saree with pure silk
threads. More than 35,000 families are involved in the
tradition of weaving silk sarees in the Arani cluster.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 79

 HISTORY OF ARANI
SILK SAREES The Saurashtrian weavers arrived into an already
thriving weaving culture in Thanjavur and Madurai
where they lent their weaving, dyeing and printing skills
Approximately 1200 years ago, there lived a group of and propelled the art of weaving to greater heights. The
people in Saurashtra, on the coast of North Gujarat and art became so popular that the Saurashtrians were rich
it was believed that these people could weave cotton enough to even provide land for social activities.
as ethereal as silk. Their expertise was not restricted to
weaving but to all forms of textile art namely, printing, But not all of them settled in Madurai. A large number of
dyeing, embroidery and resist dyeing. They were a families also moved to other villages and settled in the
god-sent in a land already rich with cotton crop. Soon a neighbouring towns of Kumbakonam and Arani. Over
royal charter named them ‘Pattavayahs’ which meant time, these settlers lent their skills to create a saree
‘weavers of silk-like clothes’. style that was distinct but had its roots firmly embedded
in the existing traditional patterns.
All was well for the Saurashtrians until about 1000 Arani and other Tamil Nadu sarees like the Kumbakonam
AD, when Mohammed Ghazni invaded these lands. and Kanjeevaram are the carriers of the historic
Mass destruction and looting that followed forced the Saurashtrian legacy.
Saurashtrian weavers to flee these cotton-rich lands in
large numbers. Their flight from this land took them to Today the Saurashtrian weavers are considered amongst
other parts of the country over a period of two centuries. the most skilled weavers in the Tamil Nadu silk weaving
To begin with, they settled in the interior regions of communities. While they have preserved their religious
present day Maharashtra for about 100 years. Here they roots, their integration with the Tamil community is deep
co-created the magnificent Paithani weave together with and complete.
the local weavers. Then from here they were brought
into the Vijayanagar empire by King Krishna Devaraya The Arani saree is a bright, colourful rich silk saree that
to teach silk weaving to the weavers in his kingdom, but retains its ‘South-Indian’ look owing to its bright jewel
after the fall of the empire the Saurashtrians spread to colors, gold zari work and typical motifs. It also however
parts of Madurai and Thanjavoor. has its own distinctiveness.

80 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 TRADITIONAL
WEAVING
TECHNIQUES IN
ARANI
People of Arani produce silk sarees and handloom
fabrics of good quality. Weaving is done by both
men and women. Arani is well known for its
traditional Arani Handlooms silk fabrics. Also well
known for the durability of the colors used in the
yarn. The mixture of color gives the durability.
Arani silk weavers are known to be adaptable to
any environment as they are skilled at every weave.
The plain weave is mostly done in Arani. Special
kinds of weaves like the Chitra Nasavu where
Chitra means painting and Nasavu means weaving,
is done here.
In 1998 the Aishwarya Pookal design introduced
by RMKV became very famous and also won a
national award.

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82 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
Conventionally Dharmavaram sarees are woven by The we ft i s sa i d t o be t hi cker t han t he
the interlocked weft method. Jacquard weaving is also war p t o cre a t e de s i gns. The s peci a l t y of
extremely popular. The elegant Dharmavaram silk is th is s are e i s t hat i t ’ s ma de compl e t el y i n
woven in two colors, giving an effect of muted double pla in we ave even i ncl ud i ng t he mot i fs and
shades that are accentuated by the solid color border de si gns .
and pallu. This double coloring gives a distinct twisted The s im pl est of cot t on J am dani s aree s
effect, unique to these sarees. Brocade patterns and ra nge from I N R 2, 500 t o IN R 80,000 ow ing
motifs include intricate temple designs and a variety of to th e i nt ri cat e proces s. The pri ces v ary
ethnic Indian designs like the elephant, peacock, lotus, de pe ndi ng on t he us e of s i l k t hre a d, t he
etc. work , za ri and i nt ri ca cy. It can go up t o IN R
3 lakh i n cas e of w e ddi ng s aree s .
Depending on the work and material, price of a
Dharmavaram saree ranges from INR 1500 to INR 2500 Sel f-pat t e rni ng i s t he us ag e of ma t chi ng or
and in case of extraordinary work, it may cost up to INR ju st a shade l i ght or darker t hreads t o ma ke
1 lakh. an orna ment t ha t i s monot one d. I t i s a ve ry
rich a nd unders ta t ed l ook, f ound on m any
Arani Brocade
de si gne r si l k sa re e s i n A rani .
They’re known for their own unique colors, traditional
and contemporary designs. Intricate designs can be
woven at the body portion of the saree using silver or Up p ada Si l k
gold zari or silk threads as extra weft. Plain weave is Uppada i s t he ove ral l ext ra we f t. It ’ s named
used as the base fabric. These type of sarees are known after U ppada i n the Ea st G od av ari di st rict
as Arani Brocade. of A ndhra P ra desh, I nd i a. U ppa da Si l k
saree s are m ad e from t he age ol d J am dani
Dharmavaram me tho d. Thus, i t ’s al s o k nown as U ppa da
Dharmavaram is a type of Saree made in Arani. J am da ni s a re e s. The na me , Ja md ani i s of
Dharmavaram sarees are the exclusive patronage of Pers ia n ori gi n and comes from t he word
the town of Dharmavaram, in the Anantapura district of “jam” m e ani ng fl ow er a nd “dani ” meani ng
Andhra Pradesh, because earlier it was only made there. vas e. It ’s suggest i ve of t he b e aut i ful fl oral
The specialty of this saree is that it contains heavy mo tif s on t hese sare e s . J a mda ni i s a very
work borders with shaded pallus. The double color and li ght we i ght Beng al i w oven cl ot h t hat
shading effect makes it unique. fe atu res t hi cker t hread w ork orna me nt
th at bo ast o f a ric h his t or y an d h er itage is th e th at is a ppl i e d to t he cl ot h w i t h ne e dl e s a s
Ja md an i sare e . Pop u la rly k n o wn a s Dhaka i th e clo t h progre s se s on t he l oom . B e ng ali
Ja md an i or s imply D h aka i, th is art o f texti le wom en’s wa rdrob e and one of t he m ost
we av ing has its ro o ts in D h aka , B angl a des h. popu lar tex t i l e s
Th e un blea ch e d c ott o n is us e d as b as e fabri c
and blea ch e d c ott o n is us e d f o r t h e weft so
th at i t ca n c re ate a lig ht an d da rk e ff ect . The
in tr i c ate de sign s are crea te d u s in g extra we ft
te c h n i qu e.

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84 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
Jangla
Arani Jangla is known for its fancy colors and light weight
One warp intertwines the other in a clockwise direction to
with soft and smooth feel. These are very popular in Arani.
The specialty of these sarees is that the designs are made make the fabric.
directly by the jacquard without the movement of the
heald shafts. In a saree if one shuttle goes for the fabric Arani Korvai
and the other goes for the design which is made up of zari Arani Korvai is known for traditional colors and designs.
or silk it makes zari or silk brocade sarees. One shuttle is Korvai is basically a technique of joining, the border and
for fabric and the other one for design is being interlaced the body. The significance of this saree is the use of two
within certain warps, and that’s called Emboss or Jangla. different shuttles, one to create the border and the other
Jangla sarees are known for its fancy color and light weight for the body and the contrasting colors of the body and the
with soft and smooth texture of the saree. The intricate border that makes its demand very high.
designs on the body of Jangla saris are made without using
extra warp or extra weft. The border and pallu designs are The speciality of Arani Korvai sarees are “the contrast
made up of extra warp and extra weft threads respectively. body and pallu with korvai” technique using 3 shuttles out
The plain weave is used for the base fabric. of which 2 shuttles are for the border and 1 is for the body
The prices of Jangla saris range from INR 3000 to INR of the saree. The border and pallu designs are made up of
25000. extra warp and extra weft threads respectively. For the
base fabric plain weave is used. These types of sarees are
Leno known as Korvai sarees. These are known for thei color
Leno weave (also called Gauze Weave or Cross Weave) is contrast and traditional designs.
a weave in which two warp yarns are twisted around the
weft yarns to provide a strong yet sheer fabric. One warp The price range of Arani Korvai starts from INR 10000 and
intertwines the other in a clockwise direction to make the goes up to INR 150000.
fabric.

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 85

 Pal um um Paz ham um Kat tam Fo r a twil l w e ave, i n one de nt there wi l l b e four
Th e se ar e c h e ck s are es m ad e o n do b by l oom s end s of the w a rp w hi ch can be i nd i vi d ua l ly
a n d t he n a me ha s bee n loc ally p u t by weavers opera ted by harne s s from t he j acq ua rd l oom .
i n Ara n i . Fo r s ati n we ave , i n one de nt t here w i l l be 5
end s of the w a rp w hi ch can be i nd i vi d ua l ly
Bhu tta : opera ted by t he harnes s.
Th e a r eas of t h rea d w ork or nam ent
s us p e nde d on a plain gr ou n d , u s u ally put in Ara ni and Kanchi pura m si l k s s aree s onl y use
a r e g u la r o rder a nd o f te n tim es b ecom ing extra warp zari t o ma ke t he border desi g n. In
d e nse r t ow ar ds t h e en d p ie ce. I t ’ s a ls o ca l led Ara ni the pl ai n weave i s be i ng us ed for t he
s p ot t e d ext ra we f t. bas e fab ric and t he d es i gns a re cre at e d us i ng
the extra weft . If Zari i s us e d i n the ex t ra w e f t,
then it’ s kn ow n a s Z ari b rocade a nd i f Si l k is
C he c k use d f or the s am e i t ’s k nown as Si l k b roca de .
C he c k s are o n e o f th e s im ple s t an d mo st If s in gle we ft i s a l so us e d f or cre at i ng a desi gn
e l e ga n t ways of p at te r nin g p lain w eave clot h. in the sa ree , i t i s k now n as j angl a or e mb os sed
Si mp l e c he c ks a re f orm e d w ith a s ec on d co lo r des ign s. T hey d on’t us e any ot her ext ra wef t
t h r e a d a t re gular int erv als o n th e gro un d. for d es ign s, pa rt i cul arl y for Jangl a. Zari or s i lk
M ic r o c h ec ks give th e f ab ric a wove n glo w, is u se d for de s i gns d uri ng t he up a nd dow n
w i t h on ly a f ew thre ad s b et we e n t h e ch eck movem ent of harness cont rol l e d by j acq ua rd
s p ac i n g . Co mp lex c he ck s can be f o rm ed by box.
c o mb i n in g w arp an d w e f t co lo r rep ea ts fo r
a ma z i n g varie ty. The weavers can onl y see t he one s i de and t he
Fo r p l ai n w eave, in o ne de n t o f th e re ed t here oth er s ide is wa t che d w i t h t he he l p of a m i rror.
w i l l b e 2 e nds of th e w arp . The la bo r wage s of ea ch sa re e di f fe rs . P l ain
we ave st art s f rom I N R 1000.

86 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 Pal u m um Pa z h a m u m Ka tta m - T he C hec k S a r e es

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 87

 DESIGNS, MOTIFS
AND COLORS
Arani pattu stands as a torch bearer for traditional Traditional motifs found are peacock and parrot with
sarees, by still using numerous traditional techniques colors in mustard, pink, red, green, blue and black.
to make its sarees. Soft silks are in high demand Most of the designs and motifs on the sarees are
currently. inspired from temples and paintings. Arani silk sarees
Each color used has different meanings for different are known for usage of hand woven motifs. And also
people according to their religion and region. Arani for the border of the saree, they use zari patch. The
handlooms are well known for the durability of the most commonly used motifs in these sarees are Floral,
colors used in the yarn. The mixture of color gives it its Paisley and Peacock motifs. These help give a unique
durability. First the yarn is washed and then dipped in identity to the saree. The motifs are often embroidered
the required color which is in a boiler and the weavers onto the Pallu part of the saree, so as to add grandeur
goes on spinning the yarn so that the color is evenly to the saree.
mixed in the yarn. Most silk sarees are worn for family In general, the motifs used signify fertility and
gatherings and weddings. tradition. The paisley motif’s significance as an Indian
Short Colors: To create a short color saree, the warp motif is related “Mango” and is known as mango motif.
will be in one color and the weft will be in another. So It is often used as a pattern in jewellery and for saree
when the sari is woven, it will be a combination of both motifs. It is also known to be associated to Hinduism.
the colors. For example, if the warp is red and weft is In different languages spoken in India, its meaning
green, the sari will have a shiny texture and it will have varies from mango seed to ripe mango thus signifying
both the colors. fertility.
Traditional colors with local names – (Ananda) Blue, Florals have always been an unavoidable part of the
(Rose) Pink, (Maampazham) Yellow, (Red) Deep Red. main fabric motifs. It’s a universal symbol of femininity.
(Rexona) Bluish, (Sapphire) Green, (Drachai) Dark The modernised and varied versions of the motif are
Green. still used majorly all over the world. It also symbolises
Red and pink color silk sarees are the most sold for geometry and symmetry.
weddings. Peacock blue is sold most normally in all the The peacock motif, which is not only famous among
silk saree shops. Natural dyes are being used by very fabrics, is also used commonly in bags, jewellery,
few smaller units, as they give a dull finish and mostly architecture and art. It signifies wealth, beauty
silk sarees are worn for weddings and other occasions and pride. The Indian kings preferred this motif in
where the brilliance of the colors have to be obvious. particular because it indicated luxury and nobility.
Hence natural dyes are not preferred. Besides these significances, the peacock motif also
In Arani. If you take a look at 2000 saris, all those symbolises the Indian tradition and ethnicity.
are said to have different patterns. The Chettinad The trademark motifs in Arani sarees, including
squares and stripes designs, the Kalakshetra designs peacock, coconut, mango, grapes, leaf, and dance
and Jangla sarees are said to be in high demand. The mudras, have been inspired by the town’s ancient
Bhutta motifs and the designs for the Pallu are said to Pallava art. Although new design elements have been
be made in weaves like Twill, Satin, Broken Twill and introduced, the basis remains the same and speaks of
Broken Satin. cultural prosperity.

88 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 Des i g n , Mot i f s a n d Co l or
CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 89
 SPECIALITY OF ARANI
SAREE
The most distinctive feature of the Arani Saree, is its
interlocking border; the ‘Korvai’ and the contrast pallu. This
is also the most distinctive feature of the Kanjeevaram. The
Arani saree also has interesting color combinations like
maroon and black or rust and blue. One more feature of
Arani saree is the check pattern or the ‘Kottadis’. Checks and
stripes are a traditional design pattern and can be found on
any saree. Full check patterns on a saree is a distinct Arani
feature. The Arani checks are of different sizes. There are
the really small checks called ‘kasa-kasa kattam’ or ‘khus-
khus’ (poppy seeds). So small that a black-and-white checks
pattern creates a grey tone effect. Then there are the slightly
larger ‘puliyam-kottai’ or tamarind seed checks. And finally
really large checks called as the lungi checks or ‘kerchip’
(kerchief) checks.

The unique feature of the Arani sarees is that one side of

the body of the saree will be in one color and the other side
in another color with two ends of different colors with the
pallus. They are individually handled by the designs that are
punched on the cards and loaded on to the looms. Sarees are
generally the traditional wear worn across India in different
styles depending on the region and occasion. Silk sarees or
Pattu sarees are distinguished for their intricate work along
with the Zari that is considered special. Each saree is varied
with their pattern of designs and motifs. These sarees are
generally characterized by huge contrast borders that offer
an ethnic look with the appealing color combination, made
through the inclusion of floral motifs and geometric patterns.
Arani thinks 20 years ahead in terms of design. The warp of
the saree has 20-24 twists in one inch.

90 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

 S p e c i a l i ty o f A ra ni Pa t tu9 1
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 There are 2 types of reeds, one is made up of bamboo
and in thin steel metal bamboo where silk and zari passes
through the dents respectively. Number of yarns in weave
is called as count construction. Stiff sarees have 50 wefts
and a single warp. If they double it, i.e. double warp, hence
get a thicker and shinier fabric.

Arani has double sided sarees, reversible sarees. Some of

the types are 1 in 1, 2 in 1, 3 in 1 and 4 in 1.
1 in 1 has the same design on both sides. 2 in 1 has two
different designs on other sides. 3 in 1 have gold zari work
on one side and the other side has 2 colors on either half
which is derived from the half saree concept. 4 in 1 has
2 colors on one side and 2 colors on the other side. The
sarees are starched and non-starched. Once folded in a
particular way, the creases are seen in the starched saree.
Arani sarees are double twist weaving ones and have a
longer life whereas Kanchipuram sarees are single twist
weaving.

The uniqueness of the Arani sarees is the usage of Zari

as extra warp for the border designs. This is not done
anywhere else in India. The Zari is used in the extra warp
to make the sari look luxurious and shinier. It also helps
make the intricate designs clear on the border. The zari if
used as an extra weft in the Pallu side, will be less shiny
since the tension between silk warp and zari weft is said to
be lesser than the tension between the zari warp and zari
weft. The gold zari is made using silver yarn that is gilded
with gold. In the border designs, plain weave is used for the
base fabric and designs are made on top of the base fabric
using twill, satin and other weaves. Extra warp threads
are used for border design weaving. Plain weave is used
for ground fabric. High twisted Indian mulberry filature
silk threads (2 ply) are used as warp. Zero twisted Indian
mulberry charka silk threads (3 ply or 4 ply) are used as
weft. Pure gold and silver zari threads are used for extra
warp and extra weft. Arani pattu has transformed itself
according to time, to cater to younger generations.

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 Za r i

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 Handloom is generally preferred for the
silk saree weaving at Arani.

• Gondhu Pasai (local gum):

It is mixed with water to form a paste to
apply on the saree.
• Soap:
Soap that is locally made is generally

RAW
preferred for the boil off of silk yarns Zari
before coloring.
• Shuttle:
MATERIALS It is generally used to insert the yarns
for weaving. Shuttle is said to be one

TOOLS AND
of the most important equipment in
weaving. Shuttle is a tool that compactly
holds the pirn which holds the weft yarn
EQUIPMENT while weaving. Shuttles are passed back
and forth between the warp in order
to weave. There are different types of
The tools and raw materials that are used shuttles such as stick shuttle, rag shuttle,
for Silk Saree Weaving are as follows: double boat shuttle, boat shuttle, fly
shuttle and plastic shuttle. Shuttles
Raw Silk: by their shape and weight provide for
It is generally bought from Bengaluru of speedy transport of the thread. Shuttles
Karnataka. The Karnataka government are made from a variety of hardwoods
supplies the silkworm eggs to a group of including fruitwoods, dogwood, and
people who are basically Seri culturists, maple. The hardwoods give the shuttles a
and once the processed raw materials slick finish.
are done, the government buys from Standard Size of a Shuttle: - 1 3/8” x 1
whom the manufacturers buy it, including 3/4” x 15 1/2” (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm x 39 cm)

Si l k
94 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 S h uttl e

Local Names of Tools and Equipment

Loom – Thari
Handloom – Kaithari Shuttle Nada
Pirn - Thar,
Hank – Silappai
Warp – Paavu
Weft – Vaatu

Parts of Loom
Reed – Kaippalagai, Harness – Vizhudhu
Heal Shaft – Achhu
Jacquard Box – Jacquard Petti

S i lk
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 STEEL ROD

BRA SS V ESSEL

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• Silk Winding Machine: • Rubber Tubes and Plastic Covers:
It is used to twist and wind the silk yarn. It is used to tie tightly the yarns as per the body
and the pallu parts for coloring process.
• Firewood:
It is used to heat the dyeing vessel. • Basin of Water:
It is used to immerse the winded silk yarns
• Brass Vessel: before the warping process.
It is generally preferred for coloring the silk yarns
at Arani.

• Cement Water Tank:

It is used to store water for coloring of the silk
yarns.

• Steel Rods:
It is generally used to hold the silk yarns for
coloring purpose.
The spools are inserted in the fly shuttle while
weaving. These shuttles are made of whole bamboo
pole and capped at the end with metal cap. This fly
shuttle can be used to weave wider fabrics such
as saris. The fly shuttle is also available in plastic.
The heavy shuttle was noisy and energy-inefficient
(since the energy used to throw it was largely lost in
the catching); also, its inertia limits the speed of the
loom.
• Plastic Pirns:
It is used for winding the yarns for weaving. A pirn
is a rod on which the weft thread wounded on it
is used for weaving. It is made of wood or plastic
which is being tapered for most of its length flaring
out more at the ends or base. This is being fitted
into the pirn in the shuttle so that it’s ready for
weaving process. Pirns are wounded from the base
forward in order to ensure to pull the thread easily
unlike bobbins, which are wound evenly from end
to end. The dimension of a pirn is controlled by the
dimensions of the shuttle it needs to be placed in.
Whatever the dimension, the pirn has to be long
and thin.

• Zari Threads:
RU B BE R TU B E
It is generally used for the designs and borders to
be highlighted.

• A Cloth Bag with Sand:

It is used to balance the movement of the yarns for
weaving.

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 MAKING OF
ARANI SAREE

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1
Reeling
Reeling is the process of unwinding a silk filament from the cocoon. The cocoons are
cooked in hot water and the silk fibre is unwound from the cocoons. The silk consists
of two proteins, the inner core of fibroin and an outer cover of gum sericin. During
reeling, the cocoons are processed in hot water at 95-970C for 10-15 minutes. This
process is called cooking. This cooking will enable the sericin portion to get softened
and make unwinding easy without breaks. Then it is reeled using machine or spinning
wheel.

2 Winding
This is the first step where individual yarns of silk are wound on a wheel
like structure & rolled onto bobbins. It may or may not be done manually.

3 Doubling
In the doubling process, the strands are doubled and then twisted in similar or
opposite directions. To achieve equal diameters throughout the length, the yarns
are run through rollers. This is the process, where silk yarns are assigned the unit of
‘denier’. The yarn count used in weaving the silk saree is 16/18 or 20/24 deniers.

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 Tw ist ing
10 0 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
4
Twisting
Excess water is twisted out, the yarn is ready for dyeing as the silk yarn has now the
capacity to absorb the dyes. The twisted yarn out of which excess water is wrung out is
now ready for absorbing dyes. Silk strands are given the desired amount of twist where 2-3
filaments of silk are twisted together in a single direction. These individual filaments are
called ‘ply’.

Dyei ng

Dyei ng
D yes us e d are a ci d d ye s (70 %) an d d i rect dye s (30%). A b rass ve s se l

5
f ille d wit h wat er i s in iti a lly hea te d on a furnace for 20 m i nut es.
C au s tic So da in th e f orm o f Soap, whi ch i s l ocal l y av a i l ab l e i s added
t o th e ves se l as i t preven ts di rt from s ti ck i ng t o t he hank s. L at e r,
ch e mica l dye in powd er f orm i s ad de d t o t he boi l i ng w at er a s i t hel ps
p re s erve t he dye o n the yarn. The si l k ha nk i s t he n hung on a met al rod
an d d ip p e d i n the req ui red co lo r pre pa red i n t he boi l er. The y arn i s
t urn e d s o that t he co lo r i s spread eve nl y. The most i m port ant a spect in
t his p ro ce ss i s th e m ixi ng of dyes as i t gi ves a uni que a nd d urabl e color
t o th e f ab r ic. Af ter dyei ng, th e si lk ha nk i s a ga i n w ashed i n col d water
& d rie d. Warp dyein g an d we ft dyei ng i s done s e pa ra t el y. Weft dye i ng
is d o ne f irst and th en war p. Some a re di re ct dye s and s om e a re mi xed .
Th ey als o u se cycle tu bes to t ie th e si l k ya rns s o tha t the col ors don’ t
m ix wit h each oth er.

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10 2 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
 DY EIN G PR O CE S S

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 Wa rp i n g

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 Warping
Now the warp is mounted on the bamboo sticks and is extended to its
full length. Warping is the next step in the process. It’s a long process

6
which starts at 6 am and continues till 8 am. It is strictly done in the
morning hours because harsh sunlight can ruin the hanks. The hank is
then transferred through a ‘charkha’ and shift bamboo into a bobbin
and is now called the warp. The weft is made by winding the hank yarn
into a irn which is inserted into a shuttle.
Now, the warp from the Bobbin is rolled out into a warp machine which
is a big circular contraption, with bamboo sticks. Through rotating,
the yarn is rolled out of several bobbins into the warp machine. The
count used in weaving gives the softness and hardness of the fabric.
The count in a handloom fabric means the number of threads woven
length wise and breadth wise known as warp and weft respectively
in a square inch. The count in the sari is 2400 which gives strength to
the fabric and durability. That means there will be 2400 threads in the
warp and weft.

Weaving

7
Weaving comes after warping, once the loom is set for weaving. This
same warp can be used to make 8 to 10 saris. The warp is mounted on
a beam, and the weft which is in the pirn is placed inside a shuttle and
placed perpendicular to the warp beam. For every pull of the lever, the
weft moves across the warp once, thus adding to a weave. To create
designs in the saris, first the design is made in a computer and then
punched into thick cards which are loaded into the Jacquard so that
according to the designs and the holes in the card, the needles will pull
and put the threads which will create designs in the sari while weaving.
Jacquard is a box like structure at the top of the loom which contains
needles which will read the punch card of designs.

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 WEAVING IN ARANI
Weaving is done in Arani using jacquard mostly and the saree
is made in plain weave and the motif and designs alone are
done in other weaves. The weave is decided according to the
area of the motif, while twill is done when the area covered by
the motif is smaller and if its larger it’s usually done in kataari,
a type of satin weave where it forms a straight weave.

MOTIFS AND THEIR WEAVES

Twill and satin weaves provide shine and brilliance in color.
Twill and satin makes the best combination and sells the best.
The mango motif usually has the diamond twill and satin
weave. If the design is very small then mostly the diamond
weave is used. The body of the peacock is mostly done in satin
and the feathers are done in twill. Twill weave also referred
to as Vanki is the bisymmetrical weave of the twill. The lotus
weave is usually done using the vanki.

Combination weaves are only done in Arani and Kanchipuram

in motifs, in most places one motif is always done in one
weave. Here in Arani, you can find one motif itself there
would be more than one weave. Motifs of banaras saris are
only done in twill weave.

Inside the satin weaves, the texture differs because of the

change in count. Twill weave has 12 different variations of
repeats and satin has up to 24 variations. The weave and the
cost of a sari has no direct relation. The cost is affected by
how much zari is used, and hence the size of the motif decides
the cost and not the type of the weave.

CUTTING AND FOLDING

Folding is done manually in the size of 12* 8. Packing is done
in attractive boxes.

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CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 107
10 8 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
ZARI
Zari is a golden thread that is used for This flattened silver is known as Badla. This
decorative purposes in garments in India. is further wrapped around the silk thread or
Zari comes in two types, silver zari and gold cotton thread to make a silver zari. This silver
zari. The gold zari is further divided into two - zari is electroplated with gold to make a gold
one is pure and the other is half fine zari. The zari. The half fine zari is made using copper.
half fine zari is also known as imitation zari. The copper is first electroplated with silver.
The zari thread is woven with zari or silk to Then copper plated silver undergoes the
make intricate brocade designs on the sarees. process of hammering and flattening and
Surat in Gujarat is the world’s largest these are wrapped around the yarn. And then
producer of zari like threads, ribbons, lace, is gilded using gold therefore it becomes half
borders and more. The art of zari making fine zari. The pure zari is made up of red yarn
has been inherited from fathers to sons so if you pull one end of the zari the thread
for many generations. The zari is produced should be red. The pure zari is said to weigh
by various communities and artisans for more than the imitation zari and it also costs
weaving, embroidery and etc. The pure zari more. It can be given to the weavers centre
is made using cotton or silk threads. The to get the zari tested. The pure zari is said
silver is melted and silver wires are prepared to be less lustrous than imitation zari. The
from it. These silver rods are beaten to make thickness of the zari is 0.75mm. 40 grams
it flatten. It flattens into thin sheets using of silver and 4 grams of gold makes 1 kg of
flattening machine. pure gold zari. 1 gm of zari is INR 25. And the
duplicate zari is INR 2 per gram.

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11 0 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
ARANI SAREE
People of Arani produce silk sarees
and handloom fabrics of good quality.
Arani is well known for its traditional
Arani Handlooms silk fabrics. Arani
handlooms are known for the durability
of the colors used in the yarn. The
mixture of color gives the durability.
In Athimalayi, other than sarees,
products sold are lungis which has
normally 60 warps and 40 wefts or
80 warps and 80 wefts. And towels
that have 20 warps and 20 wefts. The
weavers of Athimalayi export it to co-
optex that is Thilayadi Pattu Mallikai.
Check sarees are normally called
Paalum Pazhamum Kattam, which
is a local name. There are almost
50000 checks in a saree, which are
made in dobby weave. When there
are 3 colored checks in one saree,
for instance pink yellow and green, 3
wefts and 3 warps are used but they
automatically produce many different
colors when the warps and wefts are
mixed. So numerous shades can be
found in one saree.

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 ARTISANS PROFILE
CASE STUDY Mr. Saravanan – Hariharan Nagar

Saravanan, a 42 year old weaver with an experience of 30

years. His whole family has been doing this for more than 3
generations. Saravanan, who works under a master weaver,
as a laborer makes 4 saris per month. The labor charges per
sari (Jangla) costs INR 7500 and it also differs depending on
what kind of saree is made and the work involved in it.
People working for a private weaving sector don’t get access
to any government aid or facilities. But the houses are being
provided by the government through the society. But later
on, the management of the same became bad.
To start a business on marketing, a large amount has to be
invested for every 4 sarees and they have to invest again,
once the sarees are made. People who can’t afford to do
so, work under a person for wages. The owner provides the
materials for weaving and the weavers finish the production
for which they get their wages from the owner.

Mr. Ezhumalai – Hariharan Nagar

Ezhumalai, 41 year old has been a weaver for 25 years. His

wife Jayalakshmi also has been working with him for the 10
years that has passed since their marriage. She has had 10
years of experience. He does different kinds of saris ranging
from Dharmavaram to Korvai sarees.
These weavers, like most of the other experienced weavers,
are not interested in bringing their children into the field
of weaving due to doubt in the future of this particular
career and lack of support from the government. They also
wanted to bring it to the government’s attention to initiate
some policies to resolve their problems, so as to improve
financially and so that they don’t need to depend on other
jobs to run their family.

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 Mr. Damodharan – Saurastran Community, Paiyur

Dhamodharan is one of the youngest weavers amongst the

Saurashtran weaving community in Arani. He is 23 years old
with an experience of 13 years in the field of weaving. He is
specialised in Banaras sarees and he does Basket Weave as
part of the design. This young weaver wants his career to grow
with the aid of the government, and is of the opinion that the
government should help other weavers who are not under the
society. He wants his future generation also to pursue weaving
and preserve the craft.

Mr. Gyanasekhar – Hariharan Nagar

Gyanasekhar, a 44 year old weaver and artist who have been

in the weaving business for 30 years. The family’s been doing
weaving for 3 generations. He’s specialised in Banaras Sarees
(ettukoal). And the designs on them are made manually using a
simple handloom without a jacquard box for designs.
Since he knows the hard work involved and problems faced
by weavers and the issues related to the government and of
people working for a private sector, he doesn’t want his children
to pursue weaving as their career.

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 Mr. A Kumaran, Sevur

A. Kumaran who has been in the field for more than 40

years is a manufacturer, retailer and wholesaler for silk
sarees. He has done weaving since the age of 10 and
started weaving sarees from age of 13. They have been
doing this for more than 100 years, generation after
generation. Previously they used to work on cotton saris,
but now they do silk sarees.
He gets the raw silk from Bangalore, Karnataka. The silk
undergoes a huge process which involves twisting and
dyeing. After the raw silk is dyed, it is given to the weavers
who set the loom and weave the saree according to the
design given by the designer. They then sell it to retail shops
in Karnataka, Kerala and all over Tamil Nadu. Villages in a
50 km radius around Arani are involved in weaving and the
different processes in weaving. The labour charges were
said to be lower than the charges given today. Therefore
there is a gradual growth in the weavers’ livelihood.
The government supports weavers who are under the
society by providing bonuses occasionally and other
policies like pension for elderly and so on. But since this
is a private firm, there is no government support. Thus
the profits and losses incurred are faced by the company
themselves.

Raghu, RMKV

Raghu,i, head of the R&D unit of RMKV Silk Sarees, Arani

first makes a design, which is given to outside weavers who
then makes the sari.
He requests us all to do a little to conserve the handloom
in India because it’s a symbol of India’s pride. Tamil Nadu is
a state that keeps updating in this sector, while in all other
states all other sectors are lagging. RMKV is a place that
trains weavers and promotes weaving.

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 and the saree is cut out from the warp and knotted at the
ends.
The types of sarees that are sold are plain weave sarees,
jangla, self-design (extra weft) and korvai. In the 2 types of
loom the jangla sarees are made without heal shaft in the
loom by using the harness from the loom. The saris made
using both heal shaft and jacquard are the self-design
saris. The sarees made using drop box in a jacquard loom
is the korvai saree or contrast saris. The labor charges
for plain weave sarees are INR 2000-3000, jangla saris
INR 3000-4000, self-design saris cost INR 4000-5000
and korvai saris cost INR 5000 and above.
If an experienced weaver wants to join, the owner visits
his house and analyses his works before letting the
weaver join. Pursuing a career in weaving depends on the
capacity of the person. Normally it takes about 1 year to
learn the complete process of weaving.
A weaver working in pit loom using jacquard faces
physical problems ranging from knee pain and neck pain
to back pain because he/she has to constantly pedal
and lift weights of the steel rods tied at the ends of the
harness which is known as Lingoes. Each one weigh
around 25 grams and the weaver has to lift about a 100
of them per pedal. Weavers have to pedal at least 28,000
times per saree. However, this problem was solved using
technology and industrial development.

Mr. Bhaskar, Hariharan Nagar

C Baskaran, owner of Sri Shree design and Soudeshwari

silk sarees. He has an experience of 25 years in the
industry, and his father has an experience of 50 years.
He is also a textile designer who has been working as a
retailer for 25 years. He is the third generation worker in
the same field in their family. Currently there are about
200 weavers working under him. They use 2 kinds of
loom, Plain Loom and Drop Box Loom.
After importing the raw silk from Bangalore, it undergoes
the process of twisting for both warp and weft. Then the
hank is given to the dying unit. According to the color of
the saree they dye the hank and provide it to the weavers.
The weavers then stretch the warp across a narrow lane
and divide the yarns. The yarns are starched after drying
it out. Then they roll the warp on the beam which is
then fixed on the loom and then the warp is knotted by
pulling the yarn through the harness, heal shaft and reed.
They start making the saree using the weft. The sarees
are starched now and then to make the folds stiff. After
making the saree, gum is applied at the ends

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 Mr. Murugan - Saurashtran Community, Paiyur

Murugan is a 48 year old weaver experienced in weaving

for about 35 years. He is specialised in Banaras sarees.
He has personally trained his children in weaving and
now they do it part time. Like what most weavers have
to say, the government should help the private sectors
in this field and the facilities provided by government to
the society should be easily available and accessible by
them.

Mr. Boopathy- R&D unit of RMKV Silk Sarees,

Arani

Boopathy is a weaver in the R&D department of

RMKV. He has an experience of 25 years in the
field. Boopathy is specialised in making different
types of sarees like Plain, Bhutta, Phulkari, Lino
and Dharmavaram sarees. He works with an
e-jacquard synchronised loom in which two looms
are controlled by one e-jacquard machine. This type
of jacquard uses an SD card for the design instead of
punched cards (which are set in a normal jacquard
loom).
The jacquard machines that they use have 1960
hooks in total. Sometimes when these hooks
don’t work properly it could create a fault in the
design which has to be rectified immediately. The
maintenance of e-jacquard is difficult and costs
more.

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Sri Jyothi Silks , S. V Nagar by Mr. Gangadharan

Sarees are manufactured here and sold to Kerala, Hyderabad and Bangalore and almost all Chennai stores.
They don’t operate online because they prefer the customers to come and see the product before buying.
They sell their sarees to Arani Silk Park that was an initiative started by RMKV textiler Raghu. It was an
initiative to create a brand image for silk sarees. Around 2 years back the manufacturers invested 8 lakhs,
but the initiative is yet to be properly started. Now the manufacturers put tags on their saris, and once it
reaches the retailers, they replace it with their own tags. The retailers increase around 40-45% more for
each saree and sell it thereby meeting all their electricity and selling cost.
For 20 years dyeing was practiced in their houses but it stopped because the dyes weren’t properly fusing
due to bad climatic conditions. If a customer wants a customized saree with a particular motif/design then
he has to place the order 3 months prior so that the weavers can change the weft and warp and create the
design. The cost varies according to the design.

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 O B SE R VATI O N S

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Current scenario in Arani is that it has 20000-
Ten years back, the weavers went on a strike
25000 weavers who work for 10 to 12 hours a
because there was a dilemma whether to pay same
day. There is something special and unique in
cost for handloom and power loom saris. When
each and every cluster all over India. They’re of
the weavers stood against the government, they
the opinion that it’s the people in the country
threatened them to sign the agreement making
who aren’t letting the craftsmen grow. Weavers
the cost for both handloom and power loom the
working in pit looms face lots of physical
same. The government themselves say that if the
problems because they’ve to pedal constantly
manufacturers ha such a big problem, might as well
and lift weights of the steel rods tied at the ends
make the silk sarees in power looms.
of the harness. Weavers want to bring it to the
government’s attention to initiate some policies
In all of the weaving communities, it is apparent
to resolve their problems related to the field
that novice weavers have few choices available
of weaving so as to improve financially and so
to them in questions of ‘how to learn’ and ‘who
that they don’t need to depend on other jobs to
to learn from’, particularly where technique is
run the family. People who work under private
concerned. These questions are determined by
weaving sectors also don’t get any access to
the traditional practices of the community. In all
government aid. Government should definitely
of the communities, the learning process consists
help the private sector of weaving grow and
of a lengthy apprenticeship during which the
make sure that they get all the government
novice observes and then learns to replicate the
facilities. Since there is no Government support,
various steps related to fiber and yarn preparation,
the profits or losses incurred are faced by the
dyeing and weaving. Some parts of the process,
company themselvess
particularly the more complex ones such as setting
A lot of malpractices happen in most weaving
up a new warp on a loom, have ‘ritual’ aspects
societies due to lack of Government support and
that are integral to the process, with codified
it is sad to see that the policemen also take part
procedures including (for example) the selection
in this. When they spot any malpractices, just
of an auspicious day, making offerings to spirits
for the sake of the media, the police fake their
or ancestors and the observance of taboos. Basic
actions.
skills needed for a loom can be learned in a few
For instance, people are ready to pay whatever
months, but it takes longer to learn the full range
amount the product says in a supermarket, but
of patterns and techniques. Useful (and in some
when they go to local vendors, the customers
cases economically valuable) skills are passed
tend to bargain with them. The same applies
from an older generation to a younger one, in
in the craft sector as well. People believe
return for help with routine tasks (such as yarn
that craftsmen should sell their artifacts at a
preparation and assistance with warping the loom)
rate lower than that of a retail shop. Hence
and the novice weaver’s commitment to defer to
weavers are demotivated to continue with their
her teacher and follow the community’s traditions
profession.
precisely.
Substitution of handlooms by power looms or
The novice weaver learns about the loom and the
other automated technologies shall not work
craft of weaving by learning procedures and sets
with this cluster because the machines cannot
of actions that are carried out in a predetermined
handle the yarn softly/gently as done carefully
manner and sequence. It is not necessary for a
by the dexterous weavers.Maximum jacquard
novice weaver to have a general understanding
boxes are used to weave the sari, which is about
of how the loom works in order to begin weaving,
95%. Dobby weave is done very less.
though experienced weavers do develop a
In Arani, places like Athimalai, Durugam and
sophisticated understanding of their craft, over
Onnupuram produce 100% pure handloom saris.
time. In case of the complex frame looms and
There are no medical and sanitation problems as
patterning devices used in SWC, weavers are
such, because most weavers have looms in their
unable to recreate these devices from memory.
own houses.

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 MARKET ANALYSIS
Arani Sarees and fabrics are available in most of the textile
shops in Chennai. Plain weave is sold most in Arani. On
top of that, the designs and motifs on the saree are done
with different weaves that vary according to a particular
design. Twill and satin weaves provides shine and brilliance
in color. Twill and satin makes the best combination and
sells the best. The price range of saris made using jacquard
box is from INR 2500 to INR 1,00,000 and above. Price
range of saris worn for receptions or other grand occasions
varies from INR 35000 to INR 1,00,000 because of the
pure gold zari work done on them. Cost of setting up a
jacquard loom is about INR 1lakh to 3 lakhs. Cost of a saree
is about INR 7000 to INR 8000 depending on the amount
of labour and the design. For customized sarees, the cost
varies according to the design. It takes 1 month to set up
a loom. Cost of setting up a loom is about INR 70,000 to 1
lakh while in places like Saurashtran community of Arani,
the setting up cost is about INR 15,000 because the sarees
are completely made manually, and the jacquard boxes are
not used at all.
It takes 5-15 days to make one saree depending on the
design. A saree can be made within 2 days by a skilled
weaver and it weighs from 400 grams to 1 kg. The weavers
get to take 2 days off since the warp has to be changed in
that time period. Around 250 grams of silk is lost in 1 kg
saree during the dyeing process due to the heat. And if the
quality of silk is bad, 300 grams is lost. One design can be
used for 1 and half years. Wedding silk sarees have 500
grams of zari otherwise out of 650 grams of silks 500 is the
weight of silk alone. Kalyana Patt has a total weight of 900
grams. The unevenness in sarees or color change happen
if the reel of the silk goes wrong hence the manufacturers
buys form their known sources with a calculation of 7
cocoons for reeling. It takes a day to make 3 polyester
sarees on power loom. Power loom sarees don’t have a
long life. The basic difference between power looms and
handlooms. The weavers have their official holidays during Marketing is better in Kanchipuram because of high tourist
Pongal season. attractions in the area. Arani doesn’t have any major
tourist attractions. Hence, Arani sarees started being sold
in Kanchipuram. The sales of these sarees happen in the
brokerage system, where the manufacturer with the highest
bid gets the broker. Kanchipuram can afford to have a 20%
cut off for a broker whereas Arni can’t afford the same which
is why Arani has to join with Kanchipuram so as to get their
sales done.
Different people have different taste and hence sales
change according to customers. Basic trends in the market
affect supplies and most color combinations are approved
by retail stores.

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The trends today are pastel shades. For general sales, blue Due to the low wages the traditional weavers are opting
and green sells the most but for bridal wear and marriage out of this industry .Weavers are into this profession
occasions, red and pink sells the most as red is considered an traditionally. None of the weavers are trained but they have
auspicious color. Silk sarees have the least demand in Aadi acquired this unique skill hereditarily from their ancestors.
(July-August) and Margazhi (December - January) since it is The art of weaving is passed on by way of vision and practice.
not the marriage season. The coming generation is not interested in this profession
Sarees are not kept inside plastic covers because they need due to the low wages prevailing in the industry.
air circulation and the color could change.

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 • The main strength of Arani is the presence of
STRENGTH skilled craftsmen i.e. weavers who are dexterous
in creating the product with the unique features.
• Arani silk is much finer and shiner and also
is responsible for producing a lot of soft silk. • The silk sari, being a commodity of mass
Currently soft silk is very popular and was consumption is also a luxury product, the buyers
discovered in Arani over 10 years back. expect fulfilment of certain quality standards.
• Arani sarees are made using double twisted yarns • Due to the presence of large number of sellers
while even in Kanchipuram, single twist sars are in the market, there is also a wider choice for the
made. buyer. This mounts pressure on the industry to
innovate faster and achieve more sophisticated
• The power looms have replaced all hand woven competitive advantages than their rivals. So
techniques and so as to help the weavers not lose product differentiation in terms of variations in
their livelihoods combination of colours, computerized designing,
attractive patterns, is the major strategy to attract
• Arani Sarees are dyed using guaranteed color dyes customers to the product
and hence the brightness of the color almost never
fades. The saree has great durability and strength. • As far as the Arani silk industry is concerned, the
support activities that provide the pre-loom and
• The strong market linkages with large traders in post-loom services are well established.
Chennai, like Pothys, The Chennai Silks, RMKV
Silks, Kumaran Silks, Nalli Silks and Saravana • The pre-loom service providers like yarn/zari
stores is a locational advantage for the cluster. suppliers, yarn twisters, dyers, suppliers of
weaving accessories, designers, design punch card
• The supporting firms like dyers, designers have a makers, jacquard box suppliers are all present in
strong presence in the cluster that is an advantage the cluster.
to it.
• Due to the homogeneity of the product and
• Arani Sarees are made using extra weft and extra presence of multiple sellers in the market, there
warp. Also the Chettinad stripes and checks are is intense rivalry among the industry players to
put in to use. On an average a 240 hooks jacquard attract customers.
box to 2000 hooks jacquard box is used to make an
intricate design. Extra weft and warp is also used • The specialty of this place is that the weavers have
to make the designs. expertise in every kind of weave and can adapt to
any kind of environment in terms of weaves.
• The advantages of these two features Ends
Per Inch (EPI) 100 and Picks Per Inch (PPI) • Arani sarees have formed an image of high quality
70, produces high quality sarees. They design high price product. They have good demand for
and produce sarees with both traditional and
their sarees and also have good production units
contemporary designs. They produce sarees
even though lesser when compared to from
ranging from INR 7000 to INR 1,00,000. before.

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WEAKNESS
• Arani’s weaving population has come down • There is no availability of weavers and
to 25,000 from 75,000. even they don’t want to be part of the
handloom sector as other sectors are
• Arani doesn’t have a brand name like providing better jobs, opportunities and
Kanchipuram. pay

• Most suppliers in Arani sell their sarees • So there is a reduction in the number of
to retailers in larger cities, and hence they weavers across the country. Since weaving
don’t have a brand or image of their own is labor intensive, it wears down people
and hence don’t have any access to social after 15-20 years of constant working
marketing of any kind or online sales. making it unattractive for younger
generation.
• Although the police and the government
are involved in this they aren’t supporting • Arani as a brand name is not visible
the weavers still. Even when malpractices anywhere due to the overshadowing of
happen in the society, the policemen act just Kanchipuram Sarees. Even though 90%
so as to show the media that they’ve taken of the production of Kanchipuram takes
action against the malpractices. place in Arani, they still sell Arani sarees in
the name of Kanchipuram.
• About 250 grams out of 1 kg of silk is lost
due to the heat. And more than 300 grams is • Weavers in the Cooperative sectors get
lost when the quality of silk is less. Usage of better wages than those in the private
conventional rearing, reeling, throwing and sector.
dyeing technologies.
• There is no facility available to develop
• The number of skilled weavers is coming weaving compared to what training
down. centres for weaving and designing of silk
sarees provide.
• The production of silk saree slows down in
the months of July and March due to lack of • The involvement of the young generation
labor or man power. in weaving sector is low. There is no zari
testing centre.

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OPPORTUNITIES
• Anti-dumping duty on imported raw silk yarn. • To revive the industry from declining further,
it is very much essential to lookout of the
• Adoption of eco-parameters as identified by borders for export market.
many European countries to ensure safety,
reliability and customer satisfaction. Allowing • Product modification is the key to capture
liberal import of second hand power looms. export market. Moreover with the present
technology, execution of export orders is
• In a bid to weave high quality silk fabrics impossible since uniform product quality
and sarees with intricate designs, one of cannot be ensured in handlooms.
the leading textile manufacturers in India —
RMKV Silk has introduced the Modernised • The uncertainly of labour availability/wage
Pneumatic Hand Loom (MPHL). structure is another challenge.

• This loom utilises compressed air to lift • Since there is a need for the Arani sarees all
the assembly and an Electronic Jacquard over the country, branding can be done for
Controller, with an inbuilt design base of sarees. So there is hope in the branding sector.
around 3000. The Electronic Jacquard
Controller priced at INR 90,000 can easily • Social media and e-commerce can be helpful
be integrated with a regular handloom and for the weavers to sell their handloom
reduces the time taken to produce a saree. products directly to the consumers which
It eliminates the physical strain of handloom in return help in the growth of handloom
weaving and attracts the younger generation clusters .
to the industry. Women can also involve and
contribute to the family income. Earlier, it • We can help the world know about the
took one month to weave 2-3 sarees but with speciality of traditional handloom silk
this technology, 15 sarees can be produced. products by conducting exhibitions all over
Using MPHL saves time as the designs are the country.
stored in the memory chip which could be
easily changed by the weaver with practice.

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THREATS
• There are similar handloom clusters • Lack of interest among the young
in the vicinity like Kumbakonam generation towards weaving are the
(Tanjore District), Kanchipuram, Salem major threats to the cluster.
and Tirubhavanam ). They are major
competitors to the Arani handloom • There is a problem of using fake zari and
cluster. use of synthetic yarn intertwined with
the silk yarn in the manufacture. This
• Both in Kanchipuram and Arani, sales are brings down the cost of production, but
attained by brokers. Marketing is higher in the genuine products are affected due to
Kanchipuram because it has a lot of tourist this unfair practice.
attractions like temples.
• Arani sarees are facing the declining
• Arani doesn’t have any major tourist availability of weavers and fall of the
attractions and so their sarees started sector as a whole.
being sold in Kanchipuram. Due to this
reason, Arani and Kanchipuram have • The younger generation of weavers is far
a combined production. But currently away from this art, since the profession
only 10% of the weaving society is in is not lucrative. This endangers not only
Kanchipuram and 90% is in Arani. the survival of the trade but also the
knowledge in the art of weaving.
• Adopting the brokers is like an auction.
The manufacturer who offers the • Power looms are considered a major
highest bid gets the broker. And since threat. Using yarns such as polyester
Kanchipuram has a lot of income due silk to make silk sarees other than using
to tourism, they can afford a 20% cut in pure silk.
sales. Hence the brokers who influence
the customers a lot, always go to • Due to GST, the number of customers
Kanchipuram. for silk sarees has declined noticeably.

• Because of industrialization a lot of new

jobs have opened up hence making the
weavers move to different sectors.

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13 0 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
SWOT ANALYSIS
The advantage of being forward thinkers and futuristic will always be an asset and a
unique feature of the weavers in Arani. This quality can help them foresee threats and
competitors and act accordingly.

Once their brand names are well established, the weavers will be able to get a lot of
marketing opportunities and thus attract new weavers and designers into the field and
also help retain the number of weavers.

Being immediately adaptive to any work environment they’re put in, makes them
stand out from rest of the weavers in the surrounding clusters. If given exposure to
an established designer who creates the designs for them, these skilled and adaptive
weavers can work for them and thus create a platform to showcase their talent.

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CONCLUSION
The art of weaving can only be mastered by working on
the handloom. Though weaving techniques are codified by
agencies like Central Silk Technology and Research Institute
(CSTRI), Central Silk Board (CSB), Weavers Service Centre
(WSC), the nuances still remain tacit at the cluster level.
Hence socialization becomes the major method of knowledge
transfer. The knowledge thus gained through socialization by
continuous practice of the art on the loom gets strengthened
through the process of internalization.

The child in a weaver’s house plays with the weaving

implements, learns spinning at the tender age of five, starts
sitting on the loom from the age of seven and becomes a full-
fledged weaver at the end of his or her teens. On the other
hand, a worker who joins the loom for a wage, by the passage
of time through the process of socialization and observation,
learns the art and becomes a full-fledged weaver over a
period of time. Thus with time, through socialization and
observation, knowledge is acquired.

Most of the weavers of Arani Silk Cluster have acquired their

basic training in weaving from their family and the rest have
begun their career as workers in looms and have graduated
to be weavers of their own.

Not only the art of weaving but management of the looms

and marketing also have to be learnt on the job. Efforts must
be initiated to preserve the extinction of this art by boosting
the competitiveness of the industry. Usage of information
technology tools is essential for making the knowledge
transfer process more effective. The efforts towards
strengthening of linkages among the cluster stakeholders
shall help in facilitating the process of knowledge transfer.
And thereby help boost the competitiveness of the cluster.

In conclusion, we would like to acknowledge the talented

weavers of Arani and how the incredible work they do goes
uncredited. We promise to do whatever we can to promote
their products and to bring to the attention of silk saree users
the fact that Arani Silks is the main Silk Centre behind the
infamous Kanchipuram Saree and that they should also be
equally recognized. The precious craft of silk saree weaving
needs to be preserved and for that our future generation and
the government will have to lend a helping hand.

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 Analys is : a s et of tec hni ques for ex pl ori ng
GLOS S A RY un der lyin g mot ives and a m et hod of t reat i ng
va rio u s me ntal dis ord ers; based on t he t heor ies
of Si gmu nd Freu d
Ardu o us : ch aracter i zed by effor t to t he p oi nt of
exh aus tio n; e sp e ci a l l y physi c al effor t

Au th ent ic : confo rmi ng to fa c t and t herefore

wo rt hy of be lief

Bo bb in : a win de r around whi c h thread or tape

or fi lm o r oth er fl ex i bl e m ater i al s ca n be wound

Bo rd er : li e adj acent to another or sha re a

bo un dar y

Broca de : we ave a d esi gn i nto (tex ti l es)

Cl us ter : gat he r o r cause to gather i nto a cl uster

Co - o ptex : The Tami l Nad u Handl oom Weavers’

Co op e rative So ci et y, popul ar l y known a s Co-
optex, is a co op e rat i ve of tra di t i ona l hand l oom
we avers of t he In di an st ate of Tam i l Na du

Co co on : s il ky e nvel ope sp un by the l a r va e of

many in s ect s to p rotect pupas a nd by sp i ders to
p rote ct eggs

Co co on : w ra pp e d in a cocoon, a s for protect i on

Co lo r : th e a p p earance of obj ec ts (or l i ght

so urces) d es cribe d i n ter m s of a person’s
p erce ptio n of t he i r hue and l i ght ness (or
bright ne ss) an d s aturat i on

Crafts m e n : a s kil l ed wor ker who pract i ces some

tra de o r ha nd icraft

Da mas k : a fa bric of l inen or cot ton or si l k or

wo o l wit h a reversi b l e patter n woven i nto i t

13 4 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

Dhar m avaram s are e: t radi tio n ally wove n i n t he Go ndh u pa sa i : Gum ( Pul i yankont tai p asai i n
i nte r lo c ked- wef t tech n iq u e, h ave b ro ad b orde rs Tam il bei ng prepa red by Craftsm en.
w i th soli d co lors an d co ntra s tin g p a ll us wove n
w i th intr ic ate go lden z ar i b ro ca de Hand lo om : a l oom p owered by ha nd

Dra pe : arrange i n a p arti cu la r way Hand woven : ma de on a hand l oom

Dro pb ox Lo o m: lo o m m ach in e th at is Hank : a coi l of rope or wool or yar n

f unc t io nally updated an d is tech n ical ly
a dva nce d. Harne ss : a supp ort consi st i ng of an
ar ran gem ent of st ra ps for hol di ng s om ethi ng to
Dye : a u sua lly s o luble s u b s ta n ce fo r st ai nin g or th e body (espec i al l y one suppor t i ng a person
col or i ng e. g . fabri cs o r ha ir su s pe nd ed from a p ara chute)
Ja cq uard : a l oom wi th an at tac hm ent for
E x pe r ti se : s ki llf uln es s by vi rtu e of p o ss es s ing fo rmin g openi ngs for the p assa ge of the shuttle
spe c i al k now le dge between t he wa r p threa ds; used in weavin g
figure d fab ri c s
E x tra wa rp : An additi o n al s et of th re ad s are Ja cq uard : a hi ghl y fi gured fa br i c woven on a
i ncor po rated i n the war p to create th e d es ign. Ja cq uard l oom

E x tra weft : An extra s et of th read s are woven Kasa -ka sa - kat tam : Bi g and smal l c hecks
i nto th e weft between two reg ula r weft th reads
to c re ate a n o rnam enta l p atter n in add iti on to Ko rvai : A Kor vai i s a composi t i on consistin g of
th e g ro und we ave. two co mp onent s Pur vangam and Utt a ranga m,
an d i s usual l y p l ayed thr i ce.
Fa b ri c : arti fac t ma de by weavi n g o r fel tin g o r
k n it ti ng o r c ro cheti ng n atu ral o r sy nt heti c fibe rs Kot tadi s : The mut hu katt am c hec ks, resembl in g
eve nly sp aced
Fi bre : a s lender a nd g reatly elo n g ated
sub st an ce c apa ble of be in g s p u n i nto ya rn Labo ur : a soc ia l cl a ss compr i si ng t hose who do
manu al l a bor or wor k for wa ges
Fi la m e nt : a threadli ke s tru ctu re (a s a ch ain like
se r i e s of ce lls) Lo om : a tex ti l e m ac hi ne for weavi ng yarn into a
textil e
Fl oral : res embling o r mad e of o r s u gge st ive of
f lowe rs Mot if : a desi gn or fi gure that consi st s of
recu rri ng shap es or col ors, as i n arc hi tecture or
Fra m ewo rk : a hyp oth etical des cript io n of a de co rati on
com p lex ent ity o r pro ces s
Nasavu : weavi ng wor k

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 Pa i s l ey : a s of t woo l fa bric w i th a co lo rful s w ir led Sat in : a s moot h fa br i c of si l k or rayon; has a
p at te r n of c ur ve d sh apes gl os sy face a nd a dul l bac k

Pa i t h a n i : va r iety of s ari , nam ed after th e Pai th a n Sa ura sht ran : Si l k thread merc ha nt s, or i gi nated
town i n Au ra ng a b ad Ma hara shtra s t ate w h ere t hey i n t he Sau ra sht ra regi on
a re wove n by h and
Se ricul tu re : rai si ng si l kwor m s i n ord er to obta in
Pa ll u : Aa n cha l raw sil k

Pat t avaya h s : We avers of t hin si lk like cot to n Shaft : a revol vi ng rod that t ransmi t s power or
c l ot h e s or s i l k c l ot he s. m ot io n

Pat t u : Si l k She ddin g : t he process whereby somet hi ng i s

s he d
Pe d a l : a l eve r that is o perated wi th t he fo ot
Shut t le : bo bb i n that pa sses t he weft t hrea d
Pl a i n : a b a s i c k n it ti ng s titc h ma d e by p ut tin g th e b et we en t he warp thread s
n e e d l e th roug h t he fro nt of the s ti tch fro m th e
l ef t h a n d s i d e Silk : a fabr ic made from t he fi ne t hreads
p ro du ce d by cert ai n insec t l ar va e
Pr i mi t i ve : a pe rson w ho belon gs to a n ea rly s tage
of ci vi l i zat i o n Silk wo rms : l a r va of a sat ur ni i d m oth; sp ins a
l arge a mo unt of strong si l k i n cons tr uct i ng i ts
Pu l i ya m- kot tai : cocoo n

Pu n ch ca rd s : a c ard on w hi ch data ca n b e reco rde d Skil le d : havi ng or showi ng or req ui r i ng spec ia l

i n t h e fo r m of pu nc hed ho les s k ill

Re e li n g : Pro ce ss by wh ich a num b er of co co o n So cia lizati on : the a ct i on of est abl i shing on a

b ave s a re re e le d together to pro d u ce a s in g le s o cial is t bas i s
t h re a d .
Sp o ol : a w inder around whi c h t hread or t ape or
Ret a i l e r : a me rc h ant w h o s ells go o d s at retail fil m o r ot her fl ex i bl e m ater i a l s c an b e wound

Sa re e : a d res s wo r n pr ima rily by Hin d u wo men ; Textil e : a rti fac t made by weavi ng or fel ti ng or
co n s i s t s of s eve ral ya rds of li ght m ater ial th at is k ni tt ing o r croc het i ng natural or synt heti c fi b ers
d ra p e d a ro un d t he bo dy

13 6 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I

Text u re : t he c hara cte ris tic appea ran ce of a
su r fa ce h av i ng a ta c tile qua li ty

Th re a d : a f i ne co rd of tw i sted fibe rs (of cotto n

or s i l k o r wo ol or nylo n etc . ) used in s ew in g an d
we av i n g

Twi l l : a weave us e d to pro duce th e effect of

pa ra l l e l d i a gona l r i bs

Ut t a r i ya : a sc ar f- like piece of clot h fro m In d ia

Ve i l : a g a r me nt th at covers the h ead a n d face

Wa r p : ya r n ar range d leng thways o n a lo o m a n d

c ros s e d by th e woof

Wa r p b e a m : t he b e am w hic h th e wa rp was wo u nd
onto d u r i n g war pi n g

We av i n g : cre ati ng fabr ic

Wef t : t h e ya rn woven ac ro ss th e wa rp yarn in

we av i n g

Wi n d i n g : t he ac t of w indin g o r tw is tin g

Wo m a n h o o d : th e status of a wo m an

Ya r n : a f i n e cord of tw is ted fibers (of cotto n o r

si lk o r wo o l or ny lo n etc . ) used in s ew in g a n d
we av i n g

Ya r n : te l l or spi n a ya rn

Za r i : i s a n eve n threa d tra di tio n ally m a de of

f i n e go l d o r si lve r us ed i n tra ditio n al Ind ia n , a n d
Pa k i s t a n i g a rm e nts , es pec ially as b ro cad e in s are e s

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 137

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phys ic a l - a nd - c h e m i c a l - p ro pe rt i e s- o f - s i l k / J u n e 9 , 2 0 1 8

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fe a tu re s - a dv a n t a g e. h t m l Ju n e 10, 20 1 8

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B ro c a d e an d J a c q u a r d , h t t p: //t h e d re a m s t r e ss .c o m / 2 0 1 4 / 0 7 /b r o c a d e- a n d- j a c q ua r d - w ha t s -
t h e - di f fe re n ce - o r - t h e - h is t o ry- o f -t h e-j ac q u ar d - l o o m - a n d -a l l - th e - w e ave s - i t- c a n - c r e a te /
J un e 19 , 2 0 1 8

W ha t i s J a cqua r d F a b r i c ? h t t ps: // w w w.p e ac o c ka l l ey.c o m /p a g e s/j a c qu a r d- f a b r i c J un e 1 9 ,

2 018

J a c qu ar d Lo o m h t t p: // w w w. i d e a f in d e r.c o m /h is t o r y/ i nve n t i o n s/j a c qu a r d. h tm J un e 1 9 , 2 0 1 8

J a c qu ar d Me c ha n i s m s , h t t p: // w e b . i t u . e du .t r / ~ be r k a l po / We av i ng _ Le c tur e /We av i n g_
C ha pt e r 4 c_J a c q u ar d . p d f Ju n e 1 9, 20 1 8

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C l a ss i f i c a t i o n o f a Lo o m , h t t ps : //w w w.s l i de s h a r e . n e t/8 8 a z m i r /d i f f e r e n t- ty p es -o f -
l o om J un e 2 2 , 201 8

J a c q u a r d Ha n d l o o m We ave r, h tt p s: // w w w.g o o g l e . c o. i n /
u r l? sa = t & so u rc e =w e b & rc t = j & u r l = h t tp : //t ex ti l e s c o m m i tte e . n i c . i n /w r i te r e a d d a t a /
f i l e s/J a c q u ar d % 2 520H an d l o o m % 2 5 2 0 We ave r.p d f &ve d = 2 a hU KE w j o 4 K- py - b b A hX B
w I 8 K H Zq o BF I QF j A b e gQ I A R A B & u s g= AO v Vaw 3 A s 6 J p C d i b_ N y 1 tgW S R Ig p J u n e 1 8 ,
2018

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June 21, 2018
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k n o w- ab ou t - a ra n i - h a n d lo o m- a n d -s i l k - fab r i c / J un e 2 3 , 2 0 1 8

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11, 2018

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June 13, 2018

Av i shy a , w ww. avi shya . c o m J u n e 1 6 , 2 0 1 8

E nc yc l o pa e d i a B ri t a n n ic a , w w w. br i t an n i c a. c o m , J un e 1 7 , 2 0 1 8

R e ed C al c u l a t io n s , h t t p: //my tex t i l e n o t e s .b l o gs p o t. c o m /2 0 0 8 /1 0 /r e e d- c a l c ul a t i ons .

h tm l ? m = 1 J u n e 18, 20 18

CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 139

 A A RT I V E R M A

S K E TC H ING &
D IG ITA L A NA LY S IS

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D IS P L AY

A PA R N A K

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& P R E S E N TAT IO N

A R YA M E N O N

D OC U M E N TAT I O N
& P H OTO G R A P H Y

T H E TEA M
14 0 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I
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IN T E R V IE W S &
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P R A B H AT YA DAV

P HOTO GR A P HY &
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C O LL E C T I O N

R E HN A A N NA O O MM EN

D O C U M E NTAT IO N
& V ID E O GR A P H Y

S A N C H IT K AU S HA L

V ID EO GR A P HY &
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CR A FT RE S E ARC H D OC U ME NTAT I ON, 201 8, A RA NI SI LK SA RE E S 141

14 2 DE PA RT M EN T OF FASHI ON COM MU NIC ATI ON, N IF T C HE NN A I