Silk sarees

What it is and where it comes from

Silk is a protein filament that a silkworm spins around itself as a cocoon. A single cocoon can unwind into a continuous thread that runs for hundreds of metres, which is why silk is the only natural fibre that comes as a long filament rather than short staple. Mulberry silk, from worms fed on mulberry leaves, is the most common kind and is farmed in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. India also produces the wild silks tussar, muga and eri. The country is among the largest silk producers in the world and by far the largest consumer, and the saree is the main reason why.

How the cloth is made

Cocoons are boiled or steamed to soften the gum that holds the thread together, and the filaments are reeled off and twisted together into raw silk yarn. The yarn is then degummed, dyed in skeins and set up on the loom. For the great temple sarees the warp is stretched on a handloom, and a weaver, often helped by a second person, passes the weft by shuttle. Patterns come from a jacquard or from the older drawloom, and gold or silver zari is woven in as an extra weft. A heavy Kanchipuram saree can take a pair of weavers well over a week, and the most elaborate pieces much longer.

How it feels and falls

Good silk is smooth and cool in the first touch and then warms to the body. It has a soft glow rather than a hard shine, and it changes colour slightly as the light moves across it because the filament is triangular in section. Heavy silks such as Kanchipuram stand away from the body and hold bold pleats, while lighter weaves such as Mysore crepe, Bengal silk or a plain chiffon-weight silk fall in soft, flowing folds. Silk breathes well, so it is comfortable in warm weather, and it also insulates a little, which is why it works at winter weddings. It creases less than cotton and the creases often relax when the saree is hung.

Where in India and South Asia it is woven

Kanchipuram and Arni in Tamil Nadu, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Mysuru and Bengaluru in Karnataka, Paithan and Yeola in Maharashtra, Pochampally and Dharmavaram in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Bhagalpur in Bihar and Murshidabad in West Bengal are all well-known silk centres. Odisha has Sambalpuri and Berhampuri silks, Assam has Sualkuchi, and Gujarat has Patan, where double ikat patola is made. Beyond India, Bangladesh weaves Rajshahi silk, which takes its name from the Rajshahi region, and Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka all produce smaller amounts of silk cloth for local use.

How to tell the real thing

Pure silk is rarely cheap, so a very low price should make you cautious. Look at the zari, which in a true Kanchipuram is gold-plated silver thread, and ask what the seller says it is made of. Check the weave from behind: a handwoven saree has small irregularities and a clean back, while a printed or powerloom copy often shows floats or uniform sameness. Ask whether the piece carries the Silk Mark or a handloom mark, both of which are issued by Indian agencies. A burn test, where a thread is held to a flame, helps a little: real silk smells like burnt hair and leaves a crushable ash, while polyester melts into a hard bead.

Famous sarees and centres

• Kanchipuram: Heavy temple silk from Tamil Nadu with contrast borders and zari.
• Banarasi: Brocade silk from Varanasi, rich with gold and silver zari.
• Paithani: Maharashtra silk with peacock and lotus motifs on the pallu and border.
• Mysore silk: Pure silk and gold zari from Karnataka, plain and elegant.
• Patola: Double ikat silk from Patan in Gujarat, tied and dyed on both warp and weft.
• Pochampally: Ikat silk from Telangana, with geometric patterns.
• Baluchari: Silk from Bengal with mythic scenes woven into the pallu.
• Sambalpuri: Ikat silk and cotton from western Odisha.

Care

• Dry clean the first few times, especially heavy zari silks.
• Store folded in muslin or a soft cotton cloth, and refold along new lines now and then.
• Keep it away from direct sun, perfume and deodorant, which can mark the cloth.
• Air it in the shade after wearing and hang it in a cool, dry place.

Sources and further reading

• Silk on Wikipedia
• Central Silk Board, India
• Sericulture (Wikipedia)