Paithani – The real story

History
Paithani is a 2200 years old legacy. “MAHAVASTRA” Paithani - Paithan.

Eleven different dynasties down the centuries because of the importance of textile craft.
The Nandas - (343 BCE to 321 BCE)
The Mauryas- (322 BCE - 185 BCE)
The Satavahanas - (228 BCE to 230 CE)
The Vakatakas (230 CE to 550 CE)
The Chalukyas - (630 CE to 700 CE)
The Rashtrakutas - (730 CE to 912 CE)
The Yadavas - (915 CE to 1296 CE)
The Khiljis - (1296 CE to 1308 CE)
The Marathas Empire - (1679 CE to 1772 CE)
The Nizams (1850 CE to Early 19th century)
Until British ruled over India.

The Satavahanas - (228 BCE to 230 CE) Paithan was the capital of the Satavahanas
dynasty and used to export cotton and silks to the great Roman Empire. They started
documentation through inscriptions in caves and granthas.

Many proofs found in excavations at Nevasa the fragment of Paithani saris.

Hoards of roman coins in Paithan.
The real gold and silver jari was used in cotton Paithani saris.
 Inscripted evidence
The craze for Indian goods in Rome is evident from figures recorded at the time.
The Greek manuscript Periplus mentioned that “Paethana” (Paithan) was a mart town famous
for semi-precious stones and exported large quantities of them.
The Roman mathematician – Ptolemy and a Greek traveller Arrian also recorded as
“Baithana”(Paithan) is famous for its fine textiles, jewellery and bead industry.

The roman author - Pliny wrote about the abundance prosperity of Paithan. He also wrote
that nearly half of all the money paid to the imports of India and was about 10 crore per
annum and the trade with Paithan was a major component of those figures, so the Paithan
was truly on the world map.

The Peshwas - 17th century - The letters found in the Peshwa Daftar and other contemporary
Maratha records show the trade clearly with full of references of golden brocade Paithan.

The sardar of Peshawas Raghobarao ji Naik took it upon themselves to promote the craft, and
consequently, settled Paithani weavers in Yeola, which is now  the manufacturing hub for
Paithani.
Peshawakalin
Paithani
Peshawakalin
Paithani
 Reasons behind the retention of art
As per the history Paithani is a treasure for us and we have to preserve it for our next
generation.
Despite different dynasties ruled over the Paithan from time to time, the town retained
the patronage of the art of Paithani weaving. The art has left an indelible
impression on the history of hand-woven textiles and handcrafted arts of
Maharashtra. The popularity of Paithani was the reason why dynasties were willing the
possession of Paithan.
There was no centre other than Paithan which pervaded the art and, was a thriving
hub of Paithani saris weaving. There were close to thousands handlooms in Paithan.
In late 17th century the devastation by Pedharies and Paithani art slowly lost its hold
in Paithan.
Today the number of handlooms had dwindled to not more that 150.
Paithani Kala Kendra which is funded and supported by the Government of
Maharashtra.
Old Paithani Saris
Old Paithani Saris
Old Paithani Saris
Old Paithani Saris
 Material, colour and Motifs

Paithanis are renowned for its

various traditional motifs, colors
and types of borders, glaze effect
which are signatory styles of a
Paithani, that is why traditionally
held as Festive and Bridal too.

Materials used in ancient time –

Cotton, Pure Gold and silver jari
Now - Pure silk, artificial silk,
cotton, artificial jari

Colors - Aboli (pale bittersweet), Firozi (cyan), Gujri (black and white), Kalichandrakala
(black), Mirani, Morphankhi (cerulean), Motia (pale pink), Neeligunji (blue), Pasila,
Pophali (chrome yellow), Samprus (green-red), Sankirodak (white), Uddani (a fainter
black), Vangi (aubergine purple)
 Mor Brocade
Mor Brocade Paithani, Source: Sai Paithani , Weaver - Chetan Shinde

Mor Bangadi
Mor Bangadi paithani,
Aasawali
Ajanta Lotus
Aakruti
Geometrically vine border &
peacock in geometrical box on
the pallu
Mor-Popat
Muniya border
 Image courtesy : Gourang Shah

Image courtesy : MGM PAITHANI CENTER

 Weaving Techniques
The Paithani sari is woven on the wooden
frame loom by hand.
There are up to 4000 strings in a single
warp. The length of the warp is
50 m and the width of the weft is 48 inches.
This technique is time-consuming, labour
intensive and tedious so the product is quite
expensive. Designs intricacy set the time and
cost of the sari.
Weaving could take between 18 and 24
months.
Paithani sari requires about 500-575 gms. of
silk and 200-250 gms of zari.

The legacy of the art passes generation to

generation.
Image courtesy : MGM PAITHANI CENTER
 Weaving Techniques

All over design sari requires over 400–450 tillis across the warp to be used in succession.
Image courtesy : MGM PAITHANI CENTER
 Weaving Techniques
Split tapestry weave - The simplest weave where two weft threads are woven up to
adjacent warp threads and then reversed.
Interlocking method - Two wefts are interlocked with each other where the colour
change is required. The figuring weft is made of a number of coloured threads,
weaving plain with warp threads and interlocked on either side with the grounds weft
threads are invariably gold threads which interlock with the figure weft threads, thus
forming the figure. This system of interlocking weaves, known as kadiyal, is done so
that there are no extra floats on the back of the motif thus making the design nearly
reversible.
Dobby method – Used to weave traditional narli border.

Kadiyal sari - Kadiyal means interlocking. The warp and the weft of the border are of
the same colour while the body has different colours for warp and weft.
Kad/Ekdhoti - A single shuttle is used for weaving of weft. The colours of the warp
yarn is different from that of the weft yarn. It has a narali border and simple buttis like
paisa, watana in the body.
 Community

Paithani weaving is not possible without allied workers involved in the process. There
are many communities involved in the stages required to complete the process of
Paithani sari.
The craftsmanship is divided as per work expertise and hereditary craft skill
communities like weaving, yarn sourcing, dyeing, warping, gold and silver threading,
etc. The area where weavers and the allied workers live is
identified as per their work they do - the alleys where they live known as per their
work.
1. Sali, Koshti and Momin communities - Koshti or winkar - Saliwada.
2. Bhavsar community – Rangari - Rangarrahatti.
3. Sonar community - Patvekari-They prepare the gold and silver into needle
size bar - Pavata Galli.
4. Tanais12 community - Tanaiwale—They stretch the
gold and silver bar into the thin wire - Taru Galli.
5. Chapade communities - Chapades—They turn wire into
flat thread - Chapade Galli.
6. Patva communities – Jariwale - They twist and wind flatten gold threads with silk -
Jar Galli.
 Advantages

GI tagging.
Best example of SSI (small scale industry).
The handloom sector has a huge capacity to stand in rural India because of its
advantages and minimal requirements to start with.

Household premise activity

Minimum capital investment - with minimal use of electricity.
Handmade - sustainable product.
Potential to generate a massive employment - abundant labor availability in rural.
Lowest production quantity - Capacity to adapt the market requirements
Strength to create innovative and versatile designs - custom made products.
self-sufficient and self-reliant

Nevertheless, the sector is sinking and facing multifarious problems. The reasons are
multiple.

The Government of India is acting toward the development and improvement of its
productivity and marketing, still weavers are facing livelihood crisis and the
percentage of the idle loom is increasing as per record in last 10 years.
 Reasons of the crises

GST

Demonetisation

Covid-19

Duplicate Paithani sari – Knock off Products

Unfair wages

Monopoly of mediator

Lack of policy

Lack of marketing

Lack of awareness
 Scope of development

Designer engagement – Here the designer should take the responsibility to revive
and preserve the art form.

The product has travelled along with the socio-political history of ancient India.
The art of Paithani sari had touched the high peak of fame and suffered the crucial
decline with economical forces by the late eighteenth century.

It is quite probable that the craft will lose its original identity of bygone days and the
day is not far off when the entire activity of imitative Paithani sari weaving will replace
its original art.
The immediate action plans and essential requirements are necessary to face the
competition against imitation of Paithani and knock off products in the market.
Designer
engagement for
new product
range

Image courtesy : MGM PAITHANI CENTER

Designer – Shubha Mahajan
Designer – Shubha Mahajan Image courtesy : MGM PAITHANI CENTER
 Thank You

Designer – Shubha Mahajan

Original VS Duplicate
Original VS Duplicate
Original VS Duplicate
Original VS Duplicate
Original VS Duplicate
Original VS Duplicate
 How to recognize Original Paithani

Front Back

Image courtesy : Shubha Mahajan

 How to recognize - Duplicate Paithani

Image courtesy : Shubha Mahajan

Duplicate Paithani
Woven on
Powerloom so
The threads are
synthetic

No difference in such
saris and other silk
saris

Cost - raw material

Cost - for Buyer

Embroidery work

Image courtesy : Author

Buyer is unaware about Duplicate sari
Front and Back side of the sari
Front & Back Original brocade Paithani sari
Original brocade Paithani sari
Front and Back side of the Original Paithani
Few online brands who sell Duplicate Paithani sari