Threads of History: Reviving Vintage Kancheepuram Silk Sarees Legacy

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A rare exhibition of handwoven vintage Kancheepuram silk sarees, some 60 to 100 years old transported silk saree enthusiasts into an incredible world of antique designs and shades at the Tulsi Weaves showroom in Chennai.

Visitors to the curated exhibition of around 100 sarees included top fashion and costume designers, some from the tinsel world. Amritha an acclaimed fashion designer who’s also part of Kamal Haasan’s clothing line says “These Kancheepuram silk sarees are priceless. Look at the borders and detailing. Old is gold literally”. Kalyani Pramod, another Designer said “While wearing saree is on the decline, only efforts like this will preserve Kancheepuram’s silk heritage. Those days weavers themselves were designers. Now its designers who impose”.

While silk sarees made by powerlooms hit Kancheepuram silk weavers hard, a large collection of old Kancheepuram silk sarees were also sold over the years for the gold in them.

Shaken up by this disturbing trend, the showroom’s promoter Santosh Parekh has bought more than a thousand old priceless Kancheepuram silk sarees from hawkers and customers over the last twenty years. Santosh explains “If you have any old Kancheepuram silk sarees, please preserve them. Without them we would have nothing to speak about our art, tradition and culture”. He added “We have an old saree with the design of Sorka Vaasal (Gateway to heaven) on the pallu. We don’t get such designs now”.

The idea is to raise awareness among saree lovers to preserve antique sarees and to explore remaking the stunning antique designs. He added “We can help in remaking the old designs, but it may take quite some time as it requires special skills”.

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