Kanchipuram is a small town in the southern state of India called Tamil Nadu mostly known for its rich and varied culture. The kings and kingdom that once ruled all over the southern empire extending up to Sri Lanka and parts of South East Asia, the architecture that was left behind by these kings, the temples and the exquisite costumes and traditional wear that kings and queens draped themselves in the ancient era are what Kanchipuram is revered for.
Silk is one of the main fabrics that was grown and sourced locally and made into fine quality Kanchipuram sarees. One can buy Kanchipuram saree online today which just a click of a button but back in ancient times, Kanchipuram silk sarees were reserved for the finest of kings and queens and were adorned by them with exquisite jewelry.
This rich tradition and culture have now trickled down to the likes of young men and women who use Kanchipuram silk for their weddings and other auspicious functions. Unlike any other silk, Kanchipuram silk sarees are made from the finest quality Mulberry silk with gold and silver threadwork, making them extremely rare quality and pious.
Kanchipuram Silk Sarees – Facts and Origin
Kanchipuram silk sarees have become extremely popular these days thanks to modern marketing and advertising advancements. In the older times, only a handful of weavers had the knowledge to source the fine quality silk and weave them into unique patterns to make fabulous and exquisite Kanchipuram Silk sarees.
They were so rare and unique that they were reserved for the high-class and elite section of society. Even today, there are many weavers in Kanchipuram town who make exclusive sarees with a boutique selection of just a handful of unique designs.
Thanks to the advancement of technology, no one has to wait to lay their hands on a special set of Kanchipuram Silk saree for their auspicious occasion. One can easily buy Kanchipuram saree online with many trusted sellers and websites that bring these sarees to the customers directly.
Kanchipuram silk sarees are revered by all Indian silk lovers and are considered to be extremely delicate, rare, and precious. They need good care and maintenance and hence are more expensive than most kinds of silk sarees in the market. An original Kanchipuram silk saree with heavy thread work can sometimes be even as expensive as half a million dollars.
Making of a Kanchipuram Silk Saree
Kanchipuram silk sarees are mostly made from Mulberry silk, a fine quality variant of silk that is derived from the silkworm and is unique in texture because of its finest quality to touch and a sheer golden appearance under sunlight.
It is unlike any other kind of silk as it is very lightweight, has a golden tone, and has a very soft feel on the skin. This itself makes the saree extremely unique and precious.
To add to this, the silk is dyed by hand with the rarest and highest quality colors, mostly by hand so as to restore its authenticity and quality. It is then woven by hand in machines by weavers to create unique designs based on the culture around the town, the folk tales, the kings and queens, the unique temple designs, geometric designs, etc.
Gold and silver thread work from places such as Gujarat is imported to make the highest quality thread work for these sarees, further elevating its quality, uniqueness, and value in the market.