chanderi sari pt1
You know I would probably never write for a travel magazine. The reason is, my most favorite spots are the ones I would want to keep secret. Now some great places are totally on the map, and I wouldn't mind telling everyone about my experiences there. And there are those places I do not want broadcast all over the internet, well not to freely at least. Its travel magazines and travel articles that ruin so many places. They were special because only a few outsiders even knew about them. Bali and Java, even Seattle, were a few of the spots IMHO "ruined" by the exposure.
So its with caution that I even talk about the town of Chanderi, in India. Not that even many adventurous Indian trekkers will even venture within 100km of the place, as it is remote, and not a journey for the causal traveler.
We went there to see the fort, and also to check out the fables that Chanderi is a city of weavers, who make rare and fantastic fabric on hand looms.
So this is part one of when I went to Chanderi MP last year.
Chanderi is a city of 12 to15 thousand. There are over 3000 working hand looms in the city. The sound of 1000s of shuttles clacking and crossing looms fills the air even from the vantage point of the hill fort. There is no internet connection in the whole town. Having a telephone here is considered a business. This is glorious middle of nowhere buttf*#k, India the beautiful. There is only one hotel within 50km.
They make Chanderi sari's here, and have so for 100s of years. Back in the day these were 300 count hand spun cotton affairs, renowned for their gossamer quality and rich design and were reserved for royalty. Then in the 1920s machine silk threads and speed shuttles entered, still the fabric, hand loomed, retained its gossamer quality. Recently dealers on the internet have even started selling Chanderi sari. They are all made in this town.
Here are some Chanderi sari I've seen for sale on the net.
Here are Chanderi sari for sale from the source. (At a weaver's house. These guys wanted me to stay with them forever. It was tempting.)
This is one of the hand looms with a master craftsman at work. Check it out, there are over 1200 silk threads in the warp. If you have ever set up a loom, imagine setting up 1200 individual silk threads over a six yard warp, and that's just the beginning.
Check out the weft and pattern, with the many individual design threads that must weave with every pass of the shuttle. One mistake, or missed thread, and the whole piece is ruined. A sari like this takes two men working full time, three weeks to complete. There dudes patience blew my mind! Also check out the transparent quality of the finished fabric. Insane!!!
That's enough for now. Whew! More about Chanderi sari and cool people there too come..
So its with caution that I even talk about the town of Chanderi, in India. Not that even many adventurous Indian trekkers will even venture within 100km of the place, as it is remote, and not a journey for the causal traveler.
We went there to see the fort, and also to check out the fables that Chanderi is a city of weavers, who make rare and fantastic fabric on hand looms.
So this is part one of when I went to Chanderi MP last year.
Chanderi is a city of 12 to15 thousand. There are over 3000 working hand looms in the city. The sound of 1000s of shuttles clacking and crossing looms fills the air even from the vantage point of the hill fort. There is no internet connection in the whole town. Having a telephone here is considered a business. This is glorious middle of nowhere buttf*#k, India the beautiful. There is only one hotel within 50km.
They make Chanderi sari's here, and have so for 100s of years. Back in the day these were 300 count hand spun cotton affairs, renowned for their gossamer quality and rich design and were reserved for royalty. Then in the 1920s machine silk threads and speed shuttles entered, still the fabric, hand loomed, retained its gossamer quality. Recently dealers on the internet have even started selling Chanderi sari. They are all made in this town.
Here are some Chanderi sari I've seen for sale on the net.
Here are Chanderi sari for sale from the source. (At a weaver's house. These guys wanted me to stay with them forever. It was tempting.)
This is one of the hand looms with a master craftsman at work. Check it out, there are over 1200 silk threads in the warp. If you have ever set up a loom, imagine setting up 1200 individual silk threads over a six yard warp, and that's just the beginning.
Check out the weft and pattern, with the many individual design threads that must weave with every pass of the shuttle. One mistake, or missed thread, and the whole piece is ruined. A sari like this takes two men working full time, three weeks to complete. There dudes patience blew my mind! Also check out the transparent quality of the finished fabric. Insane!!!
That's enough for now. Whew! More about Chanderi sari and cool people there too come..