· Series of workshops & demonstrations on the making of the ‘Paithani Sarees’ on a replica of a handloom yarn to create originals
· 250 rare, traditional and designer Paithani Sarees on display ranging from Rs. 7000 till 2.5lacs
· At Scout Hall, Shivaji Park from 19th Oct – 23rd Oct 2016
Mumbai – 13th Oct, 2016:
Endorsed by celebrities and improvised by the best designers, weavers from across the country are using their intrinsic wefts and warps to bring a few textiles out of closed closets in Bengal, Rajasthan, Aurangabad and elsewhere. For as long as one can remember, Maharashtrian brides have yearned to make Paithani—the ‘queen among saris’ a part of their trousseau. And it’s not just the brides, but every sari lover, regardless of her age and community, appreciates this timeless weave. The New Wave Paithani Exhibition was founded by the Late. Saroj Dhananjay in 1989 with a vision to create a clean direct market for Paithani saris for weavers of Yeola, a town in Nashik, Maharashtra. Paithani is a handwoven saree which came into existence hundreds of years ago at Yeola - hometown of traditional Paithani Sarees. She planned on doing this by hosting an exhibition ‘New Wave Paithani’, on annual basis in Mumbai. From being just an exhibition to a festival full of various hues, colours, intricate work and designs & trends, this annual event today spans across five days, where thousands flock to in order to have a glimpse of these traditional weaves & its newest trends in Mumbai. The 27th edition of ‘New Wave Paithani Festival’ the most-celebrated & oldest festival for Paithani Sarees will be held from October 19th – 23rd at Scout Hall, Shivaji Park Dadar.
Year after year the festival has grown in leaps & an age old handloom bounds; the 27th year is no different. This year on the sidelines of the festival the organizers will be having a section dedicated which will display a replica model of the original handloom on which the intricate magic of paithani sarees are woven by skilled craftsmen. The weavers will give a live demo on the making to budding designers, buyers, students and more. Sannidha Bhide adds, “The idea is to make the masses today realize the sanctity of the hard work that actually goes into it, right from weaving those silk threads from zero till the finished product. So many people are involved in creating the fabric, the design, the motifs and the colour. Weaving is a big source of livelihood in the country but today the weaving communities are some of the poorest. We as a society have failed in valuing them as artists”. The series of workshops & demonstrations on the making of the ‘Paithani Sarees’ will also be conducted in timely durations all through the 5 days by the weavers from Yeola .
The workshops can also be of aid to students of fashion designing & buyers of original Paithani sarees. “Professionals and students will thus get a chance to catch up with the efforts and the amount of hard work it takes for a person to weave a Paithani Saree and explore more. Untold facts on the art of weaving would also be unveiled by weavers coming down all the way from Yeola & Paithan”, she further adds.
Along with the exhibition, there will be an installation by Artist and Textile designer, Anuja Sane about the Handloom and Textile Industry. Anuja has recreated the magic of Paithani sarees through her installation 'Imagination Decoded'. The colours, threads, motifs of the Paithani continue to mesmerize attention of not only Indians but also foreigner. Through her customised installation, she has artistically laid the colours inspired from this great Indian culture and tradition. Anuja has been actively supporting the Make In India Initiative and this is a great way to connect and promote "India's Weavers and Treasures" on a global platform.
Making a Paithani Saree is not an overnight job. Even an expert would take a time span of six months to a year to make beautiful and an attractive Paithani Saree which would catch the attention of a thousands of people. “Today, on an average, a Paithani sari is made of 200–350 gm of zari, 700 gm of silk and weighs 800–900 gm. The silk yarn is woven in such a way that the sari shows a kaleidoscopic effect as it catches the light. It usually takes a master weaver an entire day to weave just an inch of this material. A single sari can take a year and a half to complete,” explains Sannidha Bhide, Festival Director, New Wave Paithani.
On display will be a wide colour range to choose from for the most preferred colours are ochre, red lavender, violet, purple, magenta, peacock blue and parrot green along with latest trendy colours like whites, pearl pink, pastels, off-whites, greys and blacks. These sarees are majorly known for their intricate and well-laid-out embroidery with liberal use of motifs which have local names such as bangdi-mor (peacock in ring), poppat-maina (parrot-mynah), huma-parinda (pheasant), tara (star), anarvel (pomegranate creeper flower), pankha (fan), rui-phool (cotton bud), kalas pakli (petal), chandrakor (moon), narli (coconut) and Ajanta lotus. It will thus exhibit more than 250 novel, exclusive traditional and designer Paithani Sarees exclusively sourced for this exhibition. The high-end sarees ranges from Rs. 7000 till 2.5lacs.
The five-day New Wave Paithani Festival also offers 40 various exhibiters from across the country offering different materials, accessories, hand-made bags, clutches and purses and different Handloom Sarees like Chanderi, Maheshwari, Orisa Silk, Banarai, Kantha, Kosa, Ilkal, Rajasthani, South Silk, Kolkata, Kashmiri and much more. There are also 20 stalls for various self-help groups (Bachat Gat).
Hope this festival helps in reaching out to buyers and helps them in identifying genuine paithani sarees from the powerloom products available in the market.
What: 27th edition of ‘New Wave Paithani Festival’
When: 19th Oct – 23rd Oct 2016, 11am – 8pm
Where: At Scout Hall, Shivaji Park from 19th Oct – 23rd Oct 2016