
Chanderi sarees are the famous sarees produced in a small town called
Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh. Chanderi sarees are very light and ideal for
Indian summers. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, airy feel, narrow borders
and decently designed anchals with buttis. The Chanderi sarees give a
sophisticated look to whoever who wears it.
Types of Chanderi Sari
- Narrow border: These are the plain sarees having a very
narrow border of complementary-warp zari and an endpiece containing a
few narrow zari bands, or one single, wider band.
- Broader border: These are the sarees with broader borders
woven in supplementary warp zari with coloured supplementary-warp silk
embellishments, woven into small repeat floral or geometrical designs.
The endpiece consisted of the border elements repeated twice as two
parallel bands, often with narrow woven lines and many buti woven
between them.
- Wide border: The third type called do-chashmee (two streams)
is no longer made but had wide borders with brightly coloured
supplementary- warp silk in a satin weave upon which were supplementary
bands of white geometric patterns. In some sarees the borders were
reversible.
Fabric in Chanderi Sarees
The Chanderi sari is woven in cotton as well as silk. Chanderi silk from
India is the result of traditional methods of hand-weaving that have been
developed over the centuries, and passed down through generations. Chanderi
silk is considered the fabric of choice for sarees produced for royalty, due
to its light-weight quality and intricate designs.
Colours and Design
- These sarees are a rare fusion of soft & contrasting colors.
- The plain cotton ones are with borders and have stripes and floral
patterns.
- There are also ones which have butis on the body of the saree as
well.
- Silk sarees are woven with zari borders and have zari and thread work
all through the length of sari, giving it an elegant and dazzling look.
- Chanderi sari is known for soft colors and the harmonious balance
between the border and the body of the saree.
- These sarees are also known for their contrasting colors and the
depiction of animal and human figures on them and patterns taken from
the Chanderi temples.