Baluchari Silk Sari Weavers Bishnupur West Bengal
Baluchari, a silk fabric may have originated in Baluchar a village of Murshidabad district, but it is associated more with Bishnupur district. Baluchari Sari is famous because the weavers weave an entire story with threads along the border and pallu of the sari. Often the story is from a mythological theme, Hindu religious stories and nowadays on socio political themes.
Baluchari Silk Sari Weavers in Bishnupur
There are looms in the lanes and by lanes of Bishnupur town and I could visit one where they permitted me to take pictures. Usually it is a family business kind of thing. Silk is procured, designs are planned and within the stipulated time the finished product is delivered. These sarees sell for more than double the price in open market compared to what the weaver gets.
Silk threads that contrast the base color is used to weave stories and characters on the borders and aanchal (the part that is thrown over the shoulder) of the saree.
Making of Baluchari Saree
It takes almost a week to weave one saree. The production process of Baluchari can be divided into several parts:-
Cultivation of cocoons:
Since the discovery so many years ago that the fiber or filament composing the cocoon of the silkworm can be constructed into a beautiful and durable fabric, silkworms have been bred for the sole purpose of producing raw silk.
Processing of yarns:
To make the yarn soft, it is boiled in a solution of soda and soap and then dyed in acid color. The yarn is stretched from both the sides in opposite directions putting some force with both palms. This process is needed to make the yarn crisper.
Baluchari Silk Sari Bishnupur
Motif making:
Making of the motifs for aanchal and other part of Baluchari is in itself an intricate process. The design is drawn on a graph paper, it is colored and punching is done using cards. After punching, these cards are sewed in order and fixed in the jacquard machine.
Weaving Baluchari Silk Sari:
After jacquard loom has been introduced, weaving of a Baluchari saree takes five to six days to get completed. Two weavers work on it on shifting basis. Baluchari thus prepared becomes the sign of aristocracy, the attire of status. Maintenance of quality of Baluchari saree is taken care of precisely. The quality is checked from the stage of dyeing of the yarn to the packaging of the saree.
Different Types of Baluchari Sari
There are different types of Baluchari sarees. Simplest Baluchari sarees have single color thread work. Meenakari Baluchari sarees have 2 or more colored threads. And Swarnachari sarees have threads of gold or silver combined with other color threads. Needless to say the Swarnachari sarees are the costliest of all.
Every Bengali bride owns one. If you are ever there do take one for the woman in your life!
Pin this for later…
Impressive blog, Swarnachari saree bishnupur draw their inspiration from the epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata. They also show vignettes of festivals, rural life and marriages with the classic Bengali motifs of animals, flowers, circles and fish. Looking for more blogs in future!
Excellent take on the theme. Such beautiful craftsman skills. Never knew there were stories on the saree edges.
Hari Om
Fabulous take on the theme this week! YAM xx
An interesting read and very colorfully presented. Beautiful post Indrani…..:)
Beautiful photos 🙂 Got so much of new information about Baluchari fabric. Thanks for sharing 🙂
What a beautiful craft. I wonder if these are available easily to buy.
Informative. Just wish this beautiful traditional Art and our talented, industrious Weavers got much more direct recognition as also due price for their labour !!
Nice to know something new about our country…and salutes to the hard work of those women…and weaves…from now on i could only remember the hard stricken faces of the weavers before I see any a beautiful work of art on clothes
Great pictures….mind blowing.:)
since my husband side of family are from bankura/burdwan region, i happen to own many a balucheri/swarnachari sarees, in many colors, all gifted by various relatives !!
Interesting post… 🙂
Baluchari may favorite sari and I know this traditional art is suffering severe setback.Thank you very much posting this in your blog.A interesting article with nice description
An informative post with beautiful pictures! I would definitely want to buy one some day.
Found the pics interesting.
Had studied about Baluchari Saris and Buttidar saris of West Bengal… Lal Par sari is also from WB right? Thanks for the detailed post and fascinating photographs!
Lovely Indrani!
Wish all these traditional art of textile-making will be preserved…
Fascinating!!
Thanks so much for the comments friends.
KP the saree cost start 5K to 6k onwards. Some of them are woven with gold threads too. The cost is sky high for those.
Very interesting post and I enjoyed the photographs too.
That was quite informative. It great to see how intricately a single saree is designed and developed.
Lovely Designs
Very interesting. Such an intricate process.
Absolutely wonderous fabric craft, it's a shame that people who make it gets a minicum of the price.
With each one of your posts there is a lot to be learnt. This one was filled with info and loved the last line. Making hubby read it the minute he gets back home.
Very interesting, such beautiful colors and lovely designs.
Wow, I love the details of the design. Great, informative post.
Amazing beautiful, Indrani!
Love the texture and colors very much…
Greetings from Holland, Anna :-))
Informative post on silk and Baluchari. They are lovely!
Thank you very much for the information production of silk.
Beautiful post and great pictures.
Greetings.
So beautiful ! The colors and the craftsmanship.
I love learning new things – and anything about textiles, of course, makes me very happy. Thank you!
Silk is the most beautiful of natural fabrics. you have described the process so well in your post.
Interesting, Very interesting. I love hand looms and have photographed some. Encouraged do a post myself.
that is a lot of work to make one Sari. They are so beautiful. Thank you giving us a insight to how they are made.
Have a wonderful week, and thank you for stopping by my blog.
Interesting.Just curious to know the price range of a Baluchar sari considering the intricate work and the time taken to make one.
Great information…
Photos are good
thanks
how beautiful.
An interesting way of warping the loom with the weights to hold it stable. A very interesting post indeed Indrani.
So many beautiful designs and colors on this fabric. Wonderful!
Thanks for the introduction to the making of silk. Your photos are beautiful, and the yarn is colorful and vibrant. I like the borders you showed as well.
really beautiful craft!
What an interesting post!! You do share such terrific subjects with us, Indrani!! Thank you!! Hope you have a great new week!