Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

A unique exhibition of historic jewel-toned paithanis, hosted in the Marathi textile’s very home, explores its cultural history and ancient India’s love for gold thread

RMV Dhurandhar’s Scene of a Hindu Marriage Ceremony (1867-1944) is a mesmerising watercolour that depicts well-to-do anonymous female kinship, chronicling Marathi women in rich katha-padarachi sarees in jewel tones. Somewhere in the middle of the canvas, two friends hold hands. The artist proffers it to the viewers as though we are expected to see it.

It is enough to make you curious. The eye moves next to the young bride dressed in a yellow nauvari (nine yard), her wrists decked in green and red bangles, her head haloed in a traditional floral headband. She leans into a female confidant. While so many of the 18th to early 20th century elite marriage ceremony portraits are rigidly formal—a historic record of a contract—this one is conversational and sensuous. The whole painting seems to sway. And the crowning glory of this poetic chiaroscuro composition, with ample hints of gilt, are the RGB coloured paithani sarees they wear. The ornamental borders (kath in Marathi) end in peculiarly short padars (pallu) on their shoulders. “This is a ritualistic gathering where only women are permitted. So, we don’t know whether Dhurandhar was commissioned [to make the artwork] or he drew it over a period of time from different references. But we can safely say that this is a fantastic representation of what a roomful of women wearing paithanis looked like,” curator Mayank Mansingh Kaul tells mid-day at the opening of Kāth Padar-Paithani & Beyond at Shri Balasaheb Patil Government Museum in Paithan recently. 

Headdress/turban cloth; cotton, mulberry silk, zari (gold); end panel—complementary plain weave (interlocked tapestry) with supplementary weft; collection of Smt. Rasika Mhalgi Wakalkar, Pune

Presented by the Maharashtra Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, along with Pune-based The Vishwas & Anuradha Memorial (TVAM) Foundation, the exhibition attempts to foreground a robust if overlooked strand in textile history by tracing how, when and why the paithani intersected with other Indian woven textiles over the past century. The framework for the historical aspects of this research were created by textile designer and historian Rahul Jain, and Anjan Chakraverty, painter and art historian.

Founder-chairperson of TVAM, Rasika Mhalgi Wakalkar, informs that the long-term goal is to increase public awareness about the lesser-known textile culture of the Deccan. “The exhibition and accompanying catalogue forms a small step, and is not an end in itself. There are at least 10 layers to this detailed research which we will find ways to discuss at different stages, and eventually take the form of a book on the paithani.”

Sucharita Beniwal 

As a title for this exhibition, Kāth Padar captures the emphasis on patterns in the Deccan, which were sourced from collections in Maharashtra, but mainly from the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in Satara, Shri Bhavani Museum and Library in Aundh, and the Nagpur Central Museum. “And while only a few of those presented here can be traced directly in their origin to have been produced in Paithan itself, together, they may be seen as representative of material sensibilities of fabrics woven in the Deccan that are synonymous with the sartorial culture of Maratha royalty and aristocracy in the 8th to early 20th century,” Kaul says. 

The paithani continues to invite a sense of ritual, often as a talisman, worn for traditional festivals like Diwali, as well as celebratory occasions like weddings. It is favoured by both women and men in the form of sarees and shawls, upper drapes and the headdress.  

Saree; cotton, mulberry silk, zari (gold); end panel—complementary plain weave (interlocked tapestry); collection of Nagpur Central Museum. (There are two end panels in this textile. These, the border and the field, are hand-stitched together. One end panel is of the classic Ilkal variety, possibly woven in present-day Southern Maharashtra or Northern Karnataka. Inventory notes refer to the textile as a paithani saree of Burhanpur.)

Situated 50 km from Aurangabad, on the banks of Deccan’s largest and broadest river Godavari, Paithan or Pratishthan was considered sacred by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists alike. A series of dynasties ruled Paithan, including the Mauryas, Nandas, Vakatakas, Yadavas, and of course, the Marathas. But it was during the rule of Satavahanas (230 BC to 230 AD) that a new phase of trade and commerce dawned in Western India, with Junnar, Bhogavardhana and Kolhapur emerging as major trading centres, according to Paithani: A Romance in Brocades by Dr RS Morwanchikar. 

The city gained eminence mostly due to its strategic location, Dr Tejas Garge, Director at the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Maharashtra, notes in the exhibition catalogue. It was situated on the ancient highway track-routing it with Broach (Bharuch in present-day Gujarat), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), connecting the hinterland with the coastal port of Surparaka (Sopara in Maharashtra) through Govardhana (Nashik). Pilgrims, scholars and rulers travelled the route. As did goods, plain and precious, including cotton, muslin, silk fabric and thread. 

Shawl (shela); cotton, mulberry silk, zari (gold); end panel  and border—complementary plain weave (interlocked tapestry); collection of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum, Satara; (right) Shawl (shela); cotton, mulberry silk, zari (gold); five-shuttle technique, warp joining; end panel—complementary plain weave (interlocked tapestry); collection of Shri Bhavani Museum and Library, Aundh

It is generally believed that silk fibre originated in China, notes Dr Morwanchikar, but fresh archaeological research has unearthed the presence of light silk threads in the proto-historic period at Nevasa, a town not very far from Paithan.

Interestingly, a scientific discovery spurred Western Indian trade with Rome and Greece, and textiles topped this list. Hippalus’ discovery of navigation using monsoon winds during the 1st century AD was a turning point.

Saree; mulberry silk, zari (gold); field - plain weave with continuous and discontinuous supplementary weft; border - plain weave with supplementary warp; end panel - complementary plain weave (interlocked tapestry); acquired in Paithan by The Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Maharashtra

When Mohammad bin Tughlaq moved his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in the Deccan, fed up with invasions in the North and enticed by the wealth, fortune smiled on the plateau. Persian poet Amir Khosrow talked in particular of its fine muslin: “It is the skin of the moon removed...” The Muslim influence is evident on the textiles of the time, thanks to the Delhi Sultanate rule followed by the Bahamanis, the Mughals and the Nizam of Hyderabad.   
   
The double interlocked tapestry technique (weft threads loop around each other where two areas of colour meet) that defines the paithani, separating it from other brocades, points to India’s long-held tryst with gold thread or zari. The Rig Veda, for instance, mentions a golden woven fabric, Hiranya Drapi. The term is derived from Hiranya meaning gold and Drapi meaning mantle. The Mahabharata mentions Manichira or pearl-fringed silk cloth. Jain texts talk of Indian silks of Berhampuri patta. “If I place the paithani within the larger milieu of Indian historical textiles, I notice that there is a deliberate overuse of gold [zari] in the weaving,” Kaul says. Technically, the warp (length on a loom) remains constant, while the weaver inserts one weft of thread. In the case of historical paithanis, two zari threads were introduced. “It denotes the importance of gold as you are using more than you would conventionally. Also, the wider the metallic surface, the more light the textile will reflect,” Kaul explains. 

Rasika Mhalgi Wakalkar and Mayank Mansingh Kaul 

Gold is measured in masha (gram) or sher (1 sher is 1.25 kgs approx.). Paithanis, historically, were known as Chouda-Masha (14 gram), or Pavsheri (quarter of a kilo).

In some textile pieces, Kaul and Wakalkar found a black thread hand-stitched into the centre of the gold zari. During enquiries, a Burhanpur-based jeweller revealed that this served as a gold certificate denoting purity of the zari. “The fact that there is a conscious hallmarking system possibly indicates that there may have been a counterfeit industry,” Kaul says.  

The other unique aspect is its jewel-toned colour palette with polychromatic rendering of flora and fauna, frescoes of the Ajanta caves, birds, and mythological figures. “Now [in historical Indian textiles], the polychromatic palette is considered rare, and historians have suggested that it is a particularly Persian influence. So, in the paithani, you have the coming together of different cultures.”

In the biography of Narayan Shripad Rajhamsa, popularly known as Nat Samrat Bal Gandharva, it is recorded that he tried to collect paithanis for the female roles he played, including Bhamini in Manapman (1911) and Rukmini in Swayamvar (1916). The plays of the great period of Marathi Sangeet Natya and folk songs composed for various social ceremonial occasions speak about the paithani weave, its bright colour and superfine texture.

The intellectual blueprint of the paithani is shaped by the figuring weave obtained by a plain tapestry technique. The three types of weaving include the split tapestry weave, interlocking method, and the dove-tailing method. The weaving of designs worked so much like embroidery, including the zari work, that, at one time, it became infamously known as embroidery.

“At the structural level, paithani is patterning,” co-lead, Textile Design at the National Institute of Design (NID), Sucharita Beniwal tells mid-day. Technically, tapestry refers to skills of the hand and less of the loom. As a student, when Beniwal decided to learn weaving, she admits to not being a fan of using two shafts, typical of a paithani loom. “I was fascinated by technology, and weaves that use multiple shafts. I was introduced to paithani weaving when I started working, and realised that this is tough to do; that it is technically superior. The geometrical patterns on the paithani, for example, come from an understanding that it is not curvilinear but employs supplementary weft patterning,” explains Beniwal.  

Today, weavers in Paithan and Yeola produce a genre of sarees, all of which form the contemporary paithani bouquet. These versions, Kaul points out, are recognisable for their bold designs, relatively brighter colours often bordering on neon, and an overt use of zari. “Their immense popularity, nevertheless, informs a place for Paithan and Yeola on the map of important and active handloom weaving centres of the country, known for fabrics woven with metallic yarns,” says Kaul. Other hubs include Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Venkatgiri and Upadda in Andhra Pradesh, Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, Balaramapuram in Kerala, Maheshwar and Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, and Kota in Rajasthan.

“What is a paithani?” writes Dr Morwanchikar. “In my view the paithani is essentially a notion of universal beauty. Taking inspiration from Jnaneshwar [13th century Marathi saint, poet and yogi], I ask: Is Paithan beautiful because of the paithani? Or is paithani beautiful because of Paithan?”  

Kath Padar-Paithani & Beyond continues to be on view until November 15 at Shri Balasaheb Patil Government Museum in Paithan. For prior appointment, write to 9370597762 or visit www.tvamfoundation.com   

Paithanis are either named after their colours, or after the designs that feature on the borders and ends, or after the tapestry work. 

Morpankhi is an example of the peacock colour; Banosi is of the pomegranate colour; Shendri is of scarlet red; Gangavarni is of blue or having the colour of the river Ganga; Chanderi is of silver shade; Chandrakala is a one-coloured silk or cotton saree, and generally black, thus also known as Kali-Chandrakala.

Besides these, there are thousands of shades of all colours, mixtures and of shapes including:  

Akroti: Walnut, this pattern has leaves and flowers arranged in geometric fashion.

Asavali: Rather like a bougainvillea creeper, the combination of creeper with a bunch of flowers was a popular motif in the late Peshwa period.

Kuyari: Green mango, traditionally the beauty of the fruit is further embellished by embroidering the inner portion within the border or by embroidering the borders alone. 

Ajanta Lotus or Padma: Lotus flowers are amalgamated with vegetal patterns of meandering creepers, and hamsa (swan) and parrots. 

Narali: Coconut. The number of naralis decide the social status of the owner because the entire motif is woven in gold threads alone.

Bangadi-Mor: Peacocks, flowers, creepers and parrots’ plumage at the centre locally known as bangdi or bangle.

Tota-Maina: Parrot and myna. 

Courtesy: Dr RS Morwanchikar’s Paithani: A Romance in Brocade (Bharatiya Book Corporation)

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