How a unique Rajasthani craft is being reinterpreted today

Last month as Jaipurrsquos skies filled with monsoon promise Barwara House in Civil Lines unveiled Designer Punit Balanarsquos new 3000sqft store Wrapped in greenery and oldworld charm the space blends minimalist design with craftrich detail mdash terracotta and olive tones arched doorways and layered accents Inside Balana revisits his signature silhouettes colours and techniques reinterpreting Rajasthanrsquos heritage for the modern woman who values expressive functional and timeless occasion wearThat evening the majestic Rambagh Palace became a stage for craft and storytelling as Balana unveiled his festive collection Amer Ananya Panday closed the show in a silk gulabi gulal lehenga embroidered with chaandi tille ka kaam while Diana Penty mdash his first muse mdash watched from the front row alongside Bhumi Pednekar Gurfateh Pirzada and Sunny Kaushal Marking ten years of his work the show was less a runway and more a homecomingIn the painstaking chaandi tilla work designs are traced onto fabric stretched on wooden frames then embroidered with the aari hooked needleThe label remains deeply tied to Jaipur with its weave and print echoing Rajasthanrsquos craft legacy mdash its art architecture music and textile traditions Amer draws from the Amer Fort its intricate details and timeless grandeur reimagined in coin embroidery chaandi tille ka kaam and gota patti These crafts find fresh relevance in contemporary silhouettes striking the balance that defines Balanarsquos workldquoWhen I first began the challenge was to take something centuries old and make it feel at home on a modern runway With baandhani for example we work with the same tiedye precision artisans have practised for generations but reimagine it in structured jackets or draped skirts Zardozi too once heavy and opulent I reinterpret with restraint mdash metallic threads in lighter motifs so the embroidery shines without overwhelming For me itrsquos about respecting the hand but rewriting the language for todayrsquos pace of liferdquo he saysOne of the highlights of the show was a segment inspired by the Sheesh Mahal where chaandi tille ka kaam mdash a contemporary nod to Rajasthanrsquos famed tikri mirror work mdash reimagined reflective inlay as featherlight silver embroidery Traditionally chaandi tilla chaandi means silver tilla means thread is prized for its luminous shimmer worked into florals vines and jaali patterns on silk velvet or muslin Unlike the heavier zari or zardozi it carries a delicacy and restraint celebrated for finesse rather than opulenceThe craft itself is centuries old References to gold and silver threadwork appear as early as the Rigveda and the Ramayana but it was under Mughal patronage that chaandi tilla came into its own The AiniAkbari describes karkhanas where artisans wove ldquogold and silverwrought clothrdquo while royal ateliers across Rajasthan Awadh and Kashmir perfected regional interpretations such as tilla dozi Surviving 17th and 18thcentury robes lehengas and pichwais in collections such as the Calico Museum in Ahmedabad and the Victoria amp Albert Museum in London still bear witness to their luminous refinementIts lineage lives on through the tilla karigars of Lucknow and Jaipur many of whom come from families which have practised the art for generations Designs are traced onto fabric stretched on wooden frames then embroidered with the aari hooked needle as flattened silver wires are couched carefully into place and enhanced with coils dabka beads nakshi and sequins The process is painstaking but the result is a fabric that seems to catch and hold lightToday pure silver threads are reserved for the most luxurious pieces while plated and imitation versions make the technique more widely accessible Awarded a GI tag in 2013 as part of Lucknow Zardozi chaandi tilla has been embraced by designers who weave it into modern silhouettes ensuring that what once shimmered in royal courts now glimmers on runwaysBalanarsquos bond with Jaipur and its artisans runs deep ldquoWhen I began just a handful of karigars and their families stood by me They are the ones who turn vision into reality and thatrsquos why we work like one big familyrdquo he saysOn the runway silhouettes moved easily between past and present mdash kedia sets cropped blouses short ghaghris flared lehengas and layered skirts paired with fitted styles offshoulder blouses predraped drapes and playful separates In a decade the label has carved a space defined by craft comfort and a modern reading of tradition What began in a small atelier in Jaipur returned to the city as a fullcircle moment stitched together with craft and memory