Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu

Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu takes the reader on a journey from "silkworm to the pattu pudavai (silk saree)" of Tamil Nadu. From yarn and dye, to designer and weaver, the book is an expression of the author’s love of this noble art of silk weaving in Tamil Nadu.

Her fascination with the designs as being expressive of the Tamil psyche and spiritual ethos is expressed in a comprehensive manner, with an awareness of their enduring beauty. “The designs are deep and meaningful, not just decorative. And they speak through the woven fabric. Nothing is but has a bhava, an inherent emotion, which, to those who will see it, invokes a response, a rasa, an answering emotion, and therein Art exists. And it seemed sad that this experience has not been explored enough. The rich spirituality of the designs can enrich all of us. This fascination with the meaningfulness of the designs in Tamil Nadu, some of which are, of course, pan—Indian, was the grain of sand that irritated the writer’s oyster. Without affectation, this book is an expression of that appreciation.

The sericulturist, the silk yarn spinner and reeler, the dyer, the artist-designer and the weaver, all come together to create the handwoven silk saree, and each is given his regard and due in the book. Students of Indian, textiles, seekers of meaningfulness in art, wearers of sarees, lovers of Tamil culture, and general readers who look to read about traditional art and informative asides in journal entries, will all find something of relevance to them in the Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu.

Nesa Arumugam (aka Nasa Eliezer) has a deep and abiding love for Indian taxtiles. As a freelance writer, she has published more than 400 articles in magazines in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and India. Other books published: Recipes of the Jaffna Tamils, Cooking for Jey, A Tale of Two Journeys and The Meddling Monkey and Other Animal tales. Also A Dictionary of Silk in India. She ran a Saree Shop (Ashwin Australia) from her home in Melbourne, Australia, for twenty years, importing the finest traditions of Indian silks. Her many stage productions included A Dream of the Drape, the story of the saree.

Preface

Decades of feeling silk, wearing silk, admiring silk and being completely humbled by the beauty of silk had to find expression somewhere. This book is it. The mystic feel of the fabric, as if one were touching another dimension of the senses, never fails to seduce. The legendary discovery of the fine filaments, spat by the silkworm, by the young Chinese princess four thousand years ago, has led the world into the sensual enjoyment of a fabric that has no comparison.

The Indian handloom weaver has held my regard for more than forty years. Whether it be the pearly tales told on the Baluchari pallu or the sumptuous satin brocades of Banaras, the gossamer whispers of the Jamdani, or the subtle gleam and sheen of the Paithani, or the luxurious Jamavars — whatever the wondrous fabrics that we proudly call Indian, the weaver is the magician who turns the airy almost invisible, filament of silk into something rich and enchanting.

I could have chosen to write on any tradition of silk weaving in India, it would still have expressed this love. But I have chosen the Silk Sarees of Tamil Nadu because they express more than just a feminine love of a seductive fabric. It is a part of a heritage that people like me have been separated from by a long history of migrations. It yet evokes an instantaneous response from the heart. Tamil Nadu is custodian of a Dravidian culture in her fabrics. It is the designs, above all, that bring an unbidden joy on sight. They seem to be rooted in the earth of the land. The artists, long gone and as well as those living, tell stories of their subconscious beliefs, breathing life into tales they must have heard told while in the womb and at the laps of grandmothers and from village story tellers. The artist and weaver see them on their temple walls and see them enacted in festival dramas. They feel the significance of tree and animal as part of these stories from their myths and history and they give voice to this in their art. Not enough has been written about them for those not fortunate enough to breathe these as part of their lives.

This was the fascination for me. The designs are deep and meaningful, not just decorative. And they speak through the woven fabric. Nothing is but has a bhava, an inherent emotion, which, to those who will see it, invokes a response, a rasa, an answering emotion, and therein Art exists. And it seemed sad that this experience has not been explored enough. A few lines, mentioning some of the common designs in the Kanchipuram saree and a page or two on the “Sarees from the South”, are hardly sufficient for so meaningful a tradition engendered in the psyche of the Tamils as seen in the Tamil Nadu silk saree. The rich spirituality of the designs can enrich all of us. The saree with hamsas (swans) walking gracefully along the border of a saree as the wearer walks, or the Kanchipuram saree that alludes to love, both sacred and profane, in the parrots on the pallu, are expressive of thoughts that oft lie too deep for careless expression. This fascination with the meaningfulness of the designs in Tamil Nadu, some of which are, of course, pan-Indian, was the grain of sand that irritated the writer’s oyster. Without affectation, this book is an expression of that appreciation.

The book has also taken its own journey the wonderful people who are a part of this experience with the Tamil Nadu saree brought great conversations, great experiences that I could partake of vicariously and an affection for the people who have kept this tradition alive for us. They are acknowledged collectively and singly at the end of the book. It is hoped the reader, too, will go through the book on a journey from the mulberry leaf to the Tamil Nadu silk saree.

On this project, I have had many help-mates. Special mention must be made of Kumaran Silks, Chennai, who for the last twenty years have been indulgent in a bemused way of my fascination with what they live with and by — silk sarees. Their generous spirit and patience in putting me in touch with the many persons connected with silk weaving in Tamil Nadu is an integral part of the journey of this book. Also John Eliezer, who has never wavered from patient and interested support in this work and without whose technical help I would have found it difficult to bring this book to fruition. The late Mr. N. Veerappan of Kanchipuram was a delightful, blithe spirit whose friendship is an intrinsic part of this book. His joy in the traditional designs was infectious. He actually looked upon his prodigious output as a freehand artist with ink pen with chuckling amusement. For one who dazzled heads of state and the rich and famous with his lightning-speed drawings, and whom the many artists and designers from the Weavers Service Centres in Tamil Nadu still say “Veerappan Sir is our Master! ”, he was extraordinarily humble. My interaction with him from 1975 when I first met him was full of unadulterated joy. A great artist, and an even greater soul.

The Weavers Service Centres of Kanchipuram, Salem and Chennai have always entertained my queries and many went out of their way to help further my knowledge of their work in preserving and fostering the textile arts. They serve not only the weavers but also vagrant curious ladies who happen to enter their doors, asking about their work!

Many of the weavers and dyers were equally indulgent in sparing their time. My conversations with them in my limited Tamil and with my even more limited knowledge of weaving will always be a source of remembered joy. The reader will glimpse some of this, I hope, in the journal entries. The good humour, the ready smile, the amused interest in my queries, and the good-natured “No problem, Amma!” attitude towards my interruption of their work made my incursions into the world of weaving and dyeing not a study but a joy-filled picnic.

I appreciate the publisher, Mr. Shakti Malik, for his ready faith that this book was worth his while to add to the impressive list of Abhinav Publications.

Well, the book is not an erudite scholastic venture nor does it pretend to be a complete study of the silk traditions of Tamil Nadu. It is an invitation to the reader to make the journey somewhat, following the trail of the spit of the Bombyx Mari silkworm from its cocoon to the comforting, sensual and uplifting experience of seeing, touching, handling, and feeling, if not actually wearing, a Pam; Pudawai, a Tamil Nadu Silk Saree.