14-days Silk India Exhibition inaugurated

A customer during 14 days Silk India Exhibition at Kala Kendra, Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh
A customer during 14 days Silk India Exhibition at Kala Kendra, Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: Fourteen days Silk India Exhibition was inaugurated by the handicraftsman at Kala Kendra, Bikram Chowk, here.
In this exhibition, weavers from all over the country have showcased the clothes woven and decorated by hands. The visitors can see the Kanjeevaram silk of Tamil Nadu, Tusar silk of Bhagalpur, Coral silk of Assam, Kani silk of Kashmir, Baluchari silk of Bengal, Jamdani silk to lkkat in Telangana and many more other silks in the exhibition. Silk sarees of Patola are the speciality of Gujarat, but they are also produced in Banaras these days.
The artists said that the waving process of Patola silk sarees is extremely complex and woven just 20 centimetres a day by two artists. The reason that the waver has to wove threads of seven colours simultaneously. These sarees are very expensive ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. One sarees takes almost two months to get completely woven. In the exhibition, Tanchhhui and Jamvar silk sarees have also been showcased.
Viswajeet has brought the entire range of Kanjeevaram silk sarees from Tamil Nadu, These sarees made of gold and silver zari and each saree costs Rs 50,000 to Rs 3 lakhs. Viswajeet said that one Kanjeevaram silk saree is produced in a month.
Bhupendra of Assam has showcased coral silk sarees while Santosh of Bhagalpur has displayed silk dress material including saris and suits. Appan Ramulu of Telangana has brought sarees, suits and dress material from lkkat, Kalamkari and Mangalagiri cotton. Additionally, there are a number of handlooms displayed from Kashmir, Ladakh and Gujarat. Block print bed-sheets and quilts from Kutch in Gujarat are special items displayed in the exhibition. Kalamkari sarees soaked in milk are produced by weavers of Sri Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh.
The weavers beautifully depict the scenes of Rama’s exile, the Ram Darbar and the old temples of South India. Kalamkari saree can be easily identified from the smell of milk.
Weavers from all over country have brought similar traditions and rare fabrics, sarees.
T Abhinand said that the exhibition will remain open until 23rd September. He invited art lovers to see the art of silk weavers in the exhibition from 10 am to 9 pm.