The Queen Mother and the Queen of Baroda talk to Rama Sreekant about their efforts to revive Chanderi
The state of Baroda has always been known for its dedication to preserving the fine arts, which have originated in India. Known as the country's art repository, it was here the erstwhile artist, Raja Ravi Varma painted his muses—the royal ladies of Baroda. These formed the design inspiration for Rajmata's revival of Chanderi sarees. To celebrate the historical connection between the royal family of Baroda and the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai's 110th anniversary, the specially curated revival collection has been crafted by Taj Khazana.
The Inspiration
Woven from 200-count fine cotton and pure gold zari by court weavers, these uniquely extravagant sarees are symbolic of the grandeur which came along with the title of royalty."If you look at Raja Ravi Varma's paintings, you can understand the way he has used Chanderi by looking at the textures of the paintings. It is part of our activity for the Maharaja Sayajirao Museum where these paintings are housed. All the proceeds from this exhibition go towards the museum for its restoration and upgradation," says the Rajmata, Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad dressed in her favourite 50-year-old white Chanderi saree, with a black intricately patterned border.
The Warp and the Weft
Time is a luxury with handcrafted sarees. "Each saree takes about a month, sometimes when you repeat the design, it is much faster," she shares. There is a compelling magic about the rich and varied textile traditions of India. And Chanderi, a fine marriage of cotton and silk subscribes to that tradition. "When compared to other cotton sarees, such as Maheshwari, the fabric of Chanderi is finer. You can create wider and more complex borders, which is not possible with other weaves. It was always associated with auspicious occassions and traditions," adds Maharani Radhika Raje, who was draped in a pretty pink Chanderi from the curated collection. This gossamer fabric from Madhya Pradesh is a timeless weave, which is part of the bridal trousseau of every Maratha family. "The fabric is convenient and comfortable to wear. It is light, the texture is soft, it drapes well and has stood the test of time. There is more versatility in terms of designs compared to the other weaves. The Maratha royal family has patronised this fabric for years," insists the Rajmata. In an effort to revive the weaves, the royal family commissioned the patterns and designs to the weavers, "we wanted them to integrate zari and gold in it. Fortunately they were able to weave the patterns just as we wished," she says.
Reviving the Art
With yards of difference between the labour, craftsmanship and the karigari, the royal family is making every effort to rescue it from the brink of extinction. "Chanderi is a town that needs to be saved. It is a town fighting for survival as most of the people in the town are weavers. If they don't weave, they have nothing else to do as they don't have much fertile land around them," the Rajmata emphasises. She further adds, "Every handloom industry faces this challenge, if there is no market, the next generation will take up other careers and the art eventually dies out. Our attempt is to help them revive the art. Our weavers are getting paid better because they are working with real zari, so there is an added responsibility for them". Both, the Rajmata and Maharani spell out in unison that the cost of the zari depends on the prevailing price of silver and gold.
Picking the perfect chanderi
As I look at the portraits of the royal family of Baroda, I find that every portrait depicts the Maharani with her sari pleats arranged elaborately at her feet, golden pallu glistening, the Chanderi fabric draped luxuriously over the blouse, creating a subtle glow. "We have tried to create unusual colours such as some of the blues and the onion pink which are not commonly found in this weave. We have also used the coin motif and leaf designs. Some of these motifs date back 100 years," the Rajmata tells me as she elegantly sips her tea, and I walk around to get another glimpse of the collection on display. @RamaSreekant
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