Venkatagiri Sari and Fabric

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The history of Venkatagiri muslin weaving starts around the early 18th century (ref-1) when Venkatagiri rajas  and zamindars patronized (ref-2)  a small group of weavers to weave white muslin for them.The weavers wove dhotis, Angavastrams, turbans in white with gold zari or cloured bands as borders. The muslin was also woven for ‘foreign’markets such as  ‘Bengal’ and ‘Chanderi’. (ref-3) (This may be the reason the

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famous traditional Chanderi motive Ashrafi is also a famous traditional motive of Venkatagiri.)

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 Though cotton handspinning was an ancient industry  in the Nellore district the spunned yarns were coarser of 12s to 20s.(ref-4). So the Venkatagiri weavers might have ‘imported’ fine handspun yarn from Bengal or Chanderi or from southern cities like Salem, Trichinopoly or Madura, for the royal fabrics and for their exports.
      Owing to the change of fashion (?) in the Indian markets (ref-5) due to the introduction of foreign chemical dyes (ref-6) and silk cloths (ref-7) in the 1930s, when other clusters have changed into coarser products, the Venkatagiri weavers stuck to their fine weaving. They were weaving white cloths in fine counts of 100s to 120s.(ref-8)
     Till this time according to the Nellore census in 1938 the Venkatagiri weavers were weaving white cloth only (though therewere other towns who were weaving coarser saris and some other centres converted in to ‘ Kailis”) and did not start

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weaving the famous Venkatagiri saris. Though they might have wove muslin brocaded saris for Chanderi market and local Royal  families, During or after 1940s only they would started weaving the famous Venkatagiri saris in 100s to 120s fine count millspun yarn with coloured body and unique brocaded pallu.
     Though their earlier jamdhani works were influnced by Bengal and Chanderi, later on they have started weaving their own style of Jamdhani motives. Placing a big single jamdhani motive of a peacock or a parrot (generally mirror repeated) in  the pallu is typical traditional style of Venkatagiri.

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     Venkatagiri is a peaceful town today, with about 40,000 inhabitants of which about 20,000 are weavers.The houses are neatly arranged in rows, and almost every house has a loom, with atleast one male weaver spending atleast 6 hours a day weaving the yarn before him. What is significant is that the entire family is involved in the weaving process in venkatagiri sarees making the town inhabited by a weaving community.

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Venkatagiri saris have got their GI in 2011. These are the specifications given in the journal.

Venkatagiri Sarees

Pure Cotton only
Length – 5 1/2 metres- 6 yards
Width – 48 inches
With Blouse: 51/2 mts. + 80 cms
Without Blouse: 51/2 metres
Wrap X Weft: 100S X 100S
Characteristics

Fine, soft to touch, elegant, light,
saree with bold zari ribbon border.
Meant for hot weather, and for grand
occasions. Regal looking originally
meant for royalty in Andhra
Pradesh.
Motifs

Popular motifs are traditional
peacock, swan, parrot, mango, butti,
leaf and gold coin designs.


Sources

Ref-1.......Unfamiliar relations:Family and History in South Asia
Ref-2, Ref-4,5,6,7,8.-..............Gazetteer of the Nellore District  Brought Upto 1938 -
                                                     Government Of Madras Staff, Government of Madras - Google Books_files
Ref-3........The Sari, Lynda Lynton, -------Thames And Hudson