Bringing back the Benaresi

The Trunk Show promises to revive the glory of textile treasure that goes back two centuries.

The beauty of the bright Benaresi sari seemed to have taken a backseat. Until now. A new celebration of the 200-year-old pattern makes sure that its makeover is more than noticed. The Trunk Show, that starts September 21, will bring alive the age-old craft by showcasing Benaresi patterns that took birth in ancient havelis in the region, and were carried forward by some of the best weavers and artisans. What waits to be witnessed is an array of beautiful hand woven Benaresi revival saris and jewellery. The initiative is being led by Taj Hotel’s in-house lifestyle store, Taj Khazana.

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“There are motifs from Mughal times — magnificent, rare and royal. The recreated pieces on display are the exact replicas of the originals they were inspired from,” says Jay Ramrakhiani, the designer who is working with weavers on the project.

And how exactly is the tradition being restored? “Creating these saris is all about careful colour coordination, graphic designing and right weaving,” the designer elaborates.

Visitors will be treated to a mélange of luxurious silk, georgette, cotton and jute saris, priced between R2,500 and R2 lakh.

Originally, these were weaved from threads made of gold and silver, for exclusive use by the royal family. The flavour has been kept intact with the use of pure zari threads in the saris on display. “We have tried to keep the rich look alive by using pure forms of fabric,” says Ramrakhiani. The jewellery is all about polki, kundan, gold, diamond, pearl and ruby.

There is also a special sari that has been created from the ancient Devnagri script as a design. The motifs were picked from Yashodhara Agarwal’s book Silk and Brocades. This sari took four months to complete.

The show is coming to the Capital after halts at Kolkata and Mumbai.