Hello, Hello dear ACP readers!
I am back this week with the second installment of my Spotlight on Andhra Sarees. This month’s feature is the Narayanapeta Saree.
Loyal readers may recall my first post on this topic was the Venkatagiri–truly the most opulent of Andhra Sarees and easily among the most fashionable of India’s offerings.
If the Venkatagiri represents luxury, then the Narayanapeta represents classy comfort. As I like to say, it is the “business casual saree”. Known more commonly as Narayanpet, it is a great all round wrap that’s not too formal but not too ordinary.
Woven in both silk and handloom varieties, Narayanapeta fabrics are a specialty from the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. Narayanapeta is itself a taluk in Mahbubnagar district (formerly Manukota district) and is famous for this variety of saree. Because it is a border town near the tri-junction of Andhra, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, Narayanapeta reflects this melange of cultures.
History
Chhatrapati Shivaji is said to have entered the town of Narayanapeta during his many campaigns and brought a number of weavers with him. These handloomers decided to settle there and joined hands with the existing local weavers and infused this unique style with Maratha motifs.
Characteristics
The trademark of a Narayanapeta saree is that it has a triangular embroidery (sikhara) that is repeated at the border. The border itself will feature a khadi-anchu (a plain double line that strikes through the border).
And so, there we have it: your background info on the Business Casual Saree. Hope you all enjoyed this week’s special from “City of Silk Sarees”…Narayanapeta! Bye!
References:
- http://www.handlooms.in/historyofnarayanpet.aspx
- http://www.utsavpedia.com/textiles/narayanpet-silk-cross-culture/
