The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Ushering in the festival season with a revival of Korvai silk saris

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Sunday, Sep 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Ushering in the festival season with a revival of Korvai silk saris

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K.V.SRINIVASAN

Vibrant choice: Chennai Collector Mythili Rajendran inaugurates the exhibition-cum-sale of saris in Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: If women in Chennai prefer to go for trendy, modern designs in saris, then those in Delhi, including south Indians there, seem to prefer the Korvai silk saris. This is perhaps why Co-optex launches its new designs in Delhi and then introduces them in the local market.

The Delhi market is partial to Korvai, a type of silk sari in which the border of the sari is attached to the main part through a unique technique.

“Weaving was a family job. Along with the abolishment of child labour the Korvai sari also died. We are now reviving the Korvai variety of silk saris,” said Co-optex managing director M.P. Nirmala.

Two weavers, Banumurthy and S. Balasubramanian have invented a tool by which one weaver instead of the usual two-member team can weave the Korvai sari.

Apart from the Korvai variety, the collection includes saris with silk thread designs instead of zari, jacquard, and a range of Tribuvanam saris.

The organisation expects to sell Rs.9.15 crore worth of garments as against last year’s sale of Rs.6.20 crore in Chennai region alone.

A range of cotton saris from across the State are on sale. The display includes varieties from various districts. Madurai district’s Angayarkanni, Kothai from Virudunagar, Ranga of Tiruchi, Sirumugai from Coimbatore district, Parameswari from Ramanathapuram, Thanikai from Vellore, and Mangani from Salem, provide an eye-catching variety of cotton casual wear saris.

A special collection of Deepam cotton silk saris are also on sale.

The lamps woven into the saris represent those used in various parts of the country. The Deepam collection has been woven in Coimbatore, Kancheepuram and Salem.

The exhibition-cum-sale is on till October 31 and a 30 per cent discount is being offered.

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