The Hidden Nav-varis of South India: the Madisar

I was recently given an assignment at my college, the National Institute of Design, o focus on an heirloom held by my family, for decades. That very same night, as I video called my mother frantically, for the presentation due the next day, I discovered a hidden royal treasure, that I apparently didn't know existed in my house: a pure mulberry silk, pure silver laden Kanjeevaram madisar: the traditional 9 yard sari of South India. The zari threads could be drawn out and made into silver jewelry, and there are many saris that my grandmother has used in that way. The silver zari looks gold in the picture because it has been electroplated with gold.

Figure: Images clicked by self

The madisar dates back to the 2nd century BC. It is worn in trouser style in wedding rituals, seemanthams, death ceremonies, and festivals. Customarily, the pallu is on the right side for Iyer women and on the left side for Iyengar women. It was also called ardhanareeswaram, meaning half man, half woman in particular reference to the upper half being a draped sari, and the lower half acting as a trouser. It dates back to 1964, and belonged to my maternal grandmother, who wore it at her wedding

The ceremonies involved fasting till the ritual is complete, and the knots around the waist suppress hunger. Additionally, it also serves as a cushion for backaches.It s first worn by a woman during her wedding while being helped by her future sister-in-law It was usually available in red, yellow, green and midnight blue. Red is auspicious, yellow is for mangalyam, and green is for the trees. Silver color - "Velli", Red / Brick Red - "Semmai' which was a very traditional crude word.

Nowadays, red is known as Sèpu. Yellow is golden yellow or tanga manjal. Green is "ràmar pacchai" or the color of Lord Ram's skin. Midnight blue is 'Karu Neelam" or "nalliravu neelam" depending on the region. Gold is "tangam".

What is more? It was bought at Rs. 300/- in 1964. Now the same saree, if made in exactly the same way, would cost Rs. 70,000.

As quoted in the book Natural Dye Processing in India, by B.C. Mohanty, In south India, the only dyestuff used for blue color was indigo.

Bleaching of silk:

According to F.W. Francis, in Hyderabad and nearby districts of Southern India, a solution which was known by the name of ‘kabrai’ (a term applied to the process) was made by certain quantities of salt obtained from the Lonar lake being mixed with water and allowed to stand. The liquid was then drawn off and the silk thread which had been removed from the ‘dhota’ was put into it and boiled. This process of bleaching was resorted to in every case whether the thread was afterward dyed or not. It not only whitened the material but also imparted a gloss to it

The red dye was made from lac which was put into a metal or earth vessel along with some alum, some salt from the Lonar lake, and bark of the (Ficus bengalensis). Water was added and the ingredients were then boiled and allowed to stand. The clear liquid was poured off into another vessel and set aside to cool, the sediment being thrown away. When the liquid had become cold, the silk thread to be dyed was put into it and it was again boiled until the thread absorbed all the colors from the liquid. This method of dyeing produced a fast color. Silk was also dyed red by means of aniline dyes. The red dye was also made from lac called bàdpori. Crimson dye was produced with the aid of a color imported from Bombay and locally called dasa. In such a case. flowers of the pistachio tree were powdered and mixed with the proportion of 2 parts of dye to one of the powdered flowers. No other ingredients were used, but the bleached silk was first soaked in the solution of alum then put into the dye and boiled until it absorbed all the colors from the flowers.

According to F.W.Francis, silk was dyed yellow, in Hyderabad and nearby districts of southern India, by means of a powder called “kasila” similar to the saffron which was brought from the Central Provinces. The other ingredients used in this process were alum and the Lonar lake salt.

What an exhortation! These saris don't even get made anymore due to the availability of artificial or copper zari. This has become an eye- opener for me to open up the old vintage trunks in my family cupboards and dig uponthe lost treasures of time.