Motifs and designs used in Banarasi silk

In the previous post I have already shared about Banarasi silk.  In Banarasi silk designs the motifs add to the beauty of the delicate silk. Normally Banarasi silk is bright colored and plenty of Zari is used in weaving.  The motifs and designs are influenced by Mughal designs.
The use of plenty of zari gives  it very luxurious brocade look:

Paisley designs woven in a creeper and net style

The sarees are either plain with heavy zari border , or with buttas( motifs) all over the saree. The borders cantain bel (creeper designs), and the pallu jal (latticework)
Here in this saree you can see the creeper design at the border and the heavy zari work on the Pallu.

 This one is red saree with creeper design all over the saree, and floral motifs on the Pallu.

The motifs are geometrical, floral , animals or birds.Banras weavers have extended their designs and styles so that it caters to the needs of all.
Some are plain with heavy borders, like this one here: 

This one is very bright magenta color with heavy border ,pallu, and butta(small motifs) all over the saree:

And this one is very nice color with silver zari. This is very special design, as half of the saree has diagonally decorated creeper designs, with beautiful paisley designs  in between the creeper designs. This is also called as Adha Patli.

 

No wonder, these designs, colors , patterns and richeness make the these beautiful sarees " Dream of every Saree loving woman".:-)

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

 

Banarasi silk - intricate combination of silk and zari

Today I read a news that , the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, announced a huge financial aid to boost the textile industry in Banaras. I feel this boost is really required for the weavers of Banarasi silk.It is a good support to the weavers . Also this reminded about long pending post I had planned , to write about Banaras silk. (Already I have written a post about an atique Banaras silk here.)
 The bright colors, delicate silk combined with zari makes it dream of saree lovers like me :-). The elegance and beauty are effect of  the hard-work of the weavers. It takes 15 days to 6 months to weave a Banaras saree , depending on the complexity of the design. Here you can see a red Banarasi saree, with heavy zari work all over the saree.One can imagine the hard-work behind the making of this saree.

Banarasi saree is manufactured in Varanasi. Its a cottage industry, run majorly by Momin Ansari Muslims. The designs are influenced Mughal designs. In ancient time,  Varaasi was famous for weaving of cotton, gradually the weavers switched over to silk weaving. Recently when I visited Varanasi, I got a chance to visit a weaver. I could capture the image of  hand-loom machine used for weaving. As it was night when I visited there, so the weavers had stopped the weaving for the day. So I could not  see the  weaving :(.

 But collected some information about designing and making of the saree, and also gained some knowledge  on different kinds of designs used etc. I will share about the details in my next post.

Until then, 

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana

Ganga Aarti- Fusion of light, music and devotion

Ganga Aarti( worshiping river Ganga) is the major everyday event in Varanasi. This is performed everyday at 6:30 PM at Dashashwamedh Ghat . Though in my last visit to Varanasi, I had seen this, but could not capture the images as I had forgotten to take the camera. This time I captured the event but , the images are not so clear as I was watching this sitting in a boat on river Ganga. With some selected good pictures sharing the same with you all.
I can say its a magnificent event. People gather at the banks as well as boats on the river, to watch this. We also occupied a boat and waited for the event.

First the priests offer pooja to Ganga river :

 On the bank also they make the preperation for Ganga Arti , by arranging  platforms. In Dashaswamedha ghat the platforms are arranged in two places, at one place five platforms and on another seven platforms are arranged.
Then the priests start the pooja with incense sticks :

Then with the the dhoop :

 

Then with a lit lamp :

Then with the multilevel lamp :

 All the priests show the the lamp to all the directions while doing the Arrti.

 The experience is enchanting.  The singers will be singing Bhajans in the background .The place at that moment will be filled with  light of the lamps for eyes, melodious Bhajans at the background for the ears  and devotion of the people. Many devotees light small lamps and float those on Ganga river. The light of Ganga Arti reflects in water and, one feels  the lamps compete  with the hundreds lamps floating on Ganga river.

 

The Arti continues like this with different kinds of lamps. As we had to visit other places too, we left after main Arti. If you want to experience the fusion of light, music and devotion , whenever you visit Varanasi, don't miss  Ganga Arti.

 

Love , laugh and live the life to the fullest,

-Ranjana