KANAKAVALLI : VARNA SUTRA

Varna Sutra : Patra, Pushpam - Kanjivaram's Flora

Motifs offer a new dimension to the visual appeal of a traditional sari, upholding a unique form of creative expression within the craft. Plant and floral motifs have held a place of importance in...

Varna Sutra : Healing Foods (Part 2)

Within the kanjivaram drape, you can traverse a world of colour, and you might find yourself immersed in the hues of a South Indian kitchen. Continuing our journey into the healing foods of India ...

Varna Sutra : Healing Foods (Part 1)

Unfolding in a beautiful lexicon, the kanjivaram’s colours are rich in local flavour, indigenous and evocative. They are rooted in culture and the natural world, and include references to ingredie...

Varna Sutra - Yalis: Divine Defenders

As most of the world is in lockdown, and we all navigate this uncertain and rapidly evolving climate, Kanakavalli turns to the ornamentation of the kanjivaram to find a symbol for the times. In ...

Varna Sutra : Alankaranam – Weave, Adorned

The beauty of the kanjivaram’s embellishment lies not only in the forms and motifs that adorn the silk, but also in the more subtle weave details and the complex techniques used to achieve them. W...

Varna Sutra : Samyukta - The Intrinsic Union

The kanjivaram sari is known for its bold geometry which emerges from its colour language as well as from its distinctive structure and layout. The weavers of Kanchipuram employ varied complex and...

Varna Sutra: Antar Anga - Checks & Stripes

In this edition of Varna Sutra we look at the patterns that make up the body of the sari, focusing on the kattam and vari (checks and stripes). The weavers of Tamil Nadu possess a skillful mastery...

Varna Sutra : Mriga, Pakshi - Of Birds & Beasts

In the Varna Sutra series, we have explored the colours of the kanjivaram: their special significance and meanings, and the way they have been translated into symbolic expressions in the drape. In...

Varna Sutra : Ratna Mudra - Bejewelled

Indian jewellery is as old as civilisation itself. Excavations of the ancient Indus Valley civilisation, in fact, yielded examples of beaded jewellery. In the art of adornment, Indians have used m...

Varna Sutra Redux : Of Colour And Light

Over the past few months, in Kanakavalli's Varna Sutra, Sreemathy Mohan has traveled a landscape of colour in the kanjivaram, tracing inspiration and custom, colour and context that are imbued in ...

Varna Sutra: Shyama, Svetha - Ebony & Ivory

The history of the colours of the kanjivaram sari is carved out of a lifelong fascination with South India's traditions and social norms. Ritual, spiritual and cultural customs offer guidelines sp...

Varna Sutra: Haridhra - Kanjivaram's Colours Of The Sun

The kanjivaram is made only more beautiful by the rich symbolism woven into its drape, which is in itself aesthetically lovely. Just as every mudra or hand gesture in the traditional dance form of...