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 an...
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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. Conti...
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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...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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. Th...
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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). Th...
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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 tra...
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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 jewel...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 mudr...
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