Maheshwar on the banks of Narmada, is an important centre.
The beautiful Maheshwari sarees are among the most popular sarees produced in India. The Maheshwari saree of Madhya Pradesh has an unusual origin for it is traced to a benevolent queen who once ruled over that territory and designed the first saree.
History of the Maheshwari saree: These sarees are largely produced in the town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh. The origin of the Maheshwari sarees dates back to the 18th century, when the state of Indore in Madhya Pradesh was ruled by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
According to legends, Queen Ahilyabai ordered craftsmen from Surat and Malwa to design special 9-yard sarees to be gifted to royal guests and relatives. The sarees that were produced by these craftsmen became popular as Maheshwari sarees. It is believed that Queen Ahilyabai herself created the design of the first saree. These sarees were originally worn by the ladies of royal status, but nowadays, they are available in both national and international markets.
Designs: The designs in the Maheshwari sarees were inspired by the detailing on the walls of the Fort of Maheshwar. The popular designs used in these sarees, which were inspired from the designs on the fort walls are the ‘Chatai’ pattern that is the ‘Mat’ pattern, the ‘Chameli ka phool’ pattern that is the ‘Chameli flower’ pattern, the ‘Eent’ pattern that is the ‘Brick’ pattern as well as the ‘Heera’ pattern that is the ‘Diamond’ pattern. These designs are found on Maheshwari sarees even today.
Fabric: Originally, the Maheshwari saree was made of pure silk. Then in course of time, these sarees began to be made in pure cotton and with a mixture of silk and cotton (silk yarn in the warp and cotton in the weft). Nowadays, wool is also being used in the production of Maheshwari sarees. These sarees are extremely light in weight and present a sharp contrast to the Kanchipuram sarees of South India.
Colors: Maheshwari sarees were initially made only in dark shades like red, maroon, black, purple and green. Today, these sarees are also being made in lighter shades and gold and silver threads are being made use of. In local dialect, the most popular colors used in Maheshwari sarees are ‘Angoori’ (grape green), ‘Dalimbi’ (deep pink), ‘Gul Bakshi’ (magenta), ‘Jaamla’ (purple), ‘Tapkeer’ (deep brown), ‘Aamrak’ (golden), ‘Rani’ (deep pink), ‘Dhaani’ (green) and ‘Kaashi’ (light purple). Usually, vegetable dyes are used in the preparation of these sarees.
Varieties: These sarees usually have a plain body or have stripes or checks of different varieties. Some of these varieties are highly popular and are known by different names. The ‘Chandrakala’ and the ‘Baingani Chandrakala’ are examples of plain Maheshwari sarees, while the ‘Chandratara’, the ‘Beli’ and the ‘Parbi’ are examples of striped and checked ones.
Special features: The unique feature of a Maheshwari saree is its reversible border. The border is designed in such a way that both sides of the saree can be worn. This is locally known as ‘Bugdi’.
The Maheshwari sari, woven at Maheshwar, is gossamer thin – a delicate blend of silk and cotton yarn – made in tiny checks or stripes with a coloured border. The saree contains printing inspired only by the paintings found on the historical fort of the town. The Chanderi, is also extremely fine but has a more intricately woven border (with motifs) than the Maheshwari.