Story of 9 yards – Chanderi

As I open my Wardrobe there in front of me are the many 9 yards hung in various hues of color, texture & design. Each one has a particular place, region & Country. Each one has a story to tell & is now heritage which I lovingly plan to hand over to the next generation.

As I pick the fern green chanderi silk with a red border & golden booties in mango shape I can’t stop myself going down memory lane.

CHANDERI is indeed beautifully showcased with its TANA & BANA on the sarees it is famous for.

The Name CHANDERI…

Chanderi as I remember & the name suggests seems to be lit with moonlight & sprinkled with the white aura of the moon. I remember walking on the cobbled streets & passing through the boulevards of Chanderi savoring Churma ladoo & Dal tikka the local delicacy served with love. The region is fertile with black soil.

The history dates back to Mahabharata bearing the testimony of an illustrious past that might have witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties. Ruled by the Delhi Sultanate, Rajputs, and the Bundela kings, Chanderi is the birthplace of the Dhrupad Maestro Baiju Bawra. One can visit his samadhi located in the Surrounding of the fort. The great Drupad singer is worshipped by many a singers.

Along with other attractions like the Koshak Mahal, Jama Masjid, Jowhar Kund, Shezade ka Roza, Badal Mahal, Kaati Ghati visiting them was a delight & listening to the tales was enriching. Chanderi museum stands elegantly with tales to share about the place, heritage & history…

Travel surprises……

Traveling by road passing through acres & acres of fields planted with wheat & pulses the region has its own richness, taking the wrong roads & wondering if we have the right address is a common thing in my country. While still contemplating as to whether we were on the right track a sharp turn on the winding roads brings us in front of KILA KOTHI next to the chanderi fort. The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Resort Kila Kothi.

The place is royalty with uber location & interiors. It belongs to the royals of the state & what best, I could walk to this historical fort which is located just 500mts away.  The fort stands in its full glory in the backdrop of the sunset. From the top of a hill watching chanderi with innumerable temples, mosque & other monuments of historical importance at its foothills was breathtaking.

This quaint little town In Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh was a very thoughtful choice.

Story of 9 yards…..

But my most fond memories are the looms, the artisans, the beautiful threads of cotton, silk & ZARI ready to bring nine yards to life. The art of weaving passed from one generation to another. Mostly made in Cotton & silk procured from various parts of the country the thread is chosen keeping in mind the tenacity, shine & weight of the fabric.

INDIAN official & Ceremonial attire THE SAREE a very important fabric in our culture is adorned with motifs found in & around the historical monuments keeping the history & sheer elegance alive. The feather touch fabric is very soft, transparent, and lightweight with a specialty of being heat resistant.

Almost every household has a loom with a combination of vivid silk, cotton & gold threads. The rhythmic Tana Bana creating beautiful fabrics with embellishments made from the Gold zari thread is worn all over the world today.

Once the fabric of the royals is very popular today.

The handlooms are today replaced by power looms but the art of creating the 9 YARDS continues with beautiful Ashrafi booti or bootas.

I remember our time as we sat with the weavers, to curate a particular combination with a particular motif.  As time flew, with a promise to be back again the next day, we spent the night with anticipation of more to see, learn & fall in love with. The custom made fabric THE FERN GREEN WITH MANGO SHAPED BOOTIS took 4 days to be weaved.

The product of love, hard work & sheer perseverance of the weavers is a treasure of my Wardrobe. Promoting the Local art & the weavers is a must to keep the intricate ART alive.

As I come back to the present with fern green saree in hand & addition of 2 more I strongly believe the local art of our country is Rich & needs to be preserved.

It is said the Journey is important than the destination, in this trip, l found the art of creating a Nine yard establishing my eternal love for it . The journey was worth a while