Ilkal Saree, By Nanduri Asha

TRADITIONAL INDIAN TEXTILE
ILKAL SARIS OF KARNATAKA
NANDURI ASHA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I, Nanduri Asha, student of 4th
semester textile design; NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
FASHION TECHNOLOGY will like to thank Miss Pankaja Sethi for guiding me and
providing me sufficient knowledge about the subject ILKAL SARIS, without her help I
would not be able to complete my assignment. I also thank my friends and my
classmates for helping me and discussing the assignment with me.
Thanking you
NANDURI ASHA
PANKAJA SETHI
(GUEST FACULTY)

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO ILKAL SARIS……………1
HISTORY OF ILKAL SARIS ……………………4
PROCESS OF MAKING OF ILKAL SARIS………8
MOTIFS OF ILKAL SARIS……………………...24
CONCLUSION………………………………...34
GLOSSARY…………………………………….36
REFERENCE……………………………………37

[6]Ilkal is a small town in Bagalkot district in Karnataka in south of India. It is nearer to
the borders of two other states of India that is Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. This
particular town is located in the South-East part of Bagalkote district. Ilkal is a well
known Trade center of the district. It is a popular place for commerce and industry. The
place is quite famous for its ruby red granite and its textile Ilkal sari.
Fig. 1 Location of the place Ilkal in Karnataka
This place has both Hindus and Muslims since this place was invaded by many of the
Muslim rulers like Aiyaz Betageri in near about 200 B.C. Ilkal has become the second
most important place in the north district of Karnataka. The weather over there is
NATIONAL ISTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
NANDURI ASHA
1

generally very hot during the summers but has a pleasant weather during the winters.
Heavy rains occur during in the rainy season. The place is influenced from various
places and people. If we observe the life style of the population it has some elements of
Andhra Pradesh as well as of Maharashtra and due to the Muslim invasion the way of
living had also affected the people over there. Therefore, we can say that this place is
the combination of three states of India in context of culture and other religious
ceremonies.
The people of Ilkal have various ritual and ceremonies. Their religious god is Shri Vijay
Mahantesh they believe he is incarnation of lord Shiva.
Fig. 2 Picture of Shri Vijay Mahantesh
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There is also one Islamic satin which they worship as god is Murtuza Shah Quadir.
Since Ilkal is a small town therefore the population mainly consists of the artisans those
are the weavers and the people who do kasuti embroidery. It has also farmers, small
scale business men and some other professionals.
The main source of income comes from the Red granite which is exported all around
the world while Ilkal saris are secondary source of income for the people residing over
there since generations.
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Life the starched yarn, set the strings right
Have equal footing, but don’t touch the loom
The shuttle which I am holding has swallowed
the bundle of yarn
Is it you who wove the sari or I?
-Vachankara by Jedara Dasimaya
Ilkal saris are the main source of income for the weavers and other population in the
northern part of Karnataka. It was an ancient hub for weaving which roughly started
in 8th
century A.D. The sari became popular due to the patronage of local Chieftains and
the easy availability of raw materials from the nearby places around. The weaving is
generally done by the local chieftains in and around the villages Kamatgi, Nidigundi
and Kolhar.
It has become famous because of the technique which is used in it that is the Topi Theni.
It was generally woven for the Brahmin communities of Karnataka and Southern
Maharashtra. This Weaving tradition is passed on from one generation to the other
generation.
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Fig. 3 Women wearing Ilkal sari
Traditionally it was done with cotton warp and weft both. Usually pit looms were used
for the weaving purpose. Both men and women are engaged in per weaving, weaving
and the post weaving activities. For weaving mostly both men and women use to sit
together especially for making the pallav, since it has cut shuttle or the interlocking of
the weft yarns. Many years ago even kids were engaged in all these weaving since their
childhood times so that the kid can observe and learn everything. This decreases the
effort of teaching each and every bit of the process to the kid after he/ she grew up.
NANDURI ASHA
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The beautiful Kasuti embroidery is also been done upon some of the saris especially for
the upper class or rich people. General Ilkal sari doesn’t have Kasuti work in it. This
ornamentation on the sari increases its cost and it becomes really very expensive.
After the British came to Karnataka the silk rearing started in Karnataka for making
these saris. It was encouraged by Tipu Sultan and then promoted by the British. By, the
mid of nineteenth century, the British had established mulberry silk rearing on a large
scale activity both for the planters as well as the associates that is the dyers, the weavers
of the Ilkal saris , etc. This propelled the growth of silk weaving not only in Karnataka
but also in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and nearby places.
NANDURI ASHA
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PROCESS OF MAKING OF
ILKAL SARIS

Like other saris in India Ilkal saris also has a certain unique way of construction. The
production of these saris involves 2000 weavers, dyers and other craftsmen. It is known
for the techniques used in making of this sari that is Tope Teni. The length also adds to
the beauty of the sari which is near about 6-9 yard long. The eye catching red and
white border of the sari also interests the viewer. The festive importance of the sari also
makes it respected by others. The process basically starts with the dyeing of the yarns
followed by weaving and the ornamentation of the fabric with Kasuti embroidery.
YARN DYEING
The cotton warp and weft are usually being dyed in a reddish black tone. Generally a
cool dark place is being chosen for the dyeing purpose. The yarn is first dyed in with the
natural Indigo dye. For dyeing the yarn in indigo dye sajimitti collected from the river
bed and then chuna(lime stone) is being added in water. “Half a kilo gram of alta seed
obtain from Prodotur and half kilogram of gud(molasses) are boiled in a brass vessel.
The soaked seeds bust and mix with the solution forming thick liquor. Then the boiled
solution is being cooled and made into six parts.
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Fig. 4 Cool and dark place for dyeing
Fig. 5 A grinder used for grinding indigo blocks.
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Indigo blocks are being taken and then grinded in a grinding stone which is generally
used in making the paste of the grains used for idli cooking. During the grinding,
decanted lime and sajimitti water are added to make into a solution which is divided
into six parts. The dyers have old indigo vats and the old indigo solution.
Depending upon the depth of the topping shade required, a number of vats are made
use of for repeat dyeing. Each dyeing requires six vats, one knot being dipped in one vat.
If the process is repeated six times, 36 vats are used while every day six knots of finally
dyed yarn are obtained. The 36 old vats are taken as six sets of vats for dyeing six times.
Fig. 6 Indigo vats
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Every day fresh indigo dye solution is added to only one successive set of vat for final
dyeing. Thus if it is added to only the 1st
set of vats one day, it is added to only the 2nd
set
of the vat the next day; to the 3rd
set of vat the day after and so on. The sixth dyeing of a
set of six knots, which is the final dyeing, is done in the replenishes set of vat only, the
six knots having been dyed repeatedly in the remaining 5 sets of vats during the
previous days. A continuous rotating sequence is thus maintained. After each dyeing
yarn is dried, the final dyed yarn in the sun and remaining in the shed.
The natural indigo is obtained from Proddotur. These are about 20 dye houses
altogether, engaged in indigo dyeing in various ways.
All the dark colors like black, deep blue etc. are obtained from the indigo dye. Now a
day’s indigo is mixed with other chemical agents but traditionally it was done with pure
indigo and other natural colorants like alta.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 7 The liquor is being stirred so that the yarn is evenly dyed
Fig. 8 The extra dye liquor is removed by squeezing the yarns.
NANDURI ASHA
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WEAVING
In Ilkal maximum of the population is engaged in sari weaving. The uniqueness of the
sari is joining the body with the pallav warp with a series of loops locally called as TOPE
TENI technique. The weavers will gait only 6 yard, 8 yards, 9 yards warp due to above
TOPE TENI technique. Kondi technique is used for weft through inserting 3 shuttles.
Pallav portion generally consists of three portions one will be in red and the two other
left will be in white color. TOPE TENI seragu has been regarded as a state symbol and
was greatly respected during festival occasion. The annchu or the borders are woven in
traditional form namely chikki, gomi and gadidadi and modern gaythri are unique ones
in Ilkal saris. The border of an Ilkal sari ranges from 2.5 to 4 inch in width. The colors
are usually the combination of red or maroon with white, in which red or maroon
dominates the pallav. The technique TOPE TENI is exclusively used in an Ilkal sari. The
warp threads are being prepared separately and at the same time the warp of the pallav
is also being setup separately with blended silk or pure silk. In general, the pallav length
ranges from 16 to 27 inches. All these weaving are being done in pit loom but the
introduction of flying shuttle loom help the weavers in high production.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 9 A woman making bobbin
These saris are 9 yards in length. For making the boarder dobby machine is used to add
to the beauty of the sari. The pallav carries temple towers patten with the help of
interlocking weft yarn which in general locally called as kondi technique. The end
regions of pallav is made up of patterns of different shapes like hanige(comb), koti
kammali(fort ramparts) and rampa(mountain range). The colors traditionally used are
pomegranate red, brilliant peacock green and parrot green. The saris that are made for
NANDURI ASHA
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bridal wear are made of a particular color called Giri Kumukum which is associated the
sindoor worn by the wives of the priests in this area.
Fig. 10 A woman weaving an Ilkal sari
Main body designs are generally stripes, rectangles, squares or are plain. The sari could
be plain of be woven in diverse check patterns. These checks pattern locally known as
tirki, can be well known as mandap, pacharangi, dapla or pateng. Thick stripes are
known as jabra, and finer lines, called suzi, can into the designing of the sari. Saris, in a
NANDURI ASHA
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shade of plain indigo, are called Chanderkallis, while the saris combined with red and
orange is called basanti. The borders are generally in red and green color and consist of
extra warp patterns. Production of Ilkal saris is mostly an indoor activity with the
involvement of each and every family member.
The sari is either made of cotton, or a mixture of cotton and silk or in pure silk
sometimes even gold threads are also being used The saris are produced with cotton
warp and weft in the body silk.
In Ilkal saris generally the warp is the cotton yarn while weft is silk yarn. But now a
day’s cotton warp and cotton weft both are used, sometimes even silk warp and silk
weft is used which makes the sari all the more expensive. The saris have silk pallav and
cotton/rayon grounds and borders. In olden times only cotton and silk were used, but
now rayon is favored, because it is cheaper to use and the market favors the shiny
aesthetic. The ground color warp threads are most usually black cotton, the weft is
rayon.
The extra warp is being used to make the border of the sari which ranges from four
inches to five inches in width. Golden thread is generally used in the warp along with
the cotton of silk yarns. The border designs are generally being achieved with the help
of dobby machine. Thus, providing the sari with a beautiful heavy border in the both
sides.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 11 Combing of cotton yarns
UNIQUENESS OF ILKAL SARIS
The uniqueness of sari is joining of the body warp with pallav warp with a series of
loops locally called as TOPE TENI technique.
The weaver will gait only 6 yards, 8 yards, 9 yards warp due to above TOPE TENI
technique. KONDI Technique is used for weft through inserting 3 shuttles.
Pallav portion-Design: “TOPE TENE SERAGU” Normally in Tope Teni seragu 3 solid
portions would be in red color, and in between 2 portions in white colour.
NANDURI ASHA
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Tope Teni seragu has been regarded as a state symbol and was greatly respected during
festival occasions.
Traditional Borders: (i) Chikki, (ii) Gomi, (iii) Jari and (iv) Gadidadi, and modern
Gayathri are unique ones in Ilkal sarees - width ranging from 2.5” to 4”
Border Colour Uniqueness: Red usually or Maroon dominates.
Fig. 12 A traditional Ilkai sari
NANDURI ASHA
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KASUTI EMBROIDERY IN
ILKAL SARIS

MOTIFS
The distinctive feature of Ilkal sarees is the use of a form of embroidery called as Kasuti..
Kasuti embroidery is a special craft practiced mainly in Uttara Kanara district or North
Kanara district. Its secret lies in the fact that it can be done only by counting the threads
of the weft and the warp. There is no possibility of tracing or implanting the design
prematurely as outlines. With considerable dexterity, an ordinary sewing needle is used
to create a variety of designs with coloured threads on the cloth. The embroidery is done
only by women.
The history of Kasuti dates back to the Chalukya period. The name Kasuti is derived
from the word Kai (meaning hand) and Suti (meaning cotton), indicating an activity
that is done using cotton and hands. The women courtiers in the Mysore Kingdome in
the 17th
century were expected to be adept in 64 arts, with Kasuti being one of them. It
is also said that the Lambani clan left their traditional home of Rajasthan and settled
down in Karnataka and brought the Kasuti craft along with them.
The designs used in Kasuti reflect traditional patterns like palanquins, elephants and
lotuses which are embroidered onto Ilkal saris. Kasuti embroidery is done above this
pallav in a border called bugadi., which forms the base of the embroidery to follow. This
continuous border is worked in gavanti stitch, which has been known to mean knot
stitch or rural stitch. After this the large patterns on the sari emerge. The Chariot Ratha,
or a tree with peacocks or flowers and this distribution of motifs grows sparse as it
NANDURI ASHA
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travels away from the pallav, becoming small flowers and dots, which are worked into
the pleats of the sari.
The most remarkable feature about kasuti is that there is no right or wrong side. Both
sides are identical. However complicated the design, the end of the design coincides
with the beginning. There is no knot used in the beginning or end of the thread. A small
straight stitch is placed at the beginning and end.
The technique is difficult to learn, as the patterns made by counting warp and weft
threads, which when done on dark backgrounds can cause a great deal of eye strain. It
is laborious process and taken years to master. Even a minor error during the
embroidery process means undoing the motif and redoing it completely as the error
would be spotted afar. This form of embroidery also requires physical and mental
alertness and a great deal of patience.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 13 Kasuti work
Kasuti can be described as delicate embroidery with geometric designs which when
worked very closely can make dramatic patterns. A combination of four main stitches,
all based originally on the counted thread method (distance running stitches- by
counting the same number of threads), allow many people to work on the same pattern
NANDURI ASHA
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and a change in the working hands does not affect the final design. Now the designs are
traced on paper or loosely woven gauge, which is then pulled off after completing the
work. Kasuti Embroidery is done with four main stitches.
Fig, 14 Elephant made out of Kasuti embroidery
Gavanti or Gaunti meaning konts is a double running stitch and used in straight,
horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines.
Muragi is a zigzag running stitch and looks like a ladder when it is used. Small motifs
like squares, hexagons, octagons and ladders are created with this stitch. The Muragi
stitch looks identical on both sides of the cloth.
NANDURI ASHA
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Neygi or Negi - the name of the stitch is derived from the kannada word neyi to weave.
This darning stitch in which long and short lines are used which gives the effect of
weaving.
Menthe - A kannada word meaning Fenugreek seed or a forked stitch, crossed Stitch.
This stitch is mainly used to fill motifs.
Fig. 15 Birds are made with the help of this embroidery it is generally embroidered in the border area
of the sari.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 16 This is the Ratha with flags and other small elements like the parrot on both the upper and the
lower region. There are wheels which are present and some other animals like deer are also being
embroidered.
Fig. 17 This is another kind of chariot with crisscross embroidery in it.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 18 This motif has been inspired from the temple architecture and from the padmam which is
very calculative and geometric in nature
Fig. 19 This is an hexagonal motif usually done on thepallav of Ilkal sari.
NANDURI ASHA
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Originally this embroidery was done by women with silk threads, which were taken
directly from the weavers of the Ilkal saris. Later weavers sold these saris with 10" of
extra silk thread in the wrap, which hung from the pallav area. This way the colors
used in the embroidery blended well and the combinations were never garnish. The
most readily available medium they could use was their daily clothing, which were
saris, cholis, kunchis(bonnets) and lahngas or skirts.
Fig. 20 The rath motif which is commonly seen in the pallav.
NANDURI ASHA
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The various themes that are embroidered in Kasuti are that of gopuram, bells, chariots,
temple sculpture, flowers, animals etc. Appearing same on both the sides, various
designs include Dagabaji Gopura, Gandolagida, Tulasi, Vankipatti, Kayapatti, Gopi
Kamala Chittu Kamala, Gundala Gopura etc. The geometrical designs of the Kasuti have
been reduced from the temple structure.
Accept the kasuti motifs there are other motifs which are generally seen in the annchu
that is the border created at the time of weaving the body with the help of dobby
machine
Gomi, is an arrow shaped pattern used in the border. This is mostly seen in the
maximum of Ilkal saris. Chikiparas is a star or dot based pattern again for the border.
These are the traditionally used border design. But in later time may other motifs are
also introduced those are kaddi chikki and the kondi chikki.
NANDURI ASHA
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Fig. 21 These are the extra warp motifs generated with dobby it has pea-cock and paisley motifs in it with
the gomi in the upper and lower part of the design.
Fig. 22 These are the star shaped motifs which are generated in the border.
NANDURI ASHA
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At Kamatagi , weaving of Ilkal sari is being promoted by societies, traders and master
weavers. At present 1200 looms are engaged in production of ILKAL Saris in Kamatagi
Village. Annual turnover of this cluster is about 1.5 cores. At present marketing of these
saris is confined to local market, North Karnataka region and South Maharashtra. There
is lot of demand for pure Ilkal saris in Pune, Bombay, Surat and Vidharba.
The Kamatagi handloom weaver’s history traces back to over 100 years. It was family
tradition among the lower income group of people to take up the weaving jobThere are
approximately 3,600 handloom weavers in Kamatagi cluster. The major products here
are saris. Ilkal sari is a traditional form of sari which is a common feminine wear in
India. The peculiar characteristic of the sari is joining the body warp with the pallav
warp which is locally called as Tope Teni This technique is only used exclusively at
Ilkal. The distinctive feature of Ilkal saris is the use of a form of embroidery called as
Kasuti. The designs used in Kasuti reflect traditional patterns like palanquins, elephants
and lotuses which are embroidered onto Ilkal saris.
These distinctive features make the sari very unique in itself. Every women of India has
an ultimate desire to have this sari in her wardrobe, and the increasing popularity of
the sari even outside India increases its demand and supplies both.
NANDURI ASHA
35

GLOSSARY
TOPE TENI~ the joining of the main sari border with the pallav with a series of loops.
KONDI~ the pallav having temple towers pattern with the help of weft interlocking.
HANIGE~ comb
KOTI KAMMALI~ fort ramparts
RAMPA~ mountain range
CHANDERKALLIS~ Saris in a shade of plain indigo
RATHA~ Chariot.
GOMI~ arrow shaped pattern used in the border.
CHIKIPARAS~ it is a star or dot based pattern for the border.
KUNCHIS~ bonnets
NANDURI ASHA
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REFERENCE
• Referred books:-
• SARIS
Tradition and beyond
By- Rta Kapur Chishti
Printed by- Lustre press Roli Books 2010
• INDIAN SARIS
TRADITION. PERSPECTIVE. DESIGN
By-Vijai Singh Katiyar
Publisher- Wisdomtree, 2009
• THE SARI
Styles pattern history techniques
By- Thames and Hudsun
Publisher- Lindalynton
NANDURI ASHA
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• NATURAL DYEING PROCESS OF INDIA
By- B.C.Mohanty
K.V. Chandramouli
H.D.Naik
Printed by- Grace enterprice
• Websites
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkal_saree
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ilkals-saree-story/articleshow/31067899
• http://www3.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm?articleid=2695533
• http://karthickjck.hubpages.com/hub/Know-Everything-about-Sarees
NANDURI ASHA
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• http://kannadakoota.net/node

Ilkal Saree, By Nanduri Asha

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