"Maharashtra's Rich Textile Heritage: Unveiling the Diversity of Paithani Weaves and Traditional Attire"

When people ask me what has been my greatest association with Paithani weaves, I am at a loss for words to express my state and stature of origin. My state of origin is indeed Maharashtra, the land of Peshwas and the Valiant Shivaji, the land so fertile and vast that the very name boasts of the great diversity and vastness of the region. Surrounded by the states of Gujarat in the north, the states of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh in the east, and Karnataka and Goa in the south, the influences, intermingling, and juxtaposition of cultural bonhomie and textile development have been humongous. I, in particular, belong to the Nashik and Yeola tehsils of Maharashtra. Nashik, a large district with fertile verdant land, is also the land of saints and social reformers like Saint Tukaram, the great Saint Shirdi Sai Baba, and likewise many more. Their influences and intermingling with human beings and mankind have left an undeniable mark on the populus of the region, which still exists now and forever.

Maharashtra: A land of diversity and colorful cultures! The distinct mix of various cultures has shaped the people of Maharashtra into a land of prosperity and spirituality. Despite modernization, the people of Maharashtra maintain their culture by following traditional practices. Maharashtra was initially the land of the great warriors, who left behind grandeur, high spirits, and exuberance. All these features add to the rich culture and heritage of the Marathas.

Maharashtra has a wide range of textiles of varied designs and manufactured by different techniques. The specialty in the weaving of the textiles in each region is developed based on location, climate, and cultural influences. Suited fabrics are used to the climate of Maharashtra. The most commonly used fabrics are cotton and silk.

The traditional attire of men in Maharashtra is the dhotar and sadra, a kurta with pockets on both sides. A waistcoat known as a bandi is also worn at times inside the shirt. Most of the elderly men wear Topi and Pheta, a freshly folded turban made of cotton or silk fabric. Pitambar, which is a pure silk dhoti with a zari border, is worn during puja or any ritual.

The "Lugade,” or Nauvari sadi (nine-yard sari), is the traditional attire of the women of Maharashtra, which is worn along with a short-sleeved Choli or Polka. Teenage girls wear parkas and polkas, and boys wear half-pants and shirts.

Dhoti for men and Nauvari for women are in the Kashti style, where two ends of the dhoti, one of which is pleated in front and the other is pleated and taken at the back, are tucked through the legs, called Kashta or Kashti.

Lower Garment

Dhotar: worn by everyone except farmers, as they wear the same style of dhoti, but shorter ones are called pancha.

Draping of Dhotar: It is normally white or cream in color, with a length of 4.5 meters (5/5 yards) and a width of 54” with a narrow colored border. It can be tied at the waist on the right side with a knot, keeping the right end longer than the left, which is pleated and tucked in front (called niri), and at the edge is pleated with small pleats and taken behind through two leaps and tucked at the back, called ‘Kashta’. Niri in front and Kashta at the back give freedom of walking.

Pitambar: It’s a pure silk dhoti with a Zari border.

Pyjama: Known as Lenga or Vijar. It is made from white cotton fabric and tied with either string or a belt.

Upper Garment

Bandi: It’s an inner garment that is worn inside the shirt or sadra.

Sadra: A kurta with long or short sleeves and pockets on both sides. A kurta with side slits is also called a pairan.

Jakit: While going out, they wear a full-sleeve knee-length kurta, and on top of this, they wear a jacket that is sleeveless with a Chinese collar.

Angarakha: People with higher dignity wear a long coat known as angarakha.

Uparna: A shoulder piece for men that is pleated like a saree pallu and kept on the left shoulder. Mostly worn during puja over pitambar.

Koli Men: They have traditional attire, which is Surka, a square rumal worn in a triangular manner as a lower garment. Ganji, a T-shaped shirt as the upper garment, and a scarf folded in a triangular manner to cover the head. This costume is helpful for their fishing convenience.

Lower Garment-

Nauvari sadi: a 9-yard saree of 50–52" width. According to the draping style of pleats, the caste can be recognized.

Draping of the saree: They start wearing the saree from the pallu called ‘Padar’. The pallu is pleated, which covers the wrist widthwise and is kept on the left shoulder. The rest of the saree is then draped, made into pleats, and tucked securely for Kashti.

The Brahmin ladies divide pleats into unequal parts, with less on the left side and more on the right. Then the division fold is pleated, with the border on the right side neatly placed out and tucked behind, known as ‘Kashti’. The last pleat on the right side, with the bottom end, is taken and secured on the left-hand side. This is called ‘Ocha’. This can be used as a pouch to store valuables. The shoulder is covered with the pallu from behind. Pleats are called Nirya. The front side of the waist line tied fastened with the waist in front is called ‘kela’.

The non-Brahmin ladies wear this sadi in different ways. They divide the pleats equally, and ‘Kashti’ is drawn behind and tucked with the border placed neatly. The front pleats are kept dangling at the bottom.

Folk (Lavani) Style: In this type, the pallu is very long. All the pleats are drawn behind them. Here, both borders are seen in Kashta. The saree is tightened at the foot with gathers, and the pallu is taken on the head.

The farmer ladies use only a 7½–8-yard saree, so when kashti, the saree comes up to the knee.

Koli women traditionally wear thin cotton nauvari sarees to knee length with an elbow-length blouse. And a white Odhani with a printed border is draped over the upper part.

Upper Garment-

Women wear a blouse called 'choli, which is a short blouse with a knot in the front. They also wear ‘zamper’ made up of Khan material with elbow-length sleeves and two flaps to cover the breast. The neck is a low-cut V shape. The length of the blouse is up to the waist.

‘Nau Tukdyachi Choli’ is one of the varieties that fits better than any other choli. All nine pieces are joined in order—no button, no placket, only knotted—and are used as an inner garment.

Shela is a decorative cotton silk shawl, Banaras silk, Paithani, or Himroo.

Girls wear parkar, which is a long skirt from waist to ankle, tied with a string at the waist. Once the girls attain puberty, they wear a half-saree.