Exploring the Exquisite Elegance: Types of Banarasi Sarees

Banarasi sarees are renowned globally for their exquisite craftsmanship, intricate designs, and luxurious appeal. Originating from the ancient city of Varanasi, also known as Banaras, these sarees hold a significant place in Indian culture and fashion. The history of Banarasi sarees dates back to several centuries, where they were patronized by royalty and adorned by women of aristocratic families.

There are several types of Banarasi sarees, each distinguished by its unique weaving technique and design elements:

1. Katan Sarees: These sarees are crafted from pure silk threads and are known for their rich texture and opulent appearance.

2. Organza Sarees: Also known as Kora sarees, these are crafted from fine silk yarns and are characterized by their sheer and lightweight texture.

3. Georgette Sarees: Georgette Banarasi sarees are crafted from a blend of silk and synthetic fibers, resulting in a lightweight and flowy drape.

4. Shattir Sarees: Shattir sarees are crafted from a combination of silk and cotton yarns, resulting in a durable and comfortable fabric.

5. Tissue Sarees: Tissue Banarasi sarees are crafted from fine silk threads and are characterized by their glossy and translucent appearance.

Originating from the city of Varanasi, Banarasi sarees have a legacy that dates back centuries. It is believed that the art of weaving silk was brought to India by the Mughals, and over time, it evolved into the luxurious Banarasi fabric known for its intricate designs and fine quality. The method of creating Banarasi sarees involves painstaking handloom weaving, where skilled artisans meticulously interlace silk threads to form elaborate patterns inspired by nature, mythology, and Mughal architecture.

In conclusion, Banarasi sarees are not just garments; they are a testament to the rich cultural heritage and artistic prowess of India. With their timeless elegance and exquisite craftsmanship, Banarasi sarees continue to mesmerize fashion enthusiasts around the world.

 

 

Caste System in India

 The caste system, as it actually works in India is called jati. The term jati appears in almost all Indian languages and is related to the idea of lineage or kinship group. There are perhaps more than 3000 jatis in India and there is no one all-Indian system of ranking them in order of status. Yet in each local area jati ranking exists and is very much related to purity and pollution. Each jati has some unique job, but not everyone in the jati performs it. Thus there are barbers who do not shave, carpenters who do not build, and Brahmins who do not act as priests. A jati is identified in a local setting by whom its members will accept food and water from and to which jatis its members will give food and water. People will try to marry their sons and daughters to members of their same jati and will give their major loyalty to their jati. A jati will usually be organized into a biradari (a brotherhood), and this organization carries out the business and oversees the working of the jati and has the power to exclude an offender from the jati.

Caste system in India is a composite structure of different social classes in the Hindu religion. Caste system in India has a long history dating back to the ancient past. It dates back to that era when people used to believe that people were born into a particular social status. They also believed that experiences in past lives and good deeds can actually reincarnate one into higher social strata in the next life. The Indian caste system has gone places with the changes that have taken place in the society. Education has been massively instrumental in bringing a change in the state of mind though a large section of a society, mostly the older generation is still under the curse of this social ostracism.

Chalukya Dynasty

 

Chalukya Dynasty was a powerful Indian dynasty that reigned over extensive parts of southern and central India between the period of 6th and the 12th centuries. They had ruled their dominions as three individual yet related dynasties. The first one was the Badami dynasty who ruled from Vatapi. Then came the Eastern Chalukyas who ruled over Deccan. The Western Chalukyas ruled from Kalyani. The Badami Chalukyas became prominent during the rule of Pulakesin II After his death the Eastern Chalukyas emerged as an independent kingdom and ruled eastern Deccan. In the western India, their descendents Western Chalukyas ruled in the late 10th century and reigned from Kalyani which is the present day Basavakalyan.

The rule of the Chalukyas was a milestone in the history of South India. The political atmosphere changed from small empires to large ones with the arrival of Badami Chalukyas. Efficient administration, overseas trade and commerce and the development of new style of architecture, all these were witnessed during the rule of the Chalukya dynasty. Kannada and Telugu literature received patronage from Western and Eastern Chalukyas respectively.

Balaji Baji Rao

 The eldest son of Baji Rao, named, Balaji or popular as Nana Saheb and Balaji Baji Rao, was entrusted with the office of the Peshwa , after Baji Rao. Balaji Baji Rao was not exactly the shadow of his illustrious father. He indulged in plentitude of pleasures and a happy-go-lucky attitude. Still he held a candle to his father's innate dictatorship abilities.

Shahu, on the eve of his death in 1749, left a deed attesting the Peshwa as the guardian of the new Raja in the post-Shahu period. Shahu by this treaty was required to protect the high-esteem,the splendor and the elegance of the blue-blood of Shivaji, perpetuated by the descendants of Tara Bai. He should also recognize the independence of the state of Kolhapur and be aware of the existing rights of the Jagirdars. Together with these Jagirdars , he was supposed to exercise a concerted effort for aggrandizing Hindu authority and for the security of not only the Hindu temples, the peasants of the soil, and whatever was holy and useful.

The new Peshwa soon, found himself in dire straits being shaken by the united antipathy of Tara Bai and Damaji Gawaikwar, who threw the Raja into confinement, to abort the Peshwas rise to power. But the dexterous Peshwa quelled his harmful haters. The Raja could taste no power, whereas the Peshwa became the actual leader of the Maratha Confederacy.

Peshwa Balaji introduced changes in the structure of military-administration , that had prevailed almost as the same since the days of Shivaji. He imported Western warfare techniques through the non-Maratha mercenaries he recruited to upgrade the military skills.The army losing the uniqueness of a national character, got deprived of the essential discipline factor.

Kalibangan- An Ancient site of the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

Kalibangan is an ancient site of the Indus Valley Civilization in northern Rajasthan state. It is the third excavated cityof Harappan sites and the earliest town destroyed by earthquake. It has given the substantiation of both pre-Harappan culture in the lower layer and Harappan Civilization in the upper layer. Kalibangan flourished for at least 450-600 years. It is distinguished by its exclusive fire altars and is considered as "worlds earliest indicated ploughed field".

History of Kalibangan
Kalibangan place was discovered by an Italian Ideologist and linguist Luigi Pio Tessitori. It is also recognized as being established in the land of triangle at the joining of Drishadwati and Saraswati Rivers together. It was excavated between 1960-61 and 1968-69. After India's independence, the major Harappan cities together with the Indus became a part of Pakistan and Indian archaeological sites.

Culture of the Indus Valley survived at the site from the proto-Harappan age to the Harappan age. This earlier phase is labelled ‘Kalibangan-I’. The correspondence of pottery relates Kalibangan-I with the Sothi culture because a lot of this pottery was later discovered at Sothi village in North Western India.

Location of Kalibangan
Kalibangan is located at Pilibangan, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. It is located on the southern banks of the Ghaggar River. It is 205 kilometers away from Bikaner.

Features of Kalibangan
Kalibangan in Rajasthan has given the proof of the earliest (c. 2800 BC) ploughed agricultural field ever revealed through a quarry. Similar ploughing is used for two simultaneous crops in this area even today. The unique mark of this early phase is pottery, characterized by six fabrics labelled A, B, C, D, E and F, which were later identified also at Sothi in North Western India. Small blades of chalcedony and agate, shell, carnelian, terracotta and copper, bangles of copper, terracotta objects like a toy-cart, wheel and a broken bull, a bone point etc. have been found here.

Pandya Dynasty

 The Pandya kingdom was the second important kingdom in south India during this period. It occupied the region of modern districts of Tirunelveli, Ramnad, and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient Tamil state in South India of unknown antiquity. Pandyas were one of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms (Chola and Chera being the other two) that ruled the Tamil country from pre-historic times until end of the fifteenth century. They ruled initially from Korkai, a seaport on the southern-most tip of the Indian peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Pandyas entered their golden age under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (c. 1251) who expanded their empire into Telugu country and invaded Sri Lanka to conquer the northern half of the island. Their territory included present-day Kerela. They also had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors. The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the South Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls known in the ancient world. Tradition holds that the legendary Sangam were held in Madurai under their patronage. Some of the Sangam poets became kings of Pandya.

Pandya dynasty was the longest ruling dynasty in Indian history. The accurate ancestry of the Pandya kings, however, has not been yet recognized. Pandyas ruled from Korkai, a sea port, and shifted later to Madurai. Pandya Empire of the south is deemed to have been founded five to six centuries before Christian era. The early Pandyan Dynasty weakened due to invasion of the Kalabhras. They revived under Kadungon in the sixth century who forced the Kalabhras out of the region and ruled from Madurai. With the rise of the Cholas dynasty they declined again in the ninth century.The later Pandyas of 1150 AD -1350 AD resurged under the rule of Maravman Sundara Pandyan I and Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I. Both these rulers extended their empire to Telugu regions, Kalinga and Sri Lanka. Many rulers of the Pandya dynasty have been mentioned in the Sangam literature also.

Origin of Pandya Dynasty

The word “Pandya” has its derivation from the Tamil word “Pandi” which means bull. Bull is considered as a sign of masculinity and valour. In Sangam Literature, however, Pandya means ‘old country.’

The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient Tamil state in South India of unknown antiquity. Pandyas were one of the three ancient Tamil kingdoms (Chola and Chera being the other two) that ruled the Tamil country from pre-historic times until end of the fifteenth century. They ruled initially from Korkai, a seaport on the southern-most tip of the Indian peninsula, and in later times moved to Madurai. Pandyas entered their golden age under Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (c. 1251) who expanded their empire into Telugu country and invaded Sri Lanka to conquer the northern half of the island. Their territory included present-day Kerela. They also had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of Srivijaya and their successors. The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the South Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls known in the ancient world. Tradition holds that the legendary Sangam were held in Madurai under their patronage. Some of the Sangam poets became kings of Pandya.