Gadwal Saree
Gadwal Sarees are produced in the southern Indian state of Telangana and they happen to be an ornate and attractive part of the rich textile heritage of India.
Originally, these types of sarees had been used for prayer or Puja purposes.
A Gadwal saree is well-known for its brilliant colors, rich appearance, and simple as well as ornate zari work.
A traditional Gadwal saree’s specialty is the fact that the body of the saree is woven in cotton threads and the pallu and borders are made from silk.
This type of textile diversity has made the saree extremely popular among women in India given that it is quite uncommon as well as unconventional.
This is accomplished with the help of a special weaving process maneuvering the weft thread.
Because of this, the Gadwal saree is considered to be a popular festive-wear attire that is likewise worn on other formal occasions.
It is a fact that these sarees have become quite well-known in India during the last 20 years in particular.
At present, pure cotton as well as pure silk Gadwal sarees are produced on a wide scale in this country.
Several different elements work together to make this saree such an attractive and coveted traditional attire.
It is known to feature one shade on the pallu and the border as well as another shade on the body.
One of the primary reasons why Gadwal sarees are so popular among women is that they depict really awesome contrasts along with elegant and subtle distinctions with the option of well-spaced and subtle embellishments. It will be possible to choose from an extensive assortment of shades and these will suit various types of style sensibilities when it comes to hues.
Material used to make a Gadwal saree
Silk and cotton along with zari happen to be the primary raw materials utilized for the production of Gadwal sarees.
While cotton yarn will be used in the weft and warp in the body of the saree, silk yarn will be used in the weft and warp in the border and pallu.
Nevertheless, you will also come across other combinations used by the weavers at present.
Technique applied
Throw shuttle pit or frame looms are utilized to weave a Gadwal saree.
These looms might or might not be fitted with a dobby or Jacquard.
Dobby is used to make simple designs, and as many as 480 hooks are used for making complex designing jacquards.
As many as 3 shuttles, 2 for the border weft and 1 for the body weft will be used. Interestingly, one needs to possess high skill levels to do this sort of weaving.
Guidelines to identify a genuine Gadwal saree
1. Outstanding features of a Gadwal saree consist of zari patterns in significant squares present on the fabric and attractively made Kuttu borders. “Kuttu” happens to be the art of joining saree pallu and border following the weaving process.
2. The most essential feature of a typical Gadwal saree is the Kittu or the joining at the saree’s border. The pallu and the borders are made from silk at all times.
3. The silk of these sarees is derived from Bengaluru while the zari is derived from Surat. SicoGadwal is a cost-effective variety of Gadwal sarees and it is a combination of silk and cotton threads.
4. The borders of these sarees are woven in a specific style known as “Kumbam”. A typical Gadwal saree is embellished with conventional zari motifs that have been inspired by paisley, nature, peacock motifs as well as religious architecture. It is feasible to prepare these embellishments from silver, copper, as well as gold zaris.
The most recent Gadwal sarees feature embellishments in the zari and colorful threads are woven into motifs inspired by the nature in the entire saree instead of the pallu alone.
The majority of the gadwall sarees come with tassels prepared from warp yarns of the fabric that help to enhance its attractiveness.
Tips to purchase gadwall sarees
At present, you will come across lots of online stores and retail outlets marketing these Gadwal sarees. Make sure to stick to these tips mentioned below if you like to buy an authentic saree.
• The cost – It is a fact that the price of a top-quality Gadwal saree can be somewhat high. Be cautious of sellers marketing these attires at an extremely low price since you might have to compromise on the quality in that case.
• Embellishments – The amount of decoration work done on these sarees will ascertain their richness in the long run. The embellishment work consists of lacework, silver, and golden threads, embroidery work, as well as other types of decoration work. It is important to bear in mind that the price of the sarees will be more in case their quality is better.
• The saree’s color – The way you appear will depend on the color of the Gadwal saree to a great extent. For this reason, make certain to choose a color that makes you look great.
Maintenance and care
• Storage – Make it a point to store the Gadwal saree separately from other sarees and also hang them so that there are no crease and wrinkles happening on them. Also, store the saree in a dark location to prevent the color from getting faded.
• Washing – Wash the Gadwal saree with cold water as usual. In the event of any stain, make use of petrol or dry clean the saree. The silk saree can also be washed with the help of protein shampoo which will help to preserve the true nature of the saree. Also, don’t twist the saree while washing since it can lead to the formation of wrinkles.
• Ironing – You need to iron the Gadwal saree to get rid of any wrinkles and creases from it. Always remember to iron using low heat while putting the saree under a piece of cotton cloth. Steam ironing the saree will be the best option since it won’t harm the silk saree at all.
