About District
- Narayanapet is a town, mandal & revenue division of the newly formed Narayanapet district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is 165 km from the state capital Hyderabad. Narayanapet district of Telangana is famous for exquisite and unique cotton handloom and silk sarees which are widely popular.
- It was the weavers who brought here the tradition of weaving sarees with district design and later became known as Narayanapet sarees. Hence, the influence of Maharashtra is evident in these sarees. Narayanapet sarees have a characteristic checked surface design with embroidery, while the border or pallu has intricate ethnic patterns.
- Narayanapet handloom sarees give a different look with small zari designs. This handloom weaver from Narayanapet describes the process of making eight sarees at once on a loom as a special process. Thus, instead of the standard 7 yards of cloth normally put on the loom, about 56 yards of silk are put on at a time. Narayanapet handloom sarees are relatively light in weight and can be comfortably worn by women throughout the year.
- The borders and pallu of Narayanapet handloom sarees are very traditional, with a rich pallu that has a unique pattern of attractive and alternating red and white bands. The border consists of a flat stretch of deep maroon, chocolate red or red. It is thinly separated with a clear pattern of white or colored lines. Hence these sarees have really attractive pallus and different colors with simple borders. Double shade sarees with combinations like pink-purple and maroon-mustard are also made here. Cotton-silk blends and light pure silk sarees are the best examples of Narayanapet sarees. The warp and weft of Narayanapet hand loom sarees represent the 80s style with combed cotton and are dyed in wat colors.
- Sarees are known for the durability of the colors used in the yarn. The process of making each Narayanapet handloom saree begins with dyeing the silk/cotton yarn. Dyeing is the process of immersing yarn in colored water boiled at very high temperature. This process ensures uniform spread of color throughout the yarn without affecting the quality of the yarn used. The coloring process is a crucial step and the yarn is dried in the shade and not under the sun. The dyed and dried yarn is finally loaded into the loom for the final process of weaving. The weavers here easily make 30 sarees from one beam.
- Handloom sarees in Narayanapet are traditionally woven using the interlock-weft technique. Due to affordability, as well as durability and low maintenance, handloom sarees in Narayanapet are very popular. The combination of Telangana and Maratha style is evident in the sarees of this region, thus proving how the fusion of different cultures can be diverse and aesthetically appealing. There is a huge demand for handwoven sarees in Narayanapet and apart from the main town, many villages in the mandal also have hundreds of weaving families who depend on this tradition for their livelihood. These sarees are usually worn by women on special occasions and represent elegance and great looks. It can truly be described as the pride of Palamuru, representing the rich heritage of handicraft traditions of the state of Telangana in South India.