Introduction
The town of Gadwal in Telangana is historic, but it is also world-renowned for its handloom zari sarees. The local weavers, who are highly skilled, weave a saree that can be folded to fit into a matchbox. That’s right; we said “fit into a matchbox.” The Gadwal saree has remained a popular garment for decades. If you want to showcase the skill of the region’s weavers, an excellent way to do that is with a Gadwal saree.
Unique Features of Gadwal Sarees
Gadwal sarees are celebrated for their quintessential cotton body, featuring an attached silk border and a silk pallu.
The constituents of the weave include:
1. Silk / Cotton / Zari
2. Tussar or Mulberry Silk for the border
2. Unbleached Cotton for the body
3. Coloured Cotton or Silk Checks for design variation
4. Moreover, to meet different tastes, pure silk Gadwal sarees are also woven.
Durability and Weaving Techniques
Sarees from Gadwal are handwoven with meticulous care. The fabric is soft enough to drape gracefully and stay put, but firm enough to maintain many of the shapes you might find in a dress made from a non-woven fabric. Colors used in Gadwal sarees are vibrant and long-lasting—exactly the kind of hues you want in a summer cotton.
The Weaving Process
The effort of two skilled weavers over 4-8 days is required for each Gadwal saree. The undertaking includes:
The Yarn Dyeing Process:
The process of dyeing the yarn (silk or cotton) begins with immersing the yarn in boiling colored water at high temperatures. Weaver specifications and customer preferences guide the selection of colors used in the dyeing process.
Shade drying is the first step in preparing the yarn for weaving. The next steps in yarn preparation involve rolling the dried yarn onto small sticks and converting that yarn into threads for weaving.
Loading onto the Loom:
The warp is loaded onto the loom for weaving, and it is the dyed yarn that is being loaded.
Weaving Techniques:
Gadwal sarees are traditionally woven using the interlocked-weft technique, also known as Kuppadam or TippadamKotakomma (also called Kumbam) Due to this technique, Gadwal sarees are also known as Kotakomma or Kumbam sarees.
