Amidst the splendid culture of the state of Maharashtra lies a quaint little town called Paithan in Aurangabad. The Paithani saree is known the world over for its uniqueness. It is one of the most beautiful sarees in the world. The Paithani saris are made from exquisite silk and are hand woven. They are considered to be the richest saris in all Maharashtra. Paithani saris are said to be hand woven poems in gold and silk. Paithani saris are a symbol of the intellectually refined elites. The craft of weaving the sari was invented in 200 B.C. and flourished during the Satvahana era. A true Paithani pure silk sari is characterized by the borders of an oblique and square design having a pallu with a peacock. They are available in kaleidoscope colors and this effect is achieved by varying the weave. The specialty of the Paithani is its border and pallu. Earlier just 2-3 colors were popular which were integrated in the sari in the dhup chaon pattern which, when translated, means light and shade. Paithani is designed in three criteria that are motifs, weaving and colors. The motifs are designed in Bangadi (peacock), Munia style( parrot) and Lotus motif. The traditional Paithani saris used to be a plain sari with a heavy zari border and ornamental pallu. But today Paithani with motifs are in vogue: stars, circles, peacocks, flowers and paisleys. The Paithani borders and pallus are heavily adorned with these motifs and the sari is given the name after the design on it. There are lot of colors used in Paithani sarees like Raghu, shirodak, Kalichadrakala and some more. And the traditional colors are Red, Lavender, purple and peal pink. There are three techniques of weaving used in Paithani sarees. One is the split tapestry weave, interlocked method and ekdhoti tailing method. Paithani pure silk saris are designed with traditional motifs, zari bootis, embroidery work and floral zari woven Paithani borders and rich woven designer pallus, perfectly suitable for wedding, parties, traditional occasions and festivals.
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