Venkatgiri saree: the crown of the Velugoti Dynasty

Once, a renowned journalists cum writer, Khuswant Singh, said that there are two things worth living for: a good whisky, preferably scotch and a beautiful woman, soothing to the eyes.

Not only him, but there are also many other writers and beauty admirers like him, who love to cherish women’s beauty creatively.

Cotton sarees are one of the mediums through which women’s beauty is enhanced to infinity.

There is a saying which depicts if Punjab is known for its yellow- ochre mustard fields, then Bengal is known for its vibrant cotton sarees, also known as Tant in Bengali households.

Bong mothers and aunties are just fond of these. The fabric is so light that wearing it feels like wearing something “woven in air.”

But today, we will not talk about Bengal’s tant; we will delve into a special type of cotton named the ‘Venkatgiri Cotton’.

History and evaluation of Venkatgiri sarees.

Generally, South India is famous for its silks. But among the glorious silken cloths, Venkatgiri also makes its own hallmark without feeling the existential crisis.

Manuscripts proved that Venkatgiri’s history started from the early 1700s in a small district of Andhra Pradesh named Nellore.

This cotton art was erupted under the patronage of the Velugoti Dynasty.

During those days, weavers were appointed as dress designers of the royals. They don’t work for the aam-janta. 

They used to weave exclusive Dhotis, Sarees, and other garments for Maharajas and Maharanis and the other royal members of the Velugoti Dynasty.

These weavers were so well-paid that a single royal order was capable of fedding weaver’s family for a year.

Their handloom work is complex yet so attractive that these intricacies would make even a spider jealous.

Till now, in the town of Venkatgiri, among 40,000 residuals 20,000 are weavers by profession.

Speciality of Venkatgiri sarees 

The most interesting fact about Venkatgiri is that its designs and motifs are basically borrowed from Jamdani. 

The weaving techniques are also copied from the jamdani weavers of Bangladesh.

The handwoven motifs are directly woven on the cotton base of the saree using the Adai technique. No machines are used. Just patience and skills are the ultimate tools to create an original Venkatgiri saree.

There are several types of Venkatgiri saree which are available in the market. Venkatgiri 100, Venkatgiri Silk and Venkatgiri Putta, many more. But among them, Venkatgiri 100 is considered the most popular for its extreme lightweight.

It is clinically proven that Venkatgiri is the softest and most durable saree of India. 

FAQs

1. How to identify the original Venkatgiri Pattu saree?

During the time of buying, you should touch the saree's base. If it is soft and you feel like you are touching a newborn, then you can make sure that the saree is the original one. And if its durability is high, then it is also original.

2. Which state is known for Venkatgiri Silk Saree?

Andhra Pradesh is known for the Venkatgiri Silk and Venkatgiri Cotton Saree.

3. From where can you buy a Venkatgiri cotton saree?.

There are many luxury fashion houses, but Venkatgiri Cotton Saree online is now very trending, so you can buy it from the renowned e-commerce sites.

4. Why is the Venkatgiri saree called Venkatgiri Jamdani Saree?

The motifs are woven on Venkatgiri in the Jamdani style. That's why it is called Venkatgiri Jamdani saree.

5. State the other name of the Venkatgiri saree.

Venkatgiri is also called Kalimilli when the state was under the Vijayanagar empire. During the 17th century, the name was changed to Venkatgiri.