Indriya's Features
 
 
Description
The main highlight of this traditional Thirubuvanam drape  is the contrasting, striking broad rettai peth (two lines border) and Purple Tharampoo (screwpine flower  or temple border) in traditional Meenakshi green. The body of the saree is in traditional Mambram (Mango yellow) with cross colors of Orange and a hint of purple.  The one sided border of the saree steals the show with its intricate annam (swan) motifs in gold zari and the contrast threadwork buttas in purple in the body provide an elegant contrast. The aanchal in Meenakshi green has gold zari buttas.
The pure , sturdy, yet soft and light handloom silk, shines and shimmers in daylight.
Saree has been paired with a sustainable hand drawn and painted Pen Kalamkari floral blouse. Style your drape elegantly with pretty temple jewelry and make a unique style statement. 
 
About Thirubhuvanam weaves
A 30 minutes pot holes and bad road free drive from bustling Kumbhakonam city takes you to a sleepy idyllic town by the name of Thirubuvanam in Thanjavur district. The tranquil narrow roads, small thatched roof, clay tiled street houses with their quaint verandah’s remind you of a scene straight from a R.K Laxman tale. The rolling greens, clear blue sky and a faint fragrance of fresh jasmine coupled with the clickety clack of a handloom shall instantly captivate you.
The small weaving cluster of about 2000 handloom weaving families in the heart of the erstwhile legendary Chola Kingdom in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, is one of the lesser known and unsung sisters of the more popular Kanchipuram handloom silk saree cluster. GI tagged Thirubuvanam cluster produces fine, sturdy, highly lustrous, fluid handloom silk sarees made of high-grade raw silk that are on par and at times better than their Kanchi counterpart. Striking contrast colours, ‘Gopuram’ (temple) borders made in pure zari, a wide, versatile and creative application of handwoven zari or thread work motifs across the expanse of the saree and ultra-smooth, soft, yet sturdy (ghaatram in Tamil) silk is what you will experience when you hold the saree for the 1st time in your hands. Typically woven without a blouse these sarees of 5.5 meters are more often than not sarees with borders on one side. The other unique aspect is the way the saree is folded like a compact Japanese hand held decorated fan. The fold is called a ‘Visri’ or a ‘Angavastram’ or fan fold. The several sharp folds quickly demonstrate to you how perfectly the saree pleats will fall when draped.
Divinity and handloom silk saree weaving go hand in hand, irrespective of the handloom cluster. The temple town of Thirubuvanam is no exception to this. The sarees from this cluster are most often offered to the ‘Amman’ or Devi temples situated in and around Thanjavur district. A choice for most brides from this region, traditional Thirubuvanam silk sarees are a festive special occasion wear.
The slowly depleting skilled weaver base in the cluster is a matter of concern. Historically the weavers here have their roots in Saurashtra and speak a dialect that is unique. Having relocated to the southern part of India many years ago, the 4th generation of handloom weavers’, who speak fluent pure Tamil, express grief and anxiety over the slowdown of business. Coupled with raw material price inflation, the prevalent Covid situation and handloom weaving not being an occupation of choice for the next generation, the fine hand craft of creating glistening masterpieces faces tough times ahead. The availability of low-cost Chinese silk power loom manufactured substitute sarees flooding the market add to their woes.
A small cooperative society located in the cluster supports them to some extent, however not adequate to support a livelihood. The large city-based saree retail chains procure from the cluster from time to time, however unfortunately do not prominently market the sarees as products manufactured from the Thirubuvanam cluster for reasons of fickle unsure universal ‘acceptability’ of a ‘Non-Kanchi’ silk saree. One experiences the pain of this injustice first hand while interacting with the weavers one on one. Necessity forces them to transact at the cost of letting go of their pride and legacy, despite having a winning product that is competitively priced and perhaps relatively better.
As consumers, we can also do our bit to support this slice of cultural Indian heritage and legacy. Being more aware of South Indian silk saree clusters and weaves and the distinct uniqueness they have to offer, is one way. Consciously opting for and actively seeking to induct a unique weave into your wardrobe is another way. Besides having a different unique drape, this often becomes a subject of engaging sparkling conversations in social get togethers.
The Thirubuvanam handloom silk saree is a representation of all things divine, handmade and pure and indeed an unsung story of shimmering, softness that is sustainable.
 
* This product has been woven on a handloom by the weaver and may have slight irregularities that are a natural outcome due to the human involvement in weaving a unique handcrafted product without any electrical power. The colours may fade or bleed due to the traditional dyeing method employed.
* There may be slight differences in color of the actual product due to lighting conditions during photography.