Did you know when US President Barack Obama visited India as a special guest for this year's Republic Day celebration, he was honoured with a Mysore silk shawl. Karnataka has a reason to be proud about, each time a royal event takes place in the country owing to its distinguished Mysore Silk.
Here are 10 facts we bet you did not know about the unique Mysore silk sarees:
1. Although the exact history of the Mysore Silk saree can be traced back to 1912 AD, its origins can be traced back to 1785 AD, when the first silk cocoons were imported to Mysore. Tipu Sultan – the de-facto ruler of the then Kingdom of Mysore imported silk cocoons from China, with a vision of making Mysore, a leading nation in quality silk production.
2. Atleast 1 kg of silk goes into manufacturing of a single saree which is quite evident in the weight of the saree. Moreover with every saree, a code is attached embroidered in a corner, which gives you the entire history of the saree including details such as when it was manufactured, how many hours went into its making and the wages the weaver got for the saree.
3. Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC) is the only organisation in the country commanding the entire gamut of silk production right from reeling of cocoons, to the weaving of pure silk fabric, all under one roof. Every year vintage saree competitions are held by KSIC to create awareness about the quality of Mysore silks.
4. The distinguishing feature of this saree is the usage of pure silk and 100% pure gold zari ( a thread which is made of 65% silver and 0.65% gold). The zari never tarnishes and looks new even after a long period of usage.
5. Mysore Silk celebrated its 100th birthday in 2012 with the introduction of designer Mysore Silk Sarees. In the same year, KSIC employed National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) qualified personnel Ila Dhupalia to innovate and widen the scope for the fabric. They are also venturing into new markets with their exclusive range of salwar suits, handbags and stoles
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6. Did you know you could witness how colorful threads and zari are magically woven in to wonderful sarees? The Mysore silk tours offer you the opportunity to watch the whole process from close quarters. It leaves one with a sense of fascination and wonder.
7. During Republic Day this year, along with a special Mysore silk shawl for US President Barack Obama, Rashtrapati Bhavan has ordered 50 Mysore silk shawls to honour visiting foreign dignitaries. Even Air-India had placed an order of 10,000 Mysore silk sarees worth Rs 6.5 crore for the air-hostesses of the air-carrier company.
8. The Mysore silk enjoys the dignity of being manufactured by the country’s oldest silk manufacturing unit – the Mysore Silk Weaving Factory at Mysore, Karnataka. In the year 2005 KSIC got the GI or the Geographical Registration patent certificate which adds a feather to its cap and thus became the sole proprietor.
9. The KSIC has about 115 designs and 300 color shades in its catalogue, with traditional designs occupying the pride of the place. The KSIC’s new zari patterns and ‘kasauti’ embroidery embellishments have added to the aristocratic look of the fabric and boosted its sales in India and abroad by around 15%. KSIC has also launched a scheme to lure women where it enables weaving of custom-made sarees.
10. Apart from our favourite yester-year actresses like Rekha, Hema Malini and Kirror Kher who are frequently spotted wearing the Mysore Silk Saree, Vice-President Hamid Ansari's wife Salma Ansari is a regular customer of Mysore silk sarees. Also, it was a moment of pride for Mysore when Carnatic singer Bombay Jayashri donned a classic Mysore silk saree at the Oscars, where her original song in ‘Life of Pi’ was nominated.
-Ruhi Tarkas
-Ruhi Tarkas
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