Stone to sarees: Auspicious motifs of Kanchipuram sarees
Kanchipuram, Temples and Textile Motifs Kanchipuram, as the name conjures up images of the towering temples and rustling silk, it is inevitable the connection between the two is made. Etched in stone and inscribed on slabs the stories of the temples, their makers, the donors makes it possible to discuss the evolution of the temple art and architecture, the festivals, rituals and the continuity of that over millennia. The underlying connection between the temples and the Kanchipuram silks in some ways is one – the divinity and the royalty. The vishwakarmas who built the large and small temples in the town, once a towering capital of the Pallavas, as well as the weavers who predominantly come from the Padma Saliyar, Pattu Saliyar, Devanga communities trace their evolution to divine command. Communities followed the principles that had a common basis. That the art is divine and they are ordained by the Gods to create, weave. The temples were made for the Gods and the robe...