Know your Indian silk

An exhibition that just opened in theu00a0Mumbai offers you a crash course in the million weaves India's craft centres produce. For those short on time, here's a readymade pictorial guideSilk Fab, a Ministry of Textiles initiative, offers a free pass into the colossal world of traditional Indian silk, and along the way you may also find out which sari Katrina Kaif has been sporting in the recent Rajneeti promos.The exhibition opens at 11 am, by which time there's already a small crowd waiting to get in.There are those who have come armed with notepads and pens, ready to cross items off their wedding trousseau checklists, and then there are others like the lady who commutes from Mulund to Cuffe Parade every year to shop here. She hopes the organisers will shift the venue to the suburbs some day.Even if you don't have serious moolah to spare, we suggest you come armed with time because a visit to the stalls here is a serious crash course in Indian tradition. Strike up a conversation with stall owners if you want the dope on traditional techniques used in the fabrics on display. Maheshwari Rasta sari from Bhopal with daboo work (Rs 1,440).State: Madhya PradeshWhat to look for: Chanderi and Maheshwari RastaWith an almost net-like texture and a somewhat transparent feel, Chanderis get their name from a town famous for its handloom weaves. Exquisite gold borders and gold butis are the highlights. Hunt for these at the Chanderi Handlooms Cluster Development Producers' Co Ltd stall.At the Bhopal stall, Trushant Nagarka can go on and on about Maheshwari Rasta saris, which, he tells us, are thus named because of the fine stripes visible in the grain of the silk. Sonia Gandhi wears them a lot, he says adding, Which is why Katrina Kaif is wearing them in Rajneeti too. Kasouti work on Malbari silk (Rs 4,500 onwards) from Karnataka.State: KarnatakaWhat to look for: Chintamani and Kasouti Tomatoes, groundnuts, bananas and silk... that's what Chintamani, a town in Karnataka is famous for. Here, at stall number 18, you will find the soft silk woven into stunning traditional saris with thick gold borders. Kasouti work is another specialty of the region and at this stall, it has been used on soft Malbari silk. Chariots, conch shells and palanquins are popular themes in this style of embroidery, a sari adorned with which used to be deemed an essential component of every bridal trousseau. Madhubani silk from West Bengal, hand-painted (Rs 3,500).State: West BengalWhat to look for: Madhubani paintings on Dupion silk and Baluchari More than half the stalls at the exhibition have been taken up by artisans from West Bengal, but there's something unique at each stall, so it's worth your while stopping by more than one. We especially loved the hieroglyphic-like, two-dimensional Madhubani paintings on raw, stiff Dupion silk, which has a special sheen, displayed in the Santipur Diamond Handloom Welfare Society's stall.Baluchari saris, which you can find at stall number 50, have particularly striking pallus on which stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana are depicted in intricate thread work. Assam patti silk with meri work (Rs 3,500).State: AssamWhat to look for: Moonga, Pat and Eri Drop in at stall number 15 and you'll recognise Moonga by its yellowish tinge. Thick and stiff, this silk is obtained from worms that feed on Som and Soalu plants, and is an integral part of Assamese culture and tradition.Pat (also known as Mulberry silk because the worms feed on the Mulberry plant), is indigenous to this region and appreciated the world over as one of the finest silks. It's extremely soft and smooth to the touch and the naturally white silk derives its name from the word 'pat' which means 'pure' in the local language. Eri silk, almost jute-like in texture, has been woven into stoles here. Kosa silk dupatta, fully embroidered (Rs 4,500).State: ChhattisgarhWhat to look for: Kosa and GhichaKosa are, ostensibly, valued for their purity, and at National Award winner Debhrata Dey's stall number 91, the fabric is made from silk worms that are not boiled. So, you can wear these guilt-free. Instead, the silk thread is simply drawn from the cocoons raised on Arjun and Sal trees. Both, Kosa and Ghicha are coarse, handloom-woven silks, but Ghichas are stitched out of panels of silk of varying textures and shades.u00a0 State: OrissaWhat to look for: Bomkai, Khandwa, Pasapalli and SambalpuriKhandwa, a fine silk sari, the vendor at the Sonepur Handloom Cluster stall tells us, is the lightest sari you can get. It's also the cheapest since it's woven out of a cheaper Malda yarn. Bomkais boast inimitable thread work on fine silk, and as Jagganath is a favoured deity in this region, these are often embroidered with motifs of the conch, wheel or lotus.Sambalpuri saris are created using tie-and-dye techniques on fine silk and the unique chessboard pattern of Pasapalli silk saris render them distinctive.Where to BuyWorld Trade Centre, first floor, Cuffe Parade. Open daily from 11 am to 8 pmSilk Fab is on till June 23.