Artist Vinay Narkar has been tracing stories about the saree beyond looms, to paintings, poetry and folk traditions. His journey took him from a corporate law firm in Mumbai, to his hometown, Solapur where he documented traditional but disappearing textiles.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Exhibition-space_e.jpg" alt="A view of the studio in Solapur" width="1280" height="720" /> A view of the studio in Solapur
&ldquo;After exhaustive R&amp;D, we discovered that these textiles found mention in Maharashtra&rsquo;s folk and literary traditions, where saris, cholis, pitambars and other forms of dress were used to express beauty, devotion, sensuality and identity.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Vinay-Narkar_e.jpg" alt="Vinay Narkar" width="1280" height="720" /> Vinay Narkar
Works by Honaji Bala, Sant Janabai and Sant Dnyaneshwar, along with anonymous folk verses, offered glimpses of textiles and clothing of those times. In Honaji Bala&rsquo;s shringaar-rich lavanis, the sari-choli described feminine beauty and adornment. Sant Janabai&rsquo;s devotional poetry refers to Vitthal&rsquo;s pitambar, depicting textiles&rsquo; religious significance,&rdquo; he explains, from his Solapur studio.
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<h2>The Guide&rsquo;s top picks</h2>
Ganesh Chitra 1
The painting brings together Ganesha and Saraswati, with Ganesha depicted draped in a striking red shela, a &mdash; traditional shawl or stole draped over the shoulders. The four female attendants wear distinct regional styles, including Pathani attire, Ilkal sarees and Chandrakala textiles. The painting also features Mushaka and the peacock, the respective vahanas of Ganesha and Saraswati, with an 18th-century-style stone fountain visible in the backdrop.
Joth Chitra
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Joth_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
The Joth saree showcases a delicate Ikat stripe woven into the borders, revived in this artwork. The painting portrays a Brahmin woman draped in the Joth, paired with jewellery and a Khopa, the region&rsquo;s characteristic hairdo. She admires an Aarasi, a traditional ring, while a folk verse describes this saree, rendered calligraphically at the bottom, linking the textile to Maharashtra&rsquo;s cultural traditions.
Chadurang Chiki
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Chadurang_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
The Chadurang Chiki saree carries a textile history connecting Surpur in North Karnataka with Maharashtra&rsquo;s Deccan weaving traditions. Built around Motichur, tiny pearl-like dots woven into a checked grid, the design was identified from an antique saree preserved at the Zapurza Museum in Pune. In this painting, a woman wearing the recreated Chadurang Chiki stands beside a traditional Chadurang, with Surpur Palace behind her.
Ganesh Chitra 2
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Ganesh-Chitra_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Ganesh-Chitra_e.jpg" alt="" />
Did you know there is a traditional Indian textile called Pitambari? In Maharashtra&rsquo;s textile history, Pitambar refers to a silk drape-cloth. Yeola, a town in Nashik district, known for its weaving and Paithani textiles, is associated with its production. Its rich yellow-gold colour and ceremonial use resonate with Ganesh Chaturthi, when Ganesha is often adorned in vibrant, auspicious fabrics. In this painting, Ganesha sits on a lotus alongside Riddhi and Siddhi, dressed in Pitambari and framed by hibiscus flowers.
A saree like the night sky
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Chandrakala_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Chandrakala folklore depicts a Patralekhika, or lady writing a letter, on a rooftop beneath a starry sky, wearing a blue-black cotton Chandrakala sari. Even in folk poetry the weave of the Chandrakala saree is referred to as &lsquo;Ratriche Gagan,&rsquo; (Marathi for midnight clouds). The sari features a Rui Phool border and Khari, a traditional resin-print technique, adding texture to its dark ground and reinforcing the connection between the textile and the night.

Ahead of Ganeshotsav, Vinay Narkar revisits Maharashtra’s lost weaves through paintings rooted in its textile, folk and literary traditions

Artist Vinay Narkar brings Maharashtra’s forgotten sarees and textile traditions alive through paintings

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Home / Mumbai-guide / Things To Do / Article / Artist Vinay Narkar brings Maharashtra’s forgotten sarees and textile traditions alive through paintings

Artist Vinay Narkar brings Maharashtra’s forgotten sarees and textile traditions alive through paintings

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