Sausar Saree

 

After a long time indulged in taking a photo outside the home before leaving for work in the early morning. Even as I try to distance myself from buying and owning any more sarees than what I have greedily pursued all life, there are some valuable know-hows I have collected during this journey. I have accidentally bumped into rare yet beautiful weaves that most people have never heard about. One such weave is this Sausar saree.

 As I skimmed through the sarees sitting on hangers in the closet deciding what to wear to work today I noticed the pair of these Sausar sarees hiding behind others. It’s been several months since I last draped them. This is it. I will wear this today, I decided. It had some crumpled creases and I couldn’t imagine draping it as is. So quickly plugged the iron and within minutes the saree was crisply ironed and a delight to wrap around. It deserved documentation for the sake of saree buffs. Abhay was awake and willing to take the pictures. Within minutes of the photo session I had packed my lunch and was on the road. Also after a long time I was driving just as sunrise was imminent. So decided to pull over, stayed put for over 5 minutes over a turnout, before the fireball popped out from behind the mountain. Prayed for humility throughout this waiting period. The sunrise seemed to shower blessings for the wish to be fulfilled. 

Back to the talk of the saree! In good old days when I would rummage through the internet finding contacts of award winning weavers and various textile experts I came across the name of Mr Chandrashekhar Kolhe. He had been awarded a National Award for his design of the Sausar Saree, named after the place in Madhya Pradesh where the saree originates. Sausar is close to the Maharashtra border, and is located between two rivers, Jam and Kanha. It is not too far from Nagpur. Like Nagpur it is an orange growing region. It is also a site for large number of cotton fields as well as one of the largest ginning mills for cotton in India. It is a hub for traditional handloom weaving.

 Mr Kolhe’s work was acknowledged for its refinement and innovation in design. I found his contact number and was thrilled when he returned the call. It was pure joy when I received his sarees in the mail. Soft, pure cotton, easy for daily work wear as well as casual wear, the sarees were elegant and comfortable at the same time. Price was very reasonable too. I became friends with Mr Kolhe and when he sought help it wasn’t difficult for me to procure orders for more sarees from my friends. They in turn gifted more to their family and friends. 

Today as I wear this dark coffee colored Sausar saree to work can’t help but appreciate it all over again. The diamond shaped textured buttis all over the body and the woven vases on its pallu are beautiful. Dobby technique is used in the border and jala technique in the pallu.

It brought so much joy all day to drape this beauty.