Traditional silk art gets royal display

The richness and timelessness of traditional art and craft is on display at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Palace retail store. Meticulously hand-crafted silk saris and dupattas, inspired by the designs and styles popular with the royals during the Mughal and Rajput eras, are vying for attention with earthen ware, silver ware and precious jewellery that reflect the diversity of the Indian heritage and culture. "It takes three months to weave a silk sari with jhangla work which can only be undertaken by a master craftsman," said Sarita Hegde Roy, COO of Taj Khazana, the hotel's lifestyle store. Another design that is being showcased in an exhibition titled Trunk Show is the shikargha or hunting design inspired by the royal pastime. The third design is kinkhaab which means love for eternity. "It is a pure silk sari with intricate zari work," she added. All three designs were coveted by royals in the16th and 17th century for their exclusivity and intricacy. The two-day Trunk Show began on Tuesday at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Palace. Several craftsmen in small Indian towns are either out of work or struggling to make ends meet. The Taj group has ensured a livelihood for handloom weavers in some villages around Varanasi. The weavers are hired by the hotel and their products are sold at Taj properties across the country. The group also employs traditional craftsmen, weavers and painters from across the country to revive and promote the dying arts while showcasing Indian art and craft for its international clientele. "The idea is to provide livelihood to these artists by commissioning the choicest of hand-woven fabrics, paintings and artifacts. The merchandise is sourced from craft, art and textile experts in India with the works rooted in tradition and which are adapted into avant garde forms representing exclusivity," she said.