The Chettinad Wardrobe
The motifs woven in our silk sarees have always borne special meaning offering insights into our weaving traditions and society at large.
The symbols which adorned the temple walls went into our silks to signify auspiciousness. The Gopurams of South Indian temples saw a design equivalent in the borders of a Kanchipuram sari. The symbolic patterns in sculptures were derived as meaningful motifs by the weavers along the borders and enhancing the “mundhanai” or pallu.
Deep in the south of India, was Chettinad, once part of the ancient Pandya Kingdom. A cluster of 96 villages of Chettiars, in their heydays, built fortress-like mansions and filled them with riches they earned from across the seas.
The giant mansion homes of Chettinad are architectural landmarks and their ornate and palatial homes create a size of wonderment by its size and embellishment.
The architecture of Sundari Silks store has drawn heavily from these traditional homes and now inspired us to take a step further in designing at Chettinadu sari collection.
With a new season, come newer ideas. This year’s Diwali collection “The Chettinad wardrobe” promotes the glorious craft heritage of South India showcasing Chettinad inspired motifs. This collection interprets the architectural elements of Chettinad homes as motifs which take the centre stage in body, borders and pallu of silks.
Sundari Silks believes in creating beautiful textiles rooted in the true ethos of India. This collection is a precursor to our forthcoming designs which are inspired by our immediate natural environments.
About the Chettinadu homes
The Chettinad homes were created by master craftsmen with almost identical plans across the homes in each village. The façade of a house, the ornate balustrades, the splendid wood and stonework pillars were all created by local craftspersons.
The built to last quality of homes, the famed mirror finish from its walls to floors, the chandeliers, arches, windows and sunshades makes it a true wonder of houses.
Here’s a look at the special creations of The Chettinad wardrobe reflecting the skills of South India’s textile artisans, and the millennia-old tradition of textile crafts!
Stay tuned to learn about the special motifs which embellish our new collection!
