Gharchola Sarees are originated from the Khambat (Cambay) region of Gujarat and have been used for years as the traditional wedding attire by the Hindus and Jains. Till about the 16th century, Khambat was a popular port and centre of trade in India. Merchants from all over the world visited this trading centre. It was also famous for silk manufacturing. The weaving of Gharcholas can be traced back to this port city.
There are many cultural practices and religious symbols associated with weddings in the Indian society and Gharchola is one of them. This auspicious wedding staple has been used for years in the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan with a beautiful thought behind it.
What is Gharchola Sarees?
The word Gharchola is the combination of two words, Ghar (home) and Chola (clothing/cape). It translates to home wear/ apparel or something that is worn at home. But the contextual meaning is something else. The symbolism is in context to the wedding where Ghar (home) refers to the bride’s new home, Chola (apparel) refers to the wedding attire.
Gharchola is a saree, traditionally used as a head or shoulder drape which is also known as Odhani, Chunari or Chundari. Since it is a wedding attire, it is usually in colours like red or maroon and green or yellow which are considered auspicious in the traditional belief. It is a variant of the popular Bandhani saree but what distinguishes a Gharchola is its typical grid pattern.
When and why is Gharchola Sarees worn?
This saree is gifted to the new bride by the groom’s family. It is a way of welcoming the new bride into the groom’s home with respect and affection. The bride drapes it over her head during the wedding rituals symbolising the mother-in-law’s blessings. She changes into it as soon as she comes to the new house as a profound gesture of the bride joining the new home and the new family taking up all her responsibility. Even today, this tradition is followed with some local variations in many North Indian states.
How are Gharchola Sarees worn?
The bride generally wears a Gharchola as an Odhani or Chunar. They drape it over their head and across their shoulders for the Pheras (the wedding rituals) around the auspicious fire. One end of Gharchola is pleated and tucked at the bride’s waist on the left side and the other end is brought to their right shoulder, draping the saree from the back. Many contemporary brides might not drape the pallu over their heads.
During wedding rituals, the pallu’s loose end that falls over the bride’s right shoulder is tied to the groom’s sacred stole endorsing the auspicious knot.
What are Panetar and Gharchola Sarees?
Panetar is a bridal saree from Gujrat. A bride who hails from a Gujrati or Kutchi family wears this on her wedding day. A Panetar saree is a gift to the bride from her maternal uncle.
Traditionally, a Panetar is worn by the bride during the first half of the wedding ceremony and then she would change into the Gharchola for the second half, thus symbolising her transition from one family to the other. However, today the usual practice is to wear the Gharchola like a dupatta over the head and the shoulders while showcasing a Panetar bridal saree on the body.
In comparison to the Panetar, Gharchola is more complex in terms of fabric, texture and design.
Making of Gharchola:-
What are the Materials used in Gharchola Sarees?
- The authentic traditional Gharcholas are rarely made in pure Silk as wrongly believed by many people. The manufacturers typically used Venkatgiri cotton to craft Gharcholas. This rich cotton handloom fabric is sourced from Southern India, specifically Andhra Pradesh as this variety has a certain silk-like quality and has a sheen.
- Only rich cotton or cotton blends are used as they are absorbent and resilient and works best with natural dyes, which were initially used to craft these Bandhani sarees.
- Pure mulberry silk is very vulnerable and thus might not withstand the multiple tying and dyeing processes. Despite this, quite a few Gharcholas are made in pure mulberry silk too. But in such sarees, instead of the bandhani work, embroidered embellishments become the focal point.
Zari works in Gharcholas
- Zari (golden thread) is an integral part of the Gharchola creation. The zari threads are woven along with cotton/gaji silk/silk-blend yarn to create the wonderful grid pattern that is a distinct feature of the Gharchola sarees. Each box in the grid of Gharchola always has a Zari border. They may be thin or thick, according to the design. The final finish of the Zari might be a muted/antique gold or burnished gold. Zari weaving is often on the borders and also along the saree pallu.
- In ancient times, weavers used pure gold threads to craft Zari for precious Gharcholas. They used to be extremely expensive. However, these days pure silver threads are used in the real Zari. To make the purest Gharcholas, manufacturers still use pure zari.
- A Gharchola saree with real zari work is more expensive than the commonly used copper zari. Nowadays, to reduce the cost significantly, often plastic zari is also used. However, real zari is still quite sought after as it is more resilient and also has an heirloom value. These Gharcholas are preserved as lovingly as the wedding jewels but they are an investment that may also be sold in dire times.
What is the Weaving and Dyeing Process of Gharchola Sarees?
- Traditionally, a handloom was used to make the Gharcholas. However, these days Gaji Silk Gharcholas are available avidly, that are often not crafted on a handloom. In the traditional process, the Gharchola saree is woven using cotton or cotton-blend yarn and Zari threads. This process resulted in the grid/ chequered pattern, thus producing a beautiful Zari checks saree.
- Then this checkered saree is tied in such a way that every single box has a Bandhani motif. Often the Bandhani pattern made in one check is repeated in every single check, throughout the Gharchola or the repetition is strategic.
- The saree is then dyed in colour, mostly green or red.
- Then, this starched checkered saree with bandhani motifs is fixed on a large wooden frame using nails. Then the fabric is divided into rows of white tie-dyed squares or woven bands of zari motifs. The weaver needs about a week to set everything up and go ahead with the designing process.
- Then the motifs are created within each compartment. There is a range of designs to choose from, ranging from animals, flowers and human figures.
- It takes about three days for a plain-woven body. For a checkered pattern, it takes about a week. For completing a double-checkered pattern, it takes about 10-12 days for the weaving process.
- In traditional Gharcholas, there is no separate coloured pallu or border. There is might be a zari division but the entire saree remains in one colour. In contemporary Gharcholas, the pallus, usually in various shades of greens, are woven and attached separately.
About the Grid Pattern
- Gharcholas have a characteristic chequered pattern that is designed in many permutations. But, the most popular ones are 9, 12 and 52 squares patterns. The 12 squared grids are famously known as Bar Bhag, the 52 squared ones are known as Bavan Bhag.
What are the Colours and Motifs used in Gharchola Sarees?
- Traditionally, Gharcholas were made in colours like red or maroon and green or yellow, which are considered auspicious colours in the Hindu tradition. Contemporary Gharcholas are made in all possible shades of green and red, while yellow is a substitute for green.
- Usually, the embellishments and embroideries are done by hand on the grids, borders and pallu to decorate the Gharchola once it is made. The motifs made on the Gharcholas are lotus, parrots, peacocks, elephants, dots, human figures etc. The predominantly floral designs are known as Phulwari or garden, whereas the ones dominated by fauna are known as Shikari or hunting scenes.
- Apart from zari work, other embroideries like Zardozi, Gota Patti, Cut-dana, Diamond work and more are used.
- Semi-precious stones, sequins, shells are used to decorate opulent and lustrous Gharcholas.
How to maintain Gharchola Sarees?
To preserve it and maintain its longevity, it is advisable to dry clean a Gharchola and keep it away from direct sunlight. As it is made with some intricate detailing on it, a little care will keep the fabric in great shape for a long time.
What is the Current Scenario of Gharchola Sarees?
The Gharchola saree is of an immense ceremonial identity in Gujarat. Weavers are adapting to modern times and are skilled enough to update their design aesthetics thus improving the demand for the Gharchola sarees in the market. Today, Gharchola silk sarees can be customised according to the tastes and moods of a person. Besides the variety of vibrant colours, one can choose from a range of motifs. Gharchola can be turned into a bright and beautiful scarf also, it can be paired with a lehenga as an odhani. It has some intricate work and detailing that enhances one’s outfit pretty well.