Paithani

Paithani takes its name from Paithan (once Pratishthana), a roughly two-thousand-year-old handloom centre in Maharashtra. In the late seventeenth century, weaver families moved from Paithan to Yeola, which is today the larger of the craft's two hubs alongside Paithan itself; the craft received a GI tag in 2010. What sets a real Paithani apart is its zari, traditionally silver drawn into fine thread and washed with gold rather than printed or plated on, and its tapestry weaving, in which each colour in a motif is worked from its own bobbin directly into the cloth.

Region: Paithan and Yeola, Maharashtra
GI status: GI tagged since 2010.

1. 01Silk is sorted, degummed, bleached and dyed.
2. 02Warp and weft are set on the loom; motifs like the peacock or parrot pallu are built with the tapestry technique, where each colour is worked from its own bobbin rather than carried across the back, so the design forms as part of the weave itself.
3. 03The zari used is traditionally silver drawn into fine thread and washed with gold, not printed or plated on afterwards.
4. 04A plain-bordered Paithani can take a few weeks; an all-over peacock pallu piece can take several months.

• Real zari has a warm, slightly uneven glow and a texture you can feel catch on a fingernail; a flat, perfectly even shine usually means a metallic polyester substitute.
• The tapestry-woven motifs should look identical on both faces of the fabric, since nothing is carried loose on the reverse. A printed or embroidered imitation looks clean on the front and blank or different on the back.
• Ask for the Silk Mark or GI documentation if the seller claims Paithan or Yeola origin.

WEIGHT

Heavy, one of the heaviest sarees here, on par with a dense Kanjeevaram or Banarasi.

WARMTH

Warm; suited to cooler weather or an indoor, air-conditioned wedding rather than an outdoor summer function.

BREATHABILITY

Low.

DRAPE

Very structured, holds its shape and a pleat without help.

WRINKLING

Resists wrinkling well.

Best season: Winter. Indoor, air-conditioned venues

WASHING

Dry clean only, and never machine wash; real zari cannot tolerate agitation or detergent.

IRONING

Low heat, cloth between iron and fabric, avoid pressing directly over the zari pallu.

STORAGE

Wrap in muslin, store flat away from direct sunlight, which dulls real zari over time, and refold periodically to avoid a permanent crease across the peacock motif.

STAINS

Do not attempt to treat a stain at home; take it to a dry cleaner experienced with real zari immediately.

PERFUME AND DEODORANT

Never spray perfume or deodorant on a Paithani. Alcohol dulls the silk sheen and tarnishes real gold-washed zari; scent skin only, and let it dry before draping.

The Maharashtrian Nauvari or a standard Nivi drape both suit Paithani's weight; a plain silk blouse in one of the border colours keeps the peacock pallu the centrepiece.