Black. A colour that conveys a sense of mystery but an inauspicious sign to some.  Science describes black as absence of colours, but it is often boldly visible over on top of other hues.  It is the colour of goddess Kali who personifies triumph of good over evil.  A Black spot on the cheek wards off the evil eye and when around the eye as kajal it highlights beauty.  It is the colour of the first printed word and the still sky of the night.

Black occupies a strange position when it comes to fabrics.  Black sarees are shunned at weddings and festivities when the prominent gods are often shown to wear black attire like Lord Shiva and Shani. Krishna (also meaning black colour) and Rama are depicted as dark skinned.  In the western world, a black dress for women or a black suit for men is considered formal to the extreme and even described as slick, chic and sartorial.  

Despite all the taboo, Indian women secretly harbour a desire to wear a black saree, even while their wardrobes carry a few select ones. The flowing black saree, that too a Kanjivaram is a pièce de résistance.  If it carries zari borders and pallu, then even better.  Black provides outstanding contrast to gold and makes the wearer stand out from the crowd.  When a black saree is woven with contrasting coloured borders, rust orange, teal (a.k.a Copper Sulphate), arakku (deep maroon)it pairs very well.   If it is a reverse combination, mustard body with black borders and pallu is to die for!

Let’s get back to the ‘black is bad’ part.  Weavers of Kanjivaram have devised out a beautiful alternative to ward off the undesirable.  In place of the black yarn, they often use the shade ‘Kanchana’, a very deep tone of brown and with this, the final woven result is almost the same as black but when seen under good light the difference shows.  Problem solved!

Sankranti, a Hindu festival that marks the start of the harvest season and the end of cold winters is just round the corner.  Celebrated around the country in mid January under different names – Lohri, Bhogi, Makar, Uttarayan, Pongal etc., marks the transition of Sun into Capricorn (Makara), gives a passport to the colour black. Black attire on this day is considered lucky and auspicious. It is said to absorb evil energy and keeps one warm in winter. This practice is in vogue in many regions in India.  So wherever you are in India, a great reason for you to check and refresh your wardrobe with the alluring black Kanjivaram.

At WeaveMaya, our co-founder Srinath Rao pens blogs about sarees with wonder, admiration, and a dash of delightful male cluelessness!