पैठणी (Paithani)
Paithani is a tapestry-weave silk sari tradition from Maharashtra, named for the ancient city of Paithan (Pratisthana) on the Godavari river, now produced primarily in Yeola (Nashik district) and Paithan (Aurangabad district). The technique uses the interlocked tapestry-weave method: the weft threads do not run selvedge to selvedge but are woven back and forth within defined color zones, building up the pattern from individual colored weft segments. The ground is plain silk; the pallu and border are woven in the tapestry method with silk and zari, creating the characteristic Paithani motifs — the peacock (mor), lotus (kamal), and parrot (popat) — in brilliant jewel tones on a contrasting ground. The border and body of a Paithani are woven in different colors using a distinctive thread-joining technique (kodi) — the border weft and body weft are interlocked at the junction in a specific manner that prevents a visible seam. Like Baluchari (CRAFT-0059), Paithani nearly became extinct in the mid-20th century and was revived through government intervention.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed; GI registered (2009)
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