The Queen of Silks, an epitome of Royal, a symbol of Beauty and a weave of Elegance- The Paithani! The Paithani is no less than a treasure for a woman. The motifs, intricate designs, meticulous craftsmanship, and the process takes Paithani to the most loved list of traditional wear. Paithani is a must-have for every lady out there, but where did this royal affair start?

When we flip the pages of history, we understand that the origin of this piece of art can be traced back to Satavahana Dynasty, in the 2nd century B.C. Satavahana Empire nestled a small town on the banks of River Godavari, named ‘Pratishthana’. Pratishthana was the capital of the Satavahana Empire under the rule of Shalivahana. Pratishthana hosted a trade centre and was renowned for being an international hub for the sale of Silk and Zari.

Fact- The old city of Pratishthana was named Paithan later. Yes, Paithan’s Paithani. That solves the puzzle of the origination of Paithani. Is that it? When Paithani comes with such complex weaves, how can its story be so basic? It’s not! Let’s take a deeper look into the journey of Paithani through the years!

Four communities mastered the art of weaving Paithani sarees- Shali, Nagpuri, Koshti and Kshatriya. The Peshwas and the Mughals played key roles in making Paithani popular. Aurangzeb even punished some Jamdani weavers to publicize Paithani. He even introduced a unique style- Aurangzebi Paithani. The Peshwas were very fond of Paithanis as well. The Peshwas selected fine weavers and housed them at Yeola, Nashik. Forwarding to today, Yeola is known by the world for treasuring this age-old form of cloth and weaves, and is a hub for all things Paithani!

That was a bit of backstory of our beloved Paithani. Paithani is woven with immense care and love, and it takes anywhere from 2 days to 24 months to weave a Paithani. There is a meaning to every motif, every design that’s adorned by majestic silk. The oldest known Paithani design is of ‘Asavali’. The Asavali motif incorporated vines and flowers. Following that, ‘Akruti’ made its Paithani Fridge Magnets are the newest addition to the Swapnagandha family and undoubtedly, they’ll steal all the limelight when they’re hooked on in your living room and kitchen! These beautiful pieces of house decor don’t only add peppiness to the place but also are incredibly useful! Pack these little members in any gift you are planning to send out, and it’ll make a great New Year gift for your loved ones. They are available in vivid colour options- Silver Paithani Zari, Golden Paithani Zari with contrasting colours, and all this with classy designs all over it. These magnets are the perfect blend of innovation and tradition!

Find this and many such unique gifting items at Swapnagandha Collections. We are located at Nagnath Par, Pune and you can step in to find a wide variety of Paithani products like Paithani Diaries, Paithani Rangolis, Paithani Keychains, Paithani Purses, and a lot more. Look out for our online shop at www.swapnagandhacollection.com and grab the exciting offers you see there! Visit Swapnagandha Collections, visit the world of traditional innovations!

Way to the Paithanis, showing off squarish flowers. Other styles and patterns like Narli (Coconut), Rui Phool (Flower), Kalas Pakli (Petals), Anaar Vel (Grapevine), Kuyri Vel (Mango), Gokarna Vel (Gokarna flower), Tota-Maina or Muniya (Parrot) and swans are widely loved too! As the initial stages of making Paithanis were set near the Ajanta Caves of Aurangabad, the influence of the same is seen in patterns like lotus, seated Budhha and more. The Bangadi-Mor motif that spreads and shines brightly on many Paithanis is a well-thought design that has some significance to it. It represents the ‘Saubhagya’ and completeness of a woman.

A gold and silk saree, or what was called ‘Pattan’ was a saree only produced for the cream layer of the society. It was more like a pride statement than just a piece of cloth. Paithanis seem to have evolved from a cotton base to a silk base, where silk was used in borders and a few other parts of the saree while cotton was utilized in making the body of the fabric.