speciality of kanchipuram

Some time ago there was an expert weaver named Sage Markanda who used to weave for Gods. He even wove a tissue from the petals of the lotus bloom. He knew the most loved fabric of all Gods – he knew Lord Shiva preferred cotton and Lord Vishnu enjoyed silk. His mastery was gone on to his descendents which are currently considered as Kanchi Silk Weavers.

That is the tale of starting point of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees. Those Kanchi Silk Weavers are thought to be the ones behind the presence of this sort of Sarees. Kanchipuram Silk Sarees are no ordinary sarees. They are hand-woven in the town named Kanchipuram in India. The place where there is Kanchipuram is known as the sanctuary city or the city of thousand sanctuaries.

kanchipuram silk sarees

As indicated by the History, the city Kanchipuram came into fame 400 years back when two weaving groups – the Saligars and the Devangas relocated to the city from a neighboring state. These two groups were at that point well known for their silk weaving aptitudes and silk was truly exceptionally prevalent in this town and step by step Kanchipuram turned into the mother of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees.

In south India, these sarees are viewed as extremely uncommon. Being a fundamental piece of South Indian weddings, Kanchipuram Sarees hold a rich status. The sarees are viewed as exceptional for their prevalent and uncommon shading blends. These sarees cost anyplace between Rs. 2500 – Rs. 1,00,000 relying on the sort of work that goes into the saree.

Preparation of Kanchipuram Silk Sarees

These sarees are hand woven from unadulterated mulberry silk string. The local businesses of Kanchipuram are just into assembling the sarees not the crude material. The principle crude materials that go into Kanchipuram Sarees are – mulberry silk strings, metallic strings (Zari) and colors.

The Kanchipuram Sarees normally have three sections – body, outskirt and pallu. Three transports i.e. three single strings of silk yarn and zari are utilized to weave a Kanchipuram Saree. One more interesting thing about these sarees is that the configuration of outskirt and body are typically very diverse yet are conversely. In the event that, the shade of the pallu is unique in relation to outskirt and body, it is woven independently and after that precisely connected to the saree.

Traditional Food of Tamilnadu

Traditional Food of Tamilnadu

The sustenance from down South is altogether different from North India - much lighter and overwhelmed by flavors, fish and vegetables. Rice is a staple and a kind of short-grained, cushy assortment called Ponni is utilized most often.Few cooking styles use rice and lentils with so much innovativeness as them. Turmeric and tamarind discover their nearness in numerous dishes. Beach front ranges are the place fish is best, you'll find everything from King fish and Ravi fish to squids, mud crabs and prawns - the ones from Bay of Bengal have a tendency to be greater in size and juicier.

Tamil cooking in its legitimate structure is that of the Iyengars or Tamil Brahmins which stays consistent with its roots. It began from the custom of Annadana, a custom of serving nourishment to God and after that disseminating it to the general population in Tamil sanctuaries. The dinner is immaculate vegan passage served on banana leaves and is called Ilai Sappadu. "Sappadu" implies a full course supper that suits all the six tastes - sweet, sharp, biting, salty, impactful and astringent. It comprises of a ceaseless exhibit of dishes, for example, Poriyal, Rice, Varuval, Pachadi, Idli, Payasam, Sambar, Thokku, Vadai, Rice, Kuzambu amongst others.

"The Sambar from Tamil Nadu shifts from other Southern areas. It's tart and thicker with a greater amount of lentils and neighbourhood vegetables like drumsticks, brinjal, white and red pumpkins and doodhi. It has a particular flavour and fragrance that originates from including asafoetida or heeng. In Kerala, they utilize coconut. The one from Karnataka has an unobtrusive sweetness and in Andhra it is on the spicier side," shares Chef Naren Thimmiaiah from Karavalli in Bangalore. The dosas are fresh and paper-meager with a shimmering brilliant shade.

Tamil food is likewise vigorously impacted by its different rulers and remote motivations. Angaya Podi is a wonderful mix of flavors and herbs including dry ginger, pepper, cumin seeds, toor dal, Bengal gram, Black gram, dried manathakkali keerai, dried need leaves, coriander leaves and mustard seeds. It was made in the illustrious kitchens of Pandayas and Cholas. Generally eaten with hot rice and ghee, it serves as digestive guide. The utilization of sesame oil in most Tamil dishes is additionally accepted to be a culinary commitment of the Sangam period. Likewise, the area around Coimbatore is prevalent for its pastry shop products getting from the French cooking. The flaky puff baked good is a flat out pleasure. Together with neighboring urban communities of Salem, Tirupur, Erode and Palani it frames the Kongunadu cooking. It gets its exceptional flavors from the utilization of dry coconut, broiled turmeric and milk in curries. 

A Heritage House in Kanchipuram

Kanchikudil

You are about to step into a hundred year old house maintained intact with all the items used by the joint families back then. The name of the house is ‘Kanchi Kudil’ and it is located in Kanchipuram, a historic town in South India (Tamil Nadu). Kanchipuram was mentioned in Mahabyasa, a work of Sanskrit scholar Patanjali in 2nd Century BC. The history of this city extends to a few centuries before that! Kanchipuarm is famous for its huge Temples and silk sarees. It is one of the best cultural destinations of South India.

thinnai

As you can see in the first picture, there is a ‘thinnai’ in front of most traditional houses that is used for people to sit and enjoy the natural ventilation. It also provided a place to chat with neighbors. In the earlier days, it was quite normal for strangers coming from other places to sleep/take rest in the thinnai. The above photo shows an old teak-wood table and chairs kept in the living room (hall).

Kolam

Another striking feature of old houses in South India is this Kolam. It is a decorative painting, often done in front of the houses and in few cases, also within the houses. The ‘Kolam’ in the above photograph is permanent and painted, but generally it is drawn using white powder (what is it called?) which is temporary as it can be deleted and other Kolam designs can be made on subsequent days. Kolam is also found in pooja rooms in South Indian houses.

payi (mat)

Also faintly visible in the above photo (not sure if you can see it) is the payi (mat) and banana leaves laid in front of them. That’s how our elders used to eat food, served in the banana leaves and sitting on the mat in the ground. Right behind the glass showcase are two rooms. One is the grain storage room, where the accountant sits receives bags of grains and stores it in the storage area (made of wooden planks) in the top. There is another room with a cradle. Rooms have openings in the top for light and ventilation.

Golu

The pooja room is perhaps the best photo I was able to take! That’s because it had abundant sunlight from the adjacent open area that has a thotti for water storage and leads to the kitchen.  As you can see in the above photo, the statues and photos of various Gods are kept along with pooja items for worship. The various dolls exhibited on the left hand side is a part of the Golu, which is exhibited during the Navarathri festival.

family kitchen

When we go further down, we reach the family kitchen and wash rooms. Some crockery items used in the earlier days are displayed here along with the stove which used firewood or perhaps coal. There were quite a number of showcases with decorative items, mostly consisting of statues of God and a few toys. Have a look at one such showcase