Why are Traditional Venkatagiri sarees popular in the online market?

Venkatagiri sarees, a variety of handwoven zari based cotton sarees, is extremely popular amongst the masses as a light and soft saree with traces of Jamdani patterns. These cotton sarees are usually available in six yards length and can be worn in all climatic conditions. The motifs including peacocks, mango, parrots, leafs and swans on the pallu make the design of the saree unique.

The history of Venkatagiri sarees originates in the 1700 when weavers at a cluster, Venkatagiri near Nellore started weaving this variety of sarees. The skilled weavers and the artisans were encouraged to produce more of these products by the Velugoti dynasty as well as Bobbili and Pithapuram kingdoms.

The early years of 1700 witnessed the weaving of Venkatagiri sarees for the royal families, the queens to be precise. The designs were unique and exclusive and the artisans were paid high remuneration for each piece of saree. The introduction of Jamdani technique of weaving sarees from Bangladesh has the made the process much easier and faster.

The production of a Venkatagiri sarees involves few stages:

• Collection of raw materials like cotton yarn, dye ad gold zari
• Cotton is purified by boiling and making it suitable for dyeing
• Bleaching the white cotton sarees into coloured ones
• Removal of additional dye followed by drying of the cotton yarn
• Making the warp and weft
• Weaving the warp and weft
• Placing the cloth into the designs and motifs
• Cutting the cotton as per requirement
• Inspection of the quality of the saree

Traditional Venkatagiri Sarees of Andhra Pradesh

Over the years, Venkatagiri sarees has become popular amongst the women owing to its characteristics such as softness of the material, brightness of the colours and the royal look. The growth in the demand for Venkatagiri sarees online is a proof that the majority of weavers in Vankatagiri are earning their livelihoods by weaving this fabric. The exclusivity and the uniqueness in the weaving technique of the Venkatagiri sarees make the sarees more popular among the clients who buy them regularly through online shopping portals. Since the dying and the weaving techniques are technologically upgraded, the weavers are not required to travel to towns and cities from their village to get the yarn dyed. This saves them money and time and contributes heavily towards the production of Venkatagiri sarees.

Designers, in the current scenario, are innovating with the materials and the traditional designs of Venkatagiri sarees. In addition to the existing Venkatagiri zari cotton sarees, the skilled artisans are now weaving sarees using silk threads and creating new versions of the Venkatagiri sarees. The use of Jamdani technique in the weaving Venkatagiri sarees has brought about a massive change in the design and patterns of the saree. The new silk versions of the Venkatagiri sarees online are becoming massively popular and earning acceptance from all across the country.

Fabric experts suggest that the Venkatagiri sarees should be hand washed gently, preferably using soft water. These can be given for dry washing as well initially.

Venkatagiri sarees are exclusive in their designs and are considered to be one of the most durable ones. These are light and soft and extremely suitable for summers. However, women wear Venkatagiri sarees in other climatic conditions as well.

Unique marketing campaigns and branding the Venkatagiri sarees as the preferred choice for wearing on occasions and casually, has earned customers from across the globe through online retailing platforms. Women can now order Venkatagiri sarees online irrespective of any particular geography.