“Taant” Magic

I always thought all cottons were handloom !! Ignorance at its best. All I would do when I went sari shopping was to ask if it was pure cotton or silk-cotton .. I don’t like the poly-cotton which is polyester mixed with cotton. I don’t like polyester mixed with cotton or silk. Ever since I have become a part of the W3 group on Facebook, my knowledge of cottons and handlooms has improved significantly. I save all the knowledge articles from there and keep reading them and check every sari I have to try and figure out if its a handloom or a power loom product.

The following two Bengali “Taant” saris were bought nearly 7 or 8 years back from a couple of travelling sari salesmen. They said they were from Bangladesh but I guess they might be from Fulia :), but the product they peddled were pure handloom. So am glad that I bought them.

This is an all time favourite of mine … the grey base and the red, green and yellow flowers are just classic. I wear this sari once or twice a year because I want to keep it safe for many many years. The blouse that came with it is long gone so I just use other grey/black combinations. This is a khunn blouse. The neckpiece is from Desh Maheshwari, Noida and this was something I picked up while going to a client meeting for a different sari :).

This is another “taant” that I bought from the same travelling sari salesmen along with the grey one above. Looking at this sari makes the summer feel cooler by a few degrees. Its gossamer thin and small golden “buttas” all over. The Pallu has this beautiful leaf motif …. classic. Again the neckpiece is from Desh Maheshwari, Noida. I wear this sari just once every summer because I want it to last for a long time :).

Enjoy the beautiful magic of the Bengali “taant”. God bless the weavers who make these beauties.