YANTRA JAMDANI

Jacquard - a handmade contraption or'yantra' that uses stiff punch cards similar to the reels in mechanical music boxes - lifts the warp threads according to the design pattern. Since the weaver does not have to lift the warp, this technique makes it possible to create greater details on the motif.

Design and Innovation

  • Varanasi is home to some of India's most skilled textile artisans, and under the Gaurang brand, their artistry has found a bold and contemporary voice. Through an entirely new design language, Gaurang has unlocked the immense creative potential of this historic weaving centre.

    Drawing inspiration from culturally rich art forms—Mughal architecture, Bidri metalwork, Blue Pottery, and more—exquisitely intricate motifs are now woven into sarees with remarkable precision. These visual details are made possible by pioneering loom innovations, allowing the use of four to five different yarns in a single saree and up to ten shuttles to create a layered interplay of textures.

    The weavers in this sector receive continual training in diverse Jamdani weaving techniques and are introduced to unconventional yarns. One such revival has been of Organza, a fabric that had lost popularity due to its stiffness. By identifying the right yarn quality and pairing it with the perfect weaving technique—and the right weaver—Organza has been transformed into a fabric that is soft, luxurious, and supremely wearable.

    The design lexicon has further evolved by reimagining textile legacies—with masterful reinterpretations of Paithan, Kanjeevaram, Dhaka, and Kota. These sarees bring fresh colour palettes and intricate detail to traditional motifs.

    A hallmark of this transformation is the creation of hybrid sarees, where multiple weaving techniques converge on a single piece. By facilitating collaboration between weavers from different regions, Gaurang has fostered a new tradition—sarees that are not only irreplicable but also serve as timeless tributes to the rich diversity of Indian textile heritage.

JACQUARD WEAVE

The Jacquard is a device which uses stiff punch cards similar to the reels in mechanical music boxes to lift the warp threads according to the design pattern. It has been predominantly combined with power looms, but in these centres it has been attached to a hand loom. Since the device lifts the threads it facilitates extreme intricacy within motif- an element that always shines in pieces from these sectors.

Design and Innovation

  • Kashi—long celebrated for its exquisite Jacquard weaving tradition—is a centre of artistic brilliance, known for its elegant floral and geometric designs. With a highly developed ecosystem that includes both master weavers and expert dyers in close proximity, it offered the perfect foundation for Gaurang to push the boundaries of textile design.

    In this environment, Gaurang was able to introduce a new design language, one that emphasized intricate yarn interplay and unexpected colour palettes, dramatically transforming the look and feel of the traditional Jacquard weave.

    Drawing from India’s rich embroidery heritage, Gaurang innovatively adapted an age-old embroidery technique to the loom. By using multi-hued dyed yarns, he was able to achieve a shaded, dimensional effect within the woven motifs. The result is a collection of sarees so strikingly ornate, they carry the visual richness of hand embroidery, while being entirely woven—a true illusion of needlework on the loom.

    These creations represent a seamless blend of heritage and innovation, where craftsmanship is elevated to fine art.