SHASHIKALA

Name: SHASHIKALA
Brand: Parvai
Price: 45000.00 INR
Availability: OutOfStock

Rs. 45,000.00

Handwoven Kanchipuram Korvai Silk Sari

Parvai's Promise

Parvai products possess a remarkable ability to inspire both artisans and patrons, encouraging them to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and seek thoughtful answers. This creative dialogue fosters ethical practices, empowering individuals to evolve alongside their communities and become advocates for change. After all, social change is most effectively driven by people, their unique perspectives, and their innovative ideas. Our products are inspired by real people and places, carrying many stories with them. What we produce and wear tells a story about ourselves and our environment, and knowing how our clothing is made makes it more significant, providing us with all the information that connects us to the world around us. We promise to tell you everything we can about our products.

Occasionwear | Designed originally by Parvai
Woven in | Kanchipuram
Adai woven
Technique | Three-shuttle korvai weaving
Fabric | Pure mulberry silk (2-ply warp, 4-ply weft)
Comfort | All-season, hypoallergenic, breathable
Feel | Soft, smooth, and luxuriously comfortable
Ease | Drapes effortlessly; retains beauty over years
Labour | Over 200 hours of artisan work
Ethics | Dignified wages, fair treatment, and safe environments
Exclusivity | Available as a one-of-one piece
Sustainability | Environmentally responsible production

Product

This exceptional handwoven Kanchipuram Korvai silk sari is a celebration of technical mastery and artistic expression. Woven in the heritage town of Kanchipuram on a traditional three-shuttle loom, the sari follows the classic 2 cm saw-tooth korvai structure, where body and border are interlocked with precision.

A classic deep mustard yellow body forms the foundation, framed by a classic red, bold 14-inch borders, pallu, and a 1m blouse. The 14-inch borders are divided into two parts featuring two design elements. The outer 11 inches features 1.3 cm neelavattam motifs totalling 870 motifs arranged equidistant throughout the borders. Each of these motifs was carefully created using an adai, making it extremely labour-intensive. The inner 3 inches constitute a band of 0.5 cms checks, creating a beautiful mesh frame. This is then topped off by the delicate 2 cm saw tooth korvai structure. The 24-inch pallu features bands of seepu reku reminiscent of the classic old-world kanchipuram silks.

This piece is woven on a Parvai loom operated by 2 skilled young women who are very enthusiastic about learning and excelling in their adai weaving skills.

Dimensions:

Length - 5.5 meters
Width - 1.27 meters
Blouse - 1 meter
Weight - 780 gms
Garment care: Take care of your garment, as these are heirloom pieces that patrons can pass down through generations. We recommend gently hand-washing these sarees in cool water with a mild detergent, only if necessary. Shade dry these sarees & avoid drying them under direct sunlight.

Process

Handcrafted products possess an authentic personality, expressing character, skill, and culture. Who designed the product? Was there an inspiration behind the design? How do you know that the garment was made with love? How would you know if those who made them were healthy, motivated, and happy artisans? The only way is to observe and appreciate the process. We make the process visible by empowering patrons to see the impact they have on it.

Woven in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Woven with Pure mulberry silk - 2-ply warp and four-ply weft
Technique: Handwoven on a traditional 3-shuttle floor loom with adai
Pre-loom preparation time:15 days
Weaving process: 40 days

People

At Parvai, people matter. This sari represents not only extraordinary craftsmanship but also our responsibility to those who preserve these arts. We invite you to ask:

Who made this?
Are they safe?
Are they paid fairly?
Are they empowered to thrive?

This sari was crafted by:

Dyers: Shohan Babu and his team
Pre-loom team: Six artisans, including warpers and loom-setters
Petni work: Shanthi & Lakshmi
Design: Ane Thomas
Master Weaver: Mariappan
Weavers: Lakmi & Shreekala

Every name is a story. Every story is a legacy.

Perspective

Project Shashikala was born out of a very inspiring conversation with one of Parvai's distinguished patrons on how saris and textiles become such an indispensable part of one's life, memories, and stories. This is when we saw the rginal shashikala a spectacular sari belonging to out patrons mother purchaces in the early 80. The threadwork of the sari had a lot of interesting details. The sawtooth korvai, the large borders with two distinct patterns and a classic traditional pallu, the neelavattam (oval) motifs on the borders. The sari belonging to her mother, Shahsikala, was one of the most flattering saris she had ever worn, but now had lived its life. We instantly knew the sari was one to be remade.

Other questions

Note: This product is handwoven, so slight irregularities may occur. Imperfections and variations in the product cannot be considered defects, as they are inherent to the handmade process. The product colours may vary due to the light sources or your monitor settings.

Do you want to know more? We are available at +917358550888 (WhatsApp) & happy to speak to you about our creations.

Free Delivery worldwide on orders above Rs50,000/-.

Purchased products will be shipped upon receipt of payment confirmation.

International Orders: A minimal shipping fee of ₹2,000 applies to international orders valued below ₹50,000 and weighing under 5 kg. Orders above this value or weight may incur additional charges based on destination.

Domestic Orders: We offer free shipping across India.

Dispatch & Delivery Timelines: Orders are dispatched within 7 to 10 business days of purchase. If you require urgent dispatch, we can arrange shipping within 2 to 5 business days at an additional cost, depending on your location.

Courier Partners. All products are shipped through professional and reliable courier services, such as Delhivery, Blue Dart, and DHL, ensuring safe and timely delivery. The estimated delivery time is 5-15 working days, depending on the shipping destination.

Satisfied or refunded terms and conditions

Customers may return a product purchased from our store within two (2) days of receipt, only under the following circumstances:

1. The product has visible defects or damage that affect its overall quality.
2. The product received does not match the specifications mentioned on our website or communicated during the sale.

Please note that returns will not be accepted for reasons other than the above. As every product is carefully crafted, we trust that customers make informed purchases after reviewing the detailed images and descriptions provided on our website.

Returned items must be unused, in their original packaging, and in pristine condition. We reserve the right to refuse returns that do not meet these criteria or if the return policy is misused.

Refunds will be initiated only after the product has been received and inspected by our team. Read more

Customer centric

At Parvai, we are deeply committed to providing the highest level of support to our patron community. Our customer support team ensures that every patron understands what each product represents both in its tangible quality and intangible meaning.

From how a fabric feels on the skin to the story of the hands that made it, we are always ready to engage in open, detailed conversations about our products, processes, people, and perspectives.

For any queries, assistance, or feedback, please feel free to reach out to us:

Registered Address:
Parvai
HQ10, Primus Building
Door No: SP-7A, Guindy Industrial Estate
Chennai – 600032, India

GSTIN: 33AAOPE2089B1Z1
Email: enquiry@theparvaishop.com
Phone: +91 73585 50888

Secure payments, withofficial receipts and record

Your trust and safety remain at the heart of every purchase made with Parvai. We offer a number of secure options as follows.:

Bank Transfer Details
Account Name: Parvai
Bank Name: HDFC Bank Pvt. Ltd.
Account Number: 50200048299545
IFSC Code: HDFC0000082

For NEFT / RTGS / IMPS transfers, please ensure payment is made only to the above account in the name of Parvai.

UPI Payment Details
UPI ID: aneparvai@okhdfcbank
UPI Number: +91 73585 50888

Secure Online Payments (Razorpay)
To ensure a safe and seamless online payment experience, we have integrated the Razorpay payment gateway into our website. Card Payment link options are also available upon request for convenient and secure transactions.