Jangla (Sikargah) Weaving of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

The word Jangla has been derived from the word Jungle (Forest) which denotes the designvocabulary of the textile which is densely ornamented with patterns inspired by the flora, fauna and foliage of a forest. In this sari the woven  motifs  of leaves and flowers are arranged in such a manner that one creeper/bel crosses another, the open spaces creating their own pattern. The creeper is heavy with flowers and leaves that droop from their weight. These creepers are woven with Karuwa technique with the help of sirki/ bamboo perns.

Jangla saris are woven with twisted silk yarns in both warp and weft on a throw shuttle pit loom. For an intricate Jangla sari at least two weavers would have worked the loom. The weaving would nave been accomplished by using one big throw shuttle carrying weft yarn for the ground fabric and many tiny shuttles or pirns carrying silk or zari thread for extra weft designs.