Everything about Mashru

Everything you need to know about Mashru Fabric

History:

The Mashroo (or Mashru) textile was woven for Muslim communities, who believed that silk should not touch a person’s skin. Crafting a solution that enabled people to honor this belief while still appearing  dressed in  the finest clothing, weavers mixed silk and cotton threads to create a textile that was simple cotton on one side and  rich silk on the other. The meaning of Mashroo is “this is allowed.” The port town of Mandvi is at the center of Mashroo legacy in Kachchh, historically creating luxurious bolts of the fabric that Muslims and Hindus enjoyed. In the regions of Saurashtra and Kachchh , women stitch mashroo kanjari (backless blouses), skirts, and cholis. Mashroo helped weave communities together. The Ahir Patels  (farmers) produced cotton, which was handspun and then given the the weavers. Rabari and Ahir women did embroidery and mirror work to create even more distinctive versions of mashroo.

Mashroo was a royal craft,  produced in large quantities until the 1900’s for local elite and export markets. Till recently, the Maheshwari weavers practiced the craft.

Preocess:

Mashroo is woven with a 7 to 12 peddle loom which requires the artisan to skillfully move their hands and legs in harmony. There are eighty threads in a mashroo per inch, which is much higher than in a standard woven textile. It is difficult for a weaver to create a piece which is both big in size and high in thread count, and so Mashroo is only available in a width of 23 inches. The pure silk once used to make Mashroo has been replaced by art silk, rayon and stapple cotton.

Caring:

Maintaining Mashru silk is easier compared to pure silk.

• It is recommended to wash it in cold or warm water with hands; and slow rinse cycle using a machine,
• It is better to avoid drying the fabric in direct sunlight to prevent loss of glossiness.

Where to Buy Mashru Fabric?

There are very few platforms to Buy Real or Pure Mashru. Most of the platforms sell duplicate, synthetic or powerloom Mashru. We can know its originality by seeing its weaving patterns and details carefully. Real Mashru have intricate pattern and little irregularity (not in all cases) because it is handweaved.

Here's link to buy pure authentic Mashru Fabrics: Click here