The code says it all

KOCHI: In a couple of months from now, the Mysore Silk Factory will celebrate hundred years of its existence. From what began as a small scale production house under the Mysore royal family in 1912, the factory and the product has seen a number of changes. But all through these years, one feature of the ‘Mysore Silk’ has remained, the unique ‘embroidery code.’The embroidery code was introduced by the Raja of Mysore at a time when words like ‘patenting’ and ‘copyrights’ still did not make newspaper headline. Every ‘Mysore Silk Sari’, has its unique embroidery code printed near its Pallu. But it is not its copyright worthiness that makes this code special. In the words of the employees of  ‘Mysore Silk’ factory, the embroidery code gives you the ‘history of sari.’With embroidery code one can trace the details of everything from the name of the weaver of the sari to the number of hours he put on making the particular sari and even the wages paid to him. While the silk branding techniques today, like the Silk Mark gives the authenticity of the silk, the embroidery code goes beyond that. It puts the signature of the weaver and his labour on his product for years to come. Taking advantage of this unique feature, Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited, the government body which owns ‘Mysore Silk’ today has planned to launch a vintage sari exhibition as part of its golden Jubilee celebrations. “We are looking at an exhibition of Mysore Silk saris produced prior to 1970. Every year we receive as many as 300 saris. The best and most well-maintained among these will be selected for the exhibition. The best will also be awarded prizes,” said S Philomen Raj, Manager- Sales, KSINC who are holding a Mysore silk exhibition-cum-sale at the Woodlands hotel. The exhibition is on till September 7