![Women and Child in Saree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Maharani_Chimnabai_of_Baroda_with_her_daughter_Indira_Devi.jpg)
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)
[The name of the garment in various ]regional languages
*
A regional language is a language spoken in a region of a sovereign state, whether it be a small area, a federated state or province or some wider area.
Internationally, for the purposes of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Lan ...
include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std=ISO
* hi, साड़ी, sāṛī, translit-std=ISO
* kn, ಸೀರೆ, sīre, translit-std=ISO
* knn, साडी, कापड, चीरे, sāḍī, kāpaḍ, cīrē, translit-std=ISO
* ml, സാരി, sāri, translit-std=ISO
* mr, साडी, sāḍī, translit-std=ISO
* ne, सारी, sārī, translit-std=ISO
* or, ଶାଢ଼ୀ, śāṛhī, translit-std=ISO
* pa, ਸਾਰੀ, sārī, translit-std=ISO
* ta, புடவை, puṭavai, translit-std=ISO
* te, చీర, cīra, translit-std=ISO
* ur, ساڑى, sāṛī, translit-std=ISO is a
women's garment
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
from the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
, that consists of an un-stitched stretch of
woven fabric
Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics are often created on a loom, and made of many threads woven on a warp and a weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to on ...
arranged over the body as a
robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...
, with one end tied to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a
stole (shawl)
A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folde ...
, sometimes baring a part of the
midriff
In fashion, the midriff is the human abdomen. The midriff is exposed when wearing a crop top or some forms of swimwear or underwear. Cholis worn by Indian women expose a section of midriff, usually .
Etymology
"Midriff" is a very old term in ...
.
[Alkazi, Roshan (1983) "Ancient Indian costume", Art Heritage][Ghurye (1951) "Indian costume", Popular book depot (Bombay); (Includes rare photographs of 19th century Namboothiri and nair women in ancient sari with bare upper torso)] It may vary from in length, and in breadth, and is form of
ethnic wear in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
,
Sri Lanka and
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
. There are various names and styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the
Nivi style.
[Linda Lynton(1995), The Sari: Styles, Patterns, History, Technique , page 187; Quote: ''It is in the Karnataka (Mysore) and western Maharashtran area that the nivi style is believed to have originated.''.] The sari is worn with a fitted
bodice
A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...
commonly called a
choli ( or in southern India, and in Nepal) and a
petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', in current British En ...
called , , or .
It remains fashionable in the Indian Subcontinent today.
Etymology
The
Hindustani word (, ),
described in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
which means 'strip of cloth'
and or in
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
, and which evolved to in modern Indian languages.
The word is mentioned as describing women's
dharmic
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
attire in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
literature and Buddhist literature called
Jatakas.
[Sachidanand, Sahay (1975) Indian costume, coiffure, and ornament. Chapter 2 'Female Dress', Munshiram Manoharlal publishers Pvt Ltd. pp 31–55] This could be equivalent to the modern day sari.
The term for female
bodice
A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...
, the evolved from ancient .
[Prachya Pratibha, 1978 "Prachya Pratibha, Volume 6", p.121][Agam Kala Prakashan, 1991 "Costume, coiffure, and ornaments in the temple sculpture of northern Andhra", p.118] ''
Rajatarangini
''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Th ...
'', a tenth-century literary work by
Kalhana
Kalhana ( sa, कल्हण, translit=kalhaṇa) was the author of ''Rajatarangini'' (''River of Kings''), an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be ...
, states that the choli from the Deccan was introduced under the royal order in Kashmir.
The petticoat is called (, ) in
Hindi-Urdu
Hindustani (; Devanagari: ,
*
*
*
* ; Perso-Arabic: , , ) is the '' lingua franca'' of Northern and Central India and Pakistan. Hindustani is a pluricentric language with two standard registers, known as Hindi and Urdu. Thus, the lang ...
,
() in
Marathi, () in
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
( in other parts of South India: ml, പാവാട, pāvāṭa, translit-std=ISO, te, పావడ, pāvaḍa, translit-std=ISO, kn, ಪಾವುಡೆ, pāvuḍe, translit-std=ISO), () in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and eastern India, and () in
Sinhalese. Apart from the standard "petticoat", it may also be called "inner skirt" or an inskirt.
Origins and history
History of Sari-like drapery is traced back to the
Indus Valley civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...
, which flourished during 2800–1800 BCE around the northwestern part of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
.
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
was first cultivated and woven on the Indian subcontinent around the 5th millennium BCE. Dyes used during this period are still in use, particularly
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
,
lac
Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''.
Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...
,
red madder and
turmeric
Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...
.
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
was woven around 2450 BCE and 2000 BCE.
The word ''sari'' evolved from ( sa, शाटिका) mentioned in earliest Hindu literature as women's attire.
[Mohapatra, R. P. (1992) "Fashion styles of ancient India", B. R. Publishing corporation, ] The sari or evolved from a three-piece ensemble comprising the
, the lower garment; the
; a veil worn over the shoulder or the head; and the , a chestband. This ensemble is mentioned in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
literature and Buddhist
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
literature during the 6th century BCE. Ancient
antariya
An antariya () is a lower body garment from ancient India. It is a long white or coloured strip of cotton passed through the legs, tucked at the back and covering the legs loosely, then flowing into long pleats at front of the legs.
History
Antr ...
closely resembled the ''dhoti'' wrap in the "fishtail" version which was passed through the legs, covered the legs loosely and then flowed into long, decorative pleats at front of the legs.
It further evolved into ''Bhairnivasani'' skirt, today known as ''
ghagri'' and ''lehenga''.
Uttariya
An uttariya () is a loose piece of upper body clothing. It is a single piece of cloth that falls from the back of the neck to curl around both arms and could also drape the top half of the body. An Uttariya is similar to a veil, a long scarf an ...
was a shawl-like veil worn over the shoulder or head. It evolved into what is known today known as
dupatta
The dupattā is a Hindu shawl traditionally worn by women in Indian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders. The dupatta is currently used most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit, and worn over the kurta and the gharara.
...
and
ghoonghat
A ghoonghat (''ghunghat'', ''ghunghta'', ''ghomta'', ''orhni'', odani, ''laaj'', ''chunari'', ''jhund'', ''kundh'') is a headcovering or headscarf, worn primarily in the Indian subcontinent, by some married Hindu, Jain, and Sikh women to cov ...
. Likewise, the evolved into the ''
choli'' by the 1st century CE.
The ancient
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
work ''Kadambari'' by
Banabhatta and ancient
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
poetry, such as the ''
Silappadhikaram'', describes women in exquisite
drapery
Drapery is a general word referring to cloths or textiles (Old French , from Late Latin ). It may refer to cloth used for decorative purposes – such as around windows – or to the trade of retailing cloth, originally mostly for clothin ...
or sari.
In ancient India, although women wore saris that bared the midriff, the
Dharmasastra writers stated that women should be dressed such that the navel would never become visible, which may have led to a taboo on navel exposure at some times and places.
[Encyclopedia of Indian Women Through the Ages: Ancient India – Simmi Jain](_blank)
It is generally accepted that wrapped sari-like garments for lower body and sometimes shawls or scarf like garment called 'uttariya' for upper body, have been worn by Indian women for a long time, and that they have been worn in their current form for hundreds of years. In ancient couture the lower garment was called '
nivi' or 'nivi bandha', while the upper body was mostly left bare.
The works of
Kalidasa mention the , a form of tight fitting breast band that simply covered the breasts.
It was also sometimes referred to as an or
.
Poetic references from works like
Silappadikaram
''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം, IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the ...
indicate that during the
Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
in ancient Tamil Nadu in southern India, a single piece of clothing served as both lower garment and head covering, leaving the midriff completely uncovered.
Similar styles of the sari are recorded paintings by
Raja Ravi Varma in Kerala.
Numerous sources say that everyday costume in ancient India until recent times in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
consisted of a pleated dhoti or (
sarong
A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid o ...
) wrap, combined with a breast band called or and occasionally a wrap called that could at times be used to cover the upper body or head.
The two-piece Kerala mundum neryathum (mundu, a dhoti or sarong, neryath, a shawl, in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
) is a survival of ancient clothing styles. The one-piece sari in Kerala is derived from neighbouring Tamil Nadu or Deccan during medieval period based on its appearance on various temple murals in medieval Kerala.
[Miller, Daniel & Banerjee, Mukulika; (2004) "The Sari", Lustre press / Roli books]
Early
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
literature has a wide vocabulary of terms for the
veiling
A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent i ...
used by women, such as ''Avagunthana'' (oguntheti/oguṇthikā), meaning cloak-veil, ''Uttariya'' meaning shoulder-veil, ''Mukha-pata'' meaning face-veil and ''Sirovas-tra'' meaning head-veil.
[Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (1951) "Indian Costume.", p.236] In the ''Pratimānātaka'', a play by Bhāsa describes in context of ''Avagunthana'' veil that "''ladies may be seen without any blame (for the parties concerned) in a religious session, in marriage festivities, during a calamity and in a forest''".
The same sentiment is more generically expressed in later
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
literature.
[Sulochana Ayyar (1987) "Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum.", p.152] Śūdraka
Shudraka ( IAST: ) was an Indian playwright, to whom three Sanskrit plays are attributed: '' Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart''), ''Vinavasavadatta'', and a ''bhana'' (short one-act monologue), ''Padmaprabhritaka''.Bhattacharji, Sukumari ...
, the author of
Mṛcchakatika
''Mṛcchakatika'' ( sa, Mṛcchakaṭikam मृच्छकटिकम्), also spelled ''Mṛcchakaṭikā'', ''Mrchchhakatika'', ''Mricchakatika'', or ''Mrichchhakatika'' (''The Little Clay Cart'') is a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed ...
set in fifth century BCE says that the ''Avagaunthaha'' was not used by women everyday and at every time. He says that a married lady was expected to put on a veil while moving in the public.
This may indicate that it was not necessary for unmarried females to put on a veil.
This form of veiling by married women is still prevalent in Hindi-speaking areas, and is known as ''
ghoonghat
A ghoonghat (''ghunghat'', ''ghunghta'', ''ghomta'', ''orhni'', odani, ''laaj'', ''chunari'', ''jhund'', ''kundh'') is a headcovering or headscarf, worn primarily in the Indian subcontinent, by some married Hindu, Jain, and Sikh women to cov ...
'' where the loose end of a sari is pulled over the head to act as a facial veil.
Based on sculptures and paintings, tight bodices or ''
cholis'' are believed to have evolved between the 2nd century BCE to 6th century CE in various regional styles.
Early ''cholis'' were front covering tied at the back; this style was more common in parts of ancient northern India. This ancient form of bodice or choli are still common in the state of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
today. Varies styles of decorative traditional embroidery like gota patti, mochi, pakko, kharak, suf, kathi, phulkari and gamthi are done on ''cholis''. In Southern parts of India, choli is known as ''ravikie'' which is tied at the front instead of back, kasuti is traditional form of embroidery used for cholis in this region.
[History of Kasuti is mentioned by ] In Nepal, choli is known as ''cholo'' or ''chaubandi cholo'' and is traditionally tied at the front.
Red is the most favoured colour for
wedding saris, which are the traditional garment choice for brides in
Hindu wedding. Women traditionally wore various types of regional
handloom saris made of silk, cotton, ikkat, block-print, embroidery and tie-dye textiles. Most sought after
brocade silk saris are Banasari, Kanchipuram, Gadwal, Paithani, Mysore, Uppada, Bagalpuri, Balchuri, Maheshwari, Chanderi, Mekhela, Ghicha, Narayan pet and Eri etc. are traditionally worn for festive and formal occasions. Silk
Ikat
''Ikat'' (in Indonesian languages means "bind") is a dyeing technique originating from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.
In ''ikat'', the resist is formed by b ...
and cotton saris known as Patola, Pochampally, Bomkai, Khandua, Sambalpuri, Gadwal, Berhampuri, Bargarh, Jamdani, Tant, Mangalagiri, Guntur, Narayan pet, Chanderi, Maheshwari, Nuapatn, Tussar, Ilkal, Kotpad and Manipuri were worn for both festive and everyday attire.
Tie-dye
Tie-dye is a term used to describe a number of resist dyeing techniques and the resulting dyed products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment, before binding ...
d and
block-print saris known as Bandhani, Leheria/Leheriya, Bagru, Ajrakh, Sungudi, Kota Dabu/Dabu print, Bagh and Kalamkari were traditionally worn during monsoon season.
Gota Patti is popular form of traditional
embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...
used on saris for formal occasions, various other types of traditional folk embroidery such mochi, pakko, kharak, suf, kathi, phulkari and gamthi are also commonly used for both informal and formal occasion.
Today, modern fabrics like polyester,
georgette and charmeuse are also commonly used.
Styles of draping
![Styles of Sari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Styles_of_Sari.jpg)
There are more than 80 recorded ways to wear a sari. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with the loose end of the drape to be worn over the shoulder, baring the midriff. However, the sari can be draped in several different styles, though some styles do require a sari of a particular length or form.
Ṛta Kapur Chishti
Ṛta Kapur Chishti is a sari historian and a textile scholar. She is the co-author and editor of two books namely ‘Saris: Tradition and Beyond’ and 'Handcrafted Indian Textiles: Tradition and Beyond'. ''Saris of India: Tradition and Beyond'' ...
, a sari
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
and recognised
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
scholar, has documented 108 ways of wearing a sari in her book, 'Saris: Tradition and Beyond'. The book documents the sari drapes across fourteen states of
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
,
Maharashtra,
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
,
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
,
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Chhattisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
, and
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
. The French cultural
anthropologist and sari researcher
Chantal Boulanger categorised sari drapes in the following families:
[Boulanger, Chantal; (1997) ''Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping'', Shakti Press International, New York.]
The Sari Series, a non-profit project created in 2017 is a digital anthology documenting India's regional sari drapes providing over 80 short films on how-to-drape the various styles.
* Nivi sari – style originally worn in Deccan region; besides the modern nivi, there is also the ''Nauvari'', ''kaccha'' or ''kasta nivi'', where the pleats are passed through the legs and tucked into at the back. This allows free movement while covering the legs.
*
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
,
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
,
Rajasthani – It is worn similar to nivi style but with loose end of sari ''aanchal'' or ''pallu'' placed in the front, therefore this style is known as ''sidha anchal'' or ''sidha pallu''. After tucking in the pleats similar to the nivi style, the loose end is taken from the back, draped across the right shoulder, and pulled across to be secured in the back. This style is also worn by Punjabi and Sindhi Hindus.
*
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
and
Odia style is worn with single box-pleat. Traditionally the Bengali style is worn with single box pleat where the sari is wrapped around in an anti-clockwise direction around the waist and then a second time from the other direction. The loose end is a lot longer and that goes around the body over the left shoulder. There is enough cloth left to cover the head as well.
*
Himalayan - Kulluvi Pattu is traditional form of woolen sari worn in Himachal Pradesh, similar variation is also worn in
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
.
*
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
i: Nepal has many different varieties of draping sari, today the most common is the Nivi drape. The traditional Newari sari drape is, folding the sari till it is below knee length and then wearing it like a nivi sari but the pallu is not worn across the chest and instead is tied around the waist and leaving it so it drops from waist to the knee, instead the pallu or a shawl is tied across the chest, by wrapping it from the right hip and back and is thrown over the shoulders. Saris are worn with blouse that are thicker and are tied several times across the front. The Bhojpuri and Awadhi speaking community wears the sari sedha pallu like the Gujrati drape. The Mithila community has its own traditional Maithili drapes like the madhubani and purniea drapes but today those are rare and most sari is worn with the pallu in the front or the nivi style.
The women of the Rajbanshi communities traditionally wear their sari with no choli and tied below the neck like a towel but today only old women wear it in that style and the nivi and the Bengali drapes are more popular today. The Nivi drape was popularized in Nepal by the
Shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
royals and the
Ranas.
*
Nauvari and
Kasta: this drape is worn similar to ancient form of navi sari worn in ''"Kacche"'' style where pleats in the front are tucked in the back, though there are many regional and societal variations. The style worn by
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
women differs from that of the
Maratha
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as ...
s. The style also differs from community to community. This style is popular in
Maharashtra and
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
.
*
Madisar
The Madisar or Koshavam () is a typical way in which the sari is worn by Tamil Brahmin women. The sari and the tying style dates back to ancient India, at least as far back as the period between 2nd century BC to 1st century AD when the antariy ...
– this drape is typical of Iyengar/Iyer Brahmin ladies from Tamil Nadu. Traditional Madisar is worn using 9 yards sari. The Parsi ‘gara’ is a quintessence of embroidery, art and history, and it has a Chinese link
* Pin Kosuvam - this is the traditional Tamil Nadu style
* The
Brahmika sari was introduced to Bengal by
Jnanadanandini Devi after her tour in Bombay in 1870. Jnanadanandini improvised upon the sari style worn by Parsi and Gujarati women, which came to be known as Brahmika style.
*
Kodagu
Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.
It occupies ...
style – this drape is confined to ladies hailing from the
Kodagu
Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.
It occupies ...
district of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. In this style, the pleats are created in the rear, instead of the front. The loose end of the sari is draped back-to-front over the right shoulder, and is pinned to the rest of the sari.
* ''Gobbe Seere'' – This style is worn by women in the
Malnad
Malnad (; Malēnādu) is a region in the state of Karnataka in India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountain range, and is roughly 100 kilometers in width.
Malnadis a region of Karnataka ...
or Sahyadri and central region of Karnataka. It is worn with 18 molas sari with three-four rounds at the waist and a knot after crisscrossing over shoulders.
*
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
– In Karnataka, apart from traditional Nivi sari, sari is also worn in ''"Karnataka Kacche"'' drape, kacche drape which shows nivi drape in front and kacche in back, there are Four kacche styles known in Karnataka - "''Hora kacche''", "''Melgacche''" ,"''Vala kacche''" or "''Olagacche''" and "'' Hale Kacche''".
*
Kerala sari style – the two-piece sari, or
Mundum Neryathum, worn in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. Usually made of unbleached cotton and decorated with gold or coloured stripes and/or borders. Also the
Kerala sari, a sort of mundum neryathum.
* Kunbi style or ''denthli'': Goan Kunbis and Gauda, and those of them who have migrated to other states use this way of draping sari or ''kappad'', this form of draping is created by tying a knot in the fabric below the shoulder and a strip of cloth which crossed the left shoulder was fasten on the back.
* Riha-Mekhela, Kokalmora, Chador/Murot Mora Gamusa - This style worn in
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
is a wrap around style cloth similar to other wrap-around from other parts of South-East Asia and is actually very different in origin from the Mainland Indian sari. It is originally a four-set of separate garments (quite dissimilar to the sari as it is a single cloth) known ''Riha-Mekhela, Kokalmora, Chador/Murot Mora Gamusa''. The bottom portion, draped from the waist downwards is called ''Mekhela''. The ''Riha'' or ''Methoni'' is wrapped and often secured by tying them firmly across the chest, covering the breasts originally but now it is sometimes replaced by the influence of immigrant Mainland Indian styles which is traditionally incorrect. The ''Kokalmora'' was used originally to tie the ''Mekhela'' around the waist and keep it firm.
* ''Innaphi'' and ''Phanek'' - This style of clothing worn in
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
is also worn with three-set garment known as ''Innaphi'' Viel, ''Phanek'' lower wrap and long sleeved ''choli''. It is somewhat similar to the style of clothing worn in Assam.
* Jainsem - It is a Khasi style of clothing worn in
Khasi which is made up of several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape.
Historic photographs and regional styles
File:Shri Lakshmi Lustrated by Elephants (Gaja-Lakshmi) LACMA M.85.62 (cropped).jpg, Lakshmi depicted in ancient variation of sari, 1st century BCE
File:Ajanta Paintings.jpg, Women in ''choli'' (blouse) and antariya , Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
File:Detail of a leaf with the birth of mahavira.jpg, Kalpa Sūtra manuscript
File:Green Tara. Sumtsek hall at Alci monastery, Ladakh, ca. 11th century.jpg, Green Tara depicted with sari,
File:Lovers in graden, Deccan, 1600 CE.jpg, Woman dressed in sari, deccan, ca. 1600
File:Women in Garden, Deccan, 1565 CE.jpg, Women dressed in sari, deccan, ca. 1565
File:Flames of unrequited passion arise from Mahji as she mourns for her lost beloved. Deccan, c. 1600.jpg, Women dressed in sari, ca. 1600
File:Gujrati Sari.jpg, Girl in Gujarati sari; in this style, the loose end is worn on the front
File:Tamil Sari.jpg, Woman in Tamil sari; in this style, the loose end is wrapped around the waist
File:Bengali Sari.jpg, Girl in Bengali sari; in this style sari is worn without any pleats
File:Ceylon India 1880.jpg, Kandyan Sinhalese lady wearing a traditional Kandyan sari ()
File:Girl standing in a veranda wearing a Pochampalli sari.jpg, Girl in nivi Pochampally
Bhoodan Pochampally is a census town in the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is located in Pochampalle mandal of Bhongir division. This village is Known for woven products, especially hand-woven Ikkat sarees. ...
ikat sari, 1895 CE
File:Marathi Women.jpg, Woman in Nauvari sari
File:Mysore Women.jpg, A member of the royal family of Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
in Mysore sari
File:Karnataka kacche drape.jpg, Women depicted in Melgacche drape, from Karnataka , Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
manuscript 16th17th century
File:Hale Kacche sari(ಹಳೆಕಚ್ಚೆ ಸೀರೆ).jpg, Sari draping style of Karnataka, Hale Kacche sari/ಹಳೆಕಚ್ಚೆ ಸೀರೆ.
File:Telugu Lady.jpg, Woman in Nivi sari & vaddanam
Vaddanam is a gold ornamental belt worn by South Indian women on special occasions.
These occasions can include festival days, major family occasions, and weddings. like marriages as a status symbol in South India
South India, also ...
File:Newar bride 1941.jpg, Women in Nepali style sari, 1941
Nivi style
![Maharani Ourmilla Of Jubbal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Maharani_Ourmilla_Of_Jubbal.jpg)
The Nivi in most common style of sari worn today, which originated in Deccan region.
In the Deccan region the Nivi existed in two styles, a style similar to modern Nivi and the second style worn with front pleats of Nivi tucked in the back.
The increased interactions during colonial era saw most women from royal families come out of
purdah
Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that wom ...
in the 1900s. This necessitated a change of dress. Maharani
Indira Devi
Indira Devi, born as Indira Raje (19 February 1892 – 6 September 1968), was the Maharani of the princely state of Cooch Behar, British India. She was the daughter of Chimnabai II. She broke her arranged engagement to marry Jitendra Narayan ...
of Cooch Behar popularised the
chiffon sari. She was widowed early in life and followed the convention of abandoning her richly woven Baroda shalus in favour of the unadorned
mourning
Mourning is the expression of an experience that is the consequence of an event in life involving loss, causing grief, occurring as a result of someone's death, specifically someone who was loved although loss from death is not exclusively ...
white as per tradition. Characteristically, she transformed her "
mourning
Mourning is the expression of an experience that is the consequence of an event in life involving loss, causing grief, occurring as a result of someone's death, specifically someone who was loved although loss from death is not exclusively ...
" clothes into high fashion. She had saris woven in France to her personal specifications, in white chiffon, and introduced the silk chiffon sari to the royal fashion repertoire.
Under colonial rule,
petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', in current British En ...
was adopted, along with Victorian styles of puffed-sleeved blouses, which was commonly seen among the elites in
Bombay presidency and
Bengal presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
. Nivi drape starts with one end of the sari tucked into the
waistband
A waistband is a strip of material that is either elastic or some other confining fabric that encircles the waist, usually as a component of clothing such as skirts, trousers, shorts, swimsuits, and undergarments.
A waistband can be a complete un ...
of the
petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', in current British En ...
, usually a plain
skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts ar ...
. The cloth is wrapped around the lower body once, then hand-gathered into even pleats below the navel. The pleats are tucked into the waistband of the petticoat.
[Dongerkerry, Kamala, S. (1959) ''The Indian sari''. New Delhi.] They create a graceful, decorative effect which poets have likened to the petals of a flower.
After one more turn around the waist, the loose end is draped over the shoulder.
The loose end is called the ''aanchal'', ''pallu'', ''pallav'', ''seragu'', or ''paita'' depending on the language. It is draped diagonally in front of the torso. It is worn across the right hip to over the left shoulder, partly baring the midriff.
The navel can be revealed or concealed by the wearer by adjusting the ''pallu'', depending on the social setting. The long end of the ''pallu'' hanging from the back of the shoulder is often intricately decorated. The ''pallu'' may be hanging freely, tucked in at the waist, used to cover the head, or used to cover the neck, by draping it across the right shoulder as well. Some Nivi styles are worn with the ''pallu'' draped from the back towards the front, coming from the back over the right shoulder with one corner tucked by the left hip, covering the torso/waist. The Nivi sari was popularised through the paintings of
Raja Ravi Varma.
[Miller, Daniel & Banerjee, Mukulika, ''The Sari'' (2004), Lustre press / Roli books.] In one of his paintings, the Indian subcontinent was shown as a mother wearing a flowing Nivi sari.
The ornaments sometimes worn in the midriff region on top of a sari are
waist chains. They are sometimes worn as a part of bridal jewellery.
Professional style of draping
![An Oberoi Hotel employee doing Namaste, New Delhi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/An_Oberoi_Hotel_employee_doing_Namaste%2C_New_Delhi.jpg)
Because of the harsh extremes in temperature on the Indian subcontinent, the sari fills a practical role as well as a decorative one. It is not only warming in winter and cooling in summer, but its loose-fitting tailoring is preferred by women who must be free to move as their duties require. For this reason, it is the uniform of
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Biman Bangladesh Airlines ( bn, বিমান বাংলাদেশ এয়ারলাইন্স) commonly known as Biman ( bn, বিমান), pronounced (), is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazr ...
and
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the ...
uniform for
air hostesses.
An air hostess-style sari is draped in similar manner to a traditional sari, but most of the pleats are pinned to keep them in place.
Bangladeshi female newsreaders and anchors also drape their sari in this particular style.
Saris are worn as uniforms by the female
hotel staff of many five-star luxury hotels in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Sri Lanka, and
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
as the symbol of
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Sri Lankan, and
Bangladeshi culture
The culture of Bangladesh is intertwined with the culture of the ''Bengal region'' of the Indian subcontinent. It has evolved over the centuries and encompasses the cultural diversity of several social groups of Bangladesh. The Bengal Renaiss ...
, respectively.
Similarly, the female politicians of all three countries wear the sari in a professional manner.
Bangladeshi politicians usually wear saris with long sleeve blouse while covering their midriff. Some politicians pair up saris with
hijabs or
shawl
A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folde ...
s for more coverage.
The women of the
Nehru–Gandhi family
The Nehru–Gandhi family is an Indian political family that has occupied a prominent place in the politics of India. The involvement of the family has traditionally revolved around the Indian National Congress, as various members have traditi ...
like
Indira Gandhi and
Sonia Gandhi have worn a special blouse for the campaign trail which is longer than usual and is tucked in to prevent any midriff showing while waving to the crowds. Stylist
Prasad Bidapa has to say, "I think Sonia Gandhi is the country's most stylish politician. But that's because she's inherited the best collection of saris from her mother-in-law. I'm also happy that she supports the Indian handloom industry with her selection."
Most female MPs in the Sri Lankan
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
wear a Kandyan osari. This includes prominent women in politics, the
first female premier in the world,
Sirimavo Bandaranaike and
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
. Contemporary examples include
Pavithra Wanniarachchi
Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi ( si, පවිත්රා දේවි වන්නිආරච්චි) is a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician. The current Minister of Transport, she is a Member of Parliament from the Ratnapura District.
Earl ...
, the sitting health minister in
Cabinet. The adoption of the sari is not exclusive to Sinhalese politicians;
Muslim MP
Ferial Ashraff combined a hijab with her sari while in Parliament.
Bangladesh
Sari is the national wear of
Bangladeshi women. All girls and married women used to wear sari as their regular clothes but nowadays most working women choose to wear
shalwar kameez or western outfits instead.
However, almost all women wear sari as an on formal event and social gatherings. Women of certain occupation such as teachers wear sari to their workplace. Young girls also wear it on special occasions.
Sari is the national attire for
women in Bangladesh
The status of women in Bangladesh has been subject to many important changes over the past few centuries. Bangladeshi women have made significant progress since the country's independence in 1971, where women in the region experienced increa ...
, Although
Dhakai Jamdani (hand made sari) is worldwide known and most famous to all women who wear sari but there are also many variety of saris in Bangladesh. There are many regional variations of them in both silk and cotton. e.g.- Cotton sari,
Dhakai
A Dhakai ( Daccai) is a type of sari (traditional cloth for women of South Asia) made with cotton. The name comes from the Dhaka (Dacca)city, capital of Bangladesh, where this type of sari is usually made.
History
The unique hand technique of wea ...
Banarasi sari
A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The s ...
,
Rajshahi silk,
Tangail sari,
Tant sari,
Tassar silk
Tussar silk (alternatively spelled as tussah, tushar, tassar, tussore, tasar, tussur, or tusser, and also known as (Sanskrit) ''kosa'' silk) is produced from larvae of several species of silkworms belonging to the moth genus '' Antheraea'', incl ...
sari,
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
i sari and Katan sari are the most popular in Bangladesh.
Sari is considered as a dress code in news channels, educational institutions, workplaces and formal events etc. of Bangladesh and the uniform of the air hostesses of
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Biman Bangladesh Airlines ( bn, বিমান বাংলাদেশ এয়ারলাইন্স) commonly known as Biman ( bn, বিমান), pronounced (), is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazr ...
.
In 2013, the traditional art of weaving jamdani was declared a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...
.
In 2016, Bangladesh received
geographical indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...
(GI) status for
Jamdani
Jamdani ( bn, জামদানি) is a fine muslin textile (figured with different patterns) produced for centuries in South Rupshi of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh on the bank of Shitalakhwa river. The historic production of jamdani was ...
sari.
Sri Lanka
![Sinhalese Girl Wearing A Traditional Kandyan Saree (Osaria)-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Sinhalese_Girl_Wearing_A_Traditional_Kandyan_Saree_%28Osaria%29-2.jpg)
Sri Lankan women wear saris in many styles. Two ways of draping the sari are popular and tend to dominate: the Indian style (classic nivi drape) and the Kandyan style (or in Sinhala). The Kandyan style is generally more popular in the hill country region of Kandy from which the style gets its name. Though local preferences play a role, most women decide on style depending on personal preference or what is perceived to be most flattering for their figure.
The traditional Kandyan (Osariya) style consists of a full blouse which covers the midriff completely and is partially tucked in at the front. However, the modern intermingling of styles has led to most wearers baring the midriff. The final tail of the sari is neatly pleated rather than free-flowing. This is rather similar to the pleated rosette used in the ''Pin Kosuvam'' style noted earlier in the article.
The Kandyan style is considered the national dress of Sinhalese women. It is the uniform of the air hostesses of
SriLankan Airlines.
During the 1960s, the mini sari known as 'hipster' sari created a wrinkle in Sri Lankan fashion, since it was worn below the navel and barely above the line of prosecution for indecent exposure. The conservative people described the 'hipster' as "''an absolute travesty of a beautiful costume almost a desecration''" and "''a hideous and purposeless garment''".
Nepal
The sari is the most commonly worn women's clothing in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
where a special style of sari draping is called ''haku patasihh''. The sari is draped around the waist and a shawl is worn covering the upper half of the sari, which is used in place of a ''pallu''.
Pakistan
![BushraAnsariLuxStyleAwards](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/BushraAnsariLuxStyleAwards.jpg)
In Pakistan, the saris are still popular and worn on special occasions. The
Shalwar kameez, however, is worn throughout the country on a daily basis. The sari nevertheless remains a popular garment among the middle and upper class for many formal functions. Saris can be seen worn commonly in metropolitan cities such as Karachi and Islamabad and are worn regularly for weddings and other business types of functions. Saris are also worn by many
Muslim women in Sindh to show their status or to enhance their beauty.
Phulkari
Phulkari ( pa, ਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ) refers to the folk embroidery of the Punjab. Although Phulkari means floral work, the designs include not only flowers but also cover motifs and geometrical shapes.
The main characteristics of Phulkari embr ...
,
Kota doria,
banarasi,
Ajrak
Ajrak ( sd, اجرڪ), also known as Ajrakh, is a unique form of blockprinting found mostly in Sindh, Pakistan and Ajrakhpur, Kutch district, India. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps. Over the ...
are the most worn.
The sari is worn as daily wear by
Pakistani Hindus
Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Pakistan after Islam. While Hinduism was one of the dominant faiths in the region a few centuries back, today Hindus account for 2.14% of Pakistan's population or 4.4 million people accor ...
, by elderly Muslim women who were used to wearing it in
pre-partition India and by some of the new generation who have reintroduced the interest in saris. Non-
dharmic
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
of
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
are not the only ones who have normalized the cultural appropriatness of saris since it has been happening all over the world.
Black
Sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
Day, is an celebration of
Iqbal Bano
Iqbal Bano ( ur, ; born 1928 in Delhi – died 21 April 2009 in Lahore) was a ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was known for her semi-classical Urdu ghazal songs and classical thumris, but also sang easy-listening numbers in the 1950s films. Iq ...
a women who fought in a Black sari in Lahore against Zia. She sang
Hum Dekhenge. Although this event is to bring family closer and to enjoy the day of
Iqbal Bano
Iqbal Bano ( ur, ; born 1928 in Delhi – died 21 April 2009 in Lahore) was a ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was known for her semi-classical Urdu ghazal songs and classical thumris, but also sang easy-listening numbers in the 1950s films. Iq ...
.
Similarities with other Asian clothing
While the sari is typical to traditional wear for women in the Indian subcontinent, clothing worn by women in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
n countries like
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and
Laos resemble it, where a long rectangular piece of cloth is draped around the body. These are different from the sari as they are wrapped around the lower-half of body as a skirt, worn with a shirt/blouse and resemble a
sarong
A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid o ...
, as seen in the Burmese (; ), Filipino and , Laotian (; ), Laotian and Thai (; ) and (, ; , , ), Cambodian ( km, ស្បៃ) and ''
sampot
A ''sampot'' ( km, សំពត់, ), a long, rectangular cloth worn around the lower body, is a traditional dress in Cambodia. It can be draped and folded in several different ways. The traditional dress is similar to the dhoti of Southern As ...
'' ( km, សំពត់, , ) and Timorese . Saris, worn predominantly in the Indian subcontinent are usually draped with one end of the cloth fastened around the waist, and the other end placed over the shoulder baring the midriff.
Ornamentation and decorative accessories
![Whitechapel dresses 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Whitechapel_dresses_1.jpg)
Saris are woven with one plain end (the end that is concealed inside the wrap), two long decorative borders running the length of the sari, and a one to three-foot section at the other end which continues and elaborates the length-wise decoration. This end is called the ''pallu''; it is the part thrown over the shoulder in the nivi style of draping.
In past times, saris were woven of
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
or cotton. The rich could afford finely woven,
diaphanous
In the field of optics, transparency (also called pellucidity or diaphaneity) is the physical property of allowing light to pass through the material without appreciable scattering of light. On a macroscopic scale (one in which the dimensions ...
silk saris that, according to
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
, could be passed through a
finger ring
A ring is a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry. The term "ring" by itself always denotes jewellery worn on the finger; when worn as an ornament elsewhere, the body part is specified within the term, e.g., earrings, nec ...
. The poor wore coarsely woven cotton saris. All saris were
handwoven and represented a considerable investment of time or money.
Simple hand-woven villagers' saris are often decorated with checks or stripes woven into the cloth. Inexpensive saris were also decorated with
block printing
Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is create ...
using carved wooden blocks and vegetable dyes, or
tie-dye
Tie-dye is a term used to describe a number of resist dyeing techniques and the resulting dyed products of these processes. The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment, before binding ...
ing, known in India as ''bhandani'' work.
More expensive saris had elaborate geometric, floral, or figurative ornaments or brocades created on the
loom, as part of the fabric. Sometimes warp and weft threads were tie-dyed and then woven, creating ''
ikat
''Ikat'' (in Indonesian languages means "bind") is a dyeing technique originating from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.
In ''ikat'', the resist is formed by b ...
'' patterns. Sometimes threads of different colours were woven into the base fabric in patterns; an ornamented border, an elaborate ''pallu'', and often, small repeated accents in the cloth itself. These accents are called ''buttis'' or ''bhuttis'' (spellings vary). For fancy saris, these patterns could be woven with
gold or silver thread, which is called ''
zari
''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make i ...
'' work.
![WLA haa Gold belt Tamil Oddiyanam 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/WLA_haa_Gold_belt_Tamil_Oddiyanam_3.jpg)
Sometimes the saris were further decorated, after weaving, with various sorts of embroidery. ''Resham'' work is embroidery done with coloured silk thread. ''
Zardozi
Zardozi or zar-douzi or zarduzi (from Classical Persian زَردوزی ''zardōzī'', literally "gold embroidery"; fa, label= Modern Persian, زَردوزی, translit=zarduzi; hi, ज़रदोज़ी, tg, зардӯзӣ, ur, زردوز ...
'' embroidery uses gold and silver thread, and sometimes pearls and
precious stones
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
. Cheap modern versions of ''zardozi'' use synthetic metallic thread and imitation stones, such as fake pearls and
Swarovski crystals.
In modern times, saris are increasingly woven on mechanical looms and made of artificial fibres, such as
polyester, nylon, or
rayon, which do not require starching or
ironing
Ironing is the use of a machine, usually a heated tool (an iron), to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases from fabric. The heating is commonly done to a temperature of 180–220 °Celsius (356-428 Fahrenheit), depending on the fabric. Ironing wor ...
. They are printed by machine, or woven in simple patterns made with ''floats'' across the back of the sari. This can create an elaborate appearance on the front, while looking ugly on the back. The ''punchra'' work is imitated with inexpensive machine-made tassel trim. Fashion designer
Aaditya Sharma declared, "I can drape a sari in 54 different styles".
Hand-woven, hand-decorated saris are naturally much more expensive than the machine imitations. While the overall market for handweaving has plummeted (leading to much distress among Indian handweavers),
hand-woven saris are still popular for weddings and other grand social occasions.
Saris outside the Indian subcontinent
![Aishwarya bachchan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Aishwarya_bachchan.jpg)
The traditional sari made an impact in the United States during the 1970s. Eugene Novack who ran the New York store, Royal Sari House told that he had been selling it mainly to the Indian women in New York area but later many American business women and housewives became his customers who preferred their saris to resemble the full gown of the western world. He also said that men appeared intrigued by the fragility and the femininity it confers on the wearer. Newcomers to the sari report that it is comfortable to wear, requiring no girdles or stockings and that the flowing garb feels so feminine with unusual grace.
The sari has gained its popularity internationally because of the growth of Indian fashion trends globally. Many
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
celebrities, like
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebriti ...
, have worn it at international events representing
India's cultural heritage. In 2010, Bollywood actress
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most po ...
wanted to represent her country at an international event, wearing the national costume. On her very first red carpet appearance at the
Cannes International Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
, she stepped out on the red carpet in a
Rohit Bal sari.
Many foreign celebrities have worn traditional sari attire designed by Indian
fashion designers. American actress
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997).
Anders ...
made a surprise guest appearance on
Bigg Boss
''Bigg Boss'' is an Indian reality television game show franchise based on the Dutch reality show '' Big Brother''. It is produced by Endemol Shine India through Viacom18 and Disney Star. Subsequently, the various versions of the show are made ...
, the Indian version of
Big Brother, dressed in a sari that was specially designed for her by Mumbai-based fashion designer Ashley Rebello.
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...
donned a purple sari at the
YouthAIDS Benefit Gala in November 2007 at the Ritz Carlton in Mclean, Virginia. There was an Indian flavour to the red carpet at the annual Fashion Rocks concert in New York, with designer Rocky S walking the ramp along with Jessica, Ashley, Nicole, Kimberly and Melody – the
Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat or Pussy Cat may refer to:
* Cat, a domestic feline
Music Bands
* Pussycat (band), a Dutch country and pop group
* The Pussycats, a 1960s Norwegian rock band
* The Pussycats, a group signed to Kama Sutra Records
Albums
* '' Pussy Ca ...
– dressed in saris. in 2014, American singer
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
was seen in a sari for an
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
charity event at Nepal.
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the sari has recently become politicised with the digital-movement, "Sari, Not Sorry".
Tanya Rawal-Jindia, a gender studies professor at
UC Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. Th ...
, initiated this anti-xenophobia fashion-campaign on Instagram.
While an international image of the modern style sari may have been popularised by airline
flight attendants
A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...
, each region in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
has developed, over the centuries, its own unique sari style. Following are other well-known varieties, distinct on the basis of fabric, weaving style, or motif, in the Indian subcontinent
Handloom and textiles
Handloom sari weaving is one of India's
cottage industries
The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
. The handloom weaving process requires several stages in order to produce the final product. Traditionally the processes of
dyeing
Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular c ...
(during the yarn, fabric, or garment stage),
warping, sizing, attaching the warp, weft winding and
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
were done by weavers and local specialists around weaving towns and villages.
Northern and Central styles
!['Sari' from Varanasi (north-central India), silk and gold-wrapped silk yarn with supplementary weft brocade](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/%27Sari%27_from_Varanasi_%28north-central_India%29%2C_silk_and_gold-wrapped_silk_yarn_with_supplementary_weft_brocade.jpg)
*
Banarasi –
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
*
Shalu – Uttar Pradesh
* Tanchoi – Uttar Pradesh
* Pattu -
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
*
Chanderi sari –
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
* Maheshwari –
Maheshwar
Maheshwar is a town, near Khargone city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located on State Highway-38 ( Khargone city-Barwaha- Bandheri Highway),13.5 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) a ...
, Madhya Pradesh
*
Kosa silk –
Chhattisgarh
* Dhokra silk – Madhya Pradesh
Eastern styles
![Folded sari in purple and magenta shot-silk with gold pattern, 1970](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Folded_sari_in_purple_and_magenta_shot-silk_with_gold_pattern%2C_1970.jpg)
*
Tant sari – throughout
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
*
Baluchari sari – Bishnupur, West Bengal
*
Kaantha sari – throughout Bengal
* Garode / Korial – Murshidabad, West Bengal
* Shantipuri cotton –
Shantipur
Santipur is a city and a municipality in the Ranaghat subdivision of Nadia district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. The fort area of this city, also known as Daak-Garh (calling or gathering room) is thought ...
,
Phulia
Phulia (also spelled Fulia) is a census town in the Santipur CD block of the Ranaghat subdivision in the Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is birthplace of 'Adi kavi' of Bengal Krittibas Ojha.
Geography
Location
Fulia ...
, West Bengal
*
Jamdani / Dhakai – Dhaka, Bangladesh
*
Rajshahi silk / Eri – Rajshahi, Bangladesh
* Dhakai Katan – Dhaka, Bangladesh
* Mooga silk –
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
* Mekhla Cotton – Assam
*
Sambalpuri Silk & Cotton sari –
Sambalpur
Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Sam ...
,
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
*
Ikkat Silk & Cotton sari –
Bargarh
Bargarh is a city and municipality in Bargarh district in the state of odisha in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District. Bargarh is popularly known for intensive cultivation of 'paddy', therefore called "Bhata Handi" o ...
, Odisha
![Bomkai3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Bomkai3.jpg)
*
Bomkai sari – Bomkai,
Ganjam
Ganjam is a town and a notified area council in Ganjam district in the state of Odisha, India. Brahmapur, one of the major city of Odisha is situated in this district.
Geography
Ganjam is located at in the Ganjam district of Odisha with an ...
, Odisha
*
Khandua Silk & Cotton sari –
Nuapatna, Cuttack, Odisha
*
Pasapali sari – Bargarh, Odisha
* Sonepuri Silk & Cotton sari –
Subarnapur, Odisha
* Berhampuri silk – Behrampur, Odisha
* Mattha Silk sari –
Mayurbhanj
Mayurbhanj district is one of the 30 districts in Odisha state in eastern India. It is the largest district of Odisha by area. Its headquarters are at Baripada. Other major towns are Rairangpur, Karanjia and Udala. , it is the third-most-pop ...
, Odisha
* Bapta Silk & Cotton sari –
Koraput
Koraput is a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha. Koraput town is the district headquarter of Koraput district.
History
The district of Koraput derives its name from its headquarters the present town of ...
, Odisha
* Kotpad Pata sari – Koraput, Odisha
* Tanta Cotton sari –
Balasore, Odisha
* Manipuri Tant sari –
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...
* Moirang Phi sari – Manipur
* Patt Silk sari – Assam
* Kotki sari –
Orissa
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...
* Kotpad sari – Orissa
Western styles
![Kota sari with gota patti by ashish 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Kota_sari_with_gota_patti_by_ashish_01.JPG)
*Paithanpattu - Maharashtra
*Yeola sari - Maharashtra
*Peshwai shalu - Maharashtra
*Mahalsa sari - Maharashtra
*Narayanpeth - Maharashtra
*Khun fabric - Maharashtra
*Karvati tussar sari - Maharashtra
![Bandhej](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Bandhej.JPG)
*
Bandhani
Bandhani ( hi, बांधणी, gu, બાંધણી) is a type of tie-dye textile decorated by plucking the cloth with the fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. The term ''bandhani'' is derived from the Sans ...
–
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, Rajasthan, Pakistan, Sindh
*
Kota doria – Rajasthan, Pakistan, Sindh
*
Lugade – Maharashtra
*
Patola – Gujarat
*
Bagru – Rajasthan.
*
Phulkari
Phulkari ( pa, ਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ) refers to the folk embroidery of the Punjab. Although Phulkari means floral work, the designs include not only flowers but also cover motifs and geometrical shapes.
The main characteristics of Phulkari embr ...
- Punjab.
*
Ajrak
Ajrak ( sd, اجرڪ), also known as Ajrakh, is a unique form of blockprinting found mostly in Sindh, Pakistan and Ajrakhpur, Kutch district, India. These shawls display special designs and patterns made using block printing by stamps. Over the ...
- Sindh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
Southern styles
![Mysore Silk Saree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Mysore_Silk_Saree.jpg)
*
Mysore silk
Karnataka produces 9,000 metric tons of mulberry silk of a total of 20,000 metric tons of mulberry silk produced in the country, thus contributing to nearly 45% of the country's total mulberry silk. In Karnataka, silk is mainly produced in th ...
–
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
*
Kanchipuram Silk (locally called Kanjipuram pattu) –
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
* Arani silk - Tamil Nadu
*
Ilkal sari
Ilkal sari is a traditional form of ''sari'' which is a common feminine wear in India. Ilkal sari takes its name from the town of Ilkal in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka state, India. Ilkal saris are woven using cotton warp on the body ...
– Karnataka
*
Molakalmuru sari
Molakalmuru Sari, also known as ''Karnataka Kanchipuram'', is the traditional silk sari that is weaved in the Molakalmuru, Chitradurga district, Karnataka, India. In 2011, it was granted a Geographical Indication tag and its tag number is 53. The ...
– Karnataka
*
Sulebhavi sari – Sulebhavi, Karnataka
*
Venkatagiri
Venkatagiri is a town in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and mandals headquarters of Venkatagiri mandal. Venkatagiri's old name is "Kali Mili". It is famous for its Handloom Cotton Sarees. Venkatagi ...
–
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
*
Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri is a South Suburb of Vijayawada in Guntur district of Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is a part of Mangalagiri Tadepalle Municipal Corporation and part of Tenali revenue division. It is a major sub urban of Vijayawada and ...
Silk saris – Andhra Pradesh
*
Uppada
Uppada is a village in East Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Kothapalli mandal of Kakinada revenue division. Uppada Jamdani Sari is a handcrafted sari woven at the village and is also a geographical indic ...
Silk saris – Andhra Pradesh
* Chirala saris – Andhra Pradesh
* Bandar saris – Andhra Pradesh
* Bandarulanka – Andhra Pradesh
* Kuppadam saris – Andhra Pradesh
*
Dharmavaram silk sari – Andhra Pradesh
* Chettinad saris – Tamil Nadu
* Kumbakonam – Tamil Nadu
* Thirubuvanam – Tamil Nadu
* Coimbatore cotton – Tamil Nadu
*
Salem silk – Tamil Nadu
* Chinnalampattu or Sungudi – Tamil Nadu
*
Kandangi Kandangi is a type of saree made from cotton in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Chettinad and Koorainad are two regions in Tamil Nadu that adopt traditional Kandangi style. However, many new types of Kandangi were introduced by the Tamil Nadu gove ...
– Tamil Nadu
* Rasipuram silk saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Koorai – Tamil Nadu
* Arni silk sari – Tamil Nadu
*
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
– Tamil Nadu
*
Karaikudi
Karaikudi is a Greater municipality in Sivagangai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 21st largest urban agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area commonly referred to as " Chettinad" and has ...
– Tamil Nadu
* Madurai cotton saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Tiruchirappalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bei ...
saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi (formerly Tuticorin) is a port city, a municipal corporation and an industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The city lies in the Coromandel Coast of Bay of Bengal. Thoothukudi is the capital and he ...
– Tamil Nadu
*
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Tiruppur
Tiruppur or Tirupur ( ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruppur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruppur district and the fifth largest city as well as an urban agglomeration in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of Noyyal Ri ...
– Tamil Nadu
*
Kerala sari silk and cotton –
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
*
Balarampuram – Kerala
*
Mundum Neriyathum – Kerala
* Mayilati silk – Kerala
* Kannur cotton – Kerala
* Kalpathi silk saris – Kerala
* Maradaka silk – Kerala
* Samudrikapuram silk and cotton – Kerala
* Kasargod – Kerala
*
Pochampally sari or Puttapaka sari –
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...
*
Gadwal sari – Telangana
* Narayanpet – Telangana
Images
File:Woman's Wedding Sari LACMA M.71.37.2 (2 of 2).jpg, 19th century example of weft-resist dye (patola) or double Ikat
File:A silk saree loom in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.jpg, A silk sari loom in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
File:Raja Ravi Varma, Galaxy of Musicians.jpg, ''Galaxy of Musicians'' by Raja Ravi Varma depicting women in various styles of sari.
File:Silk Sari Weaving at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.jpg, Silk weaving at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
File:Textile printing blocks at the Horniman Museum 1.jpg, Wooden printing-blocks used for block-print saris.
File:India - Colours - Fine silk thread 2 (2576645773).jpg, Dyed silk yarns for sari.
File:Kanchi Silk.jpg, Handloom Kanchivaram silk sari.
File:India - Varanasi loom - 0987.jpg, Handloom in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
File:India - Varanasi loom - 0985.jpg, Handloom in Varanasi
File:Saree draping.jpg
File:Silk saree on the making at Kanchipuram (7642281054).jpg, Weaving at work in Kanchipuram
File:Colours of India - Silk yarn waiting to be made into saris.jpg, Dyed silk yarns for weaving saris.
File:Loom to weave patola.jpg, Double-Ikat handloom for Patola sari in Gujarat.
File:Description- Textile artists demonstrate double ikat weaving at the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring The Silk Road. (2548928970).jpg, Double ikat (Patola) weaving
File:Making of Jamdani-10.jpg, Weaving Jamdani sari in handloom, Bangladesh.
File:Making of Jamdani-9.jpg, Weavers at work in Bangladesh.
File:Bangladeshi children wearing sari at Pohela Boishakh celebration (01).jpg, Child wearing sari in Bangladesh.
File:Coorgi Dress Doll.jpg, Style of sari worn in Coorg.
File:Dhaka Weaving Center, Nepal (10692229944).jpg, Handloom weaver at work.
File:Devadasi 1920s.JPG, Devadasis from Goa.
File:Sinhalese Girl Wearing A Traditional Kandyan Saree (Osaria)-1.jpg, Sinhalese woman wearing a traditional Kandy
Kandy ( si, මහනුවර ''Mahanuwara'', ; ta, கண்டி Kandy, ) is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills ...
an sari ().
File:Weaving machine, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu (7642250402).jpg, Weaving saris in Kancipuram.
File:Kanchipuram sarees (7642285396).jpg, Display of handloom saris.
File:Bride of Bangladesh (06).jpg, Bangladeshi bridal handloom sari.
File:North Karnataka saree draping style.png, Picture shows sari draping style of North Karnataka by Raja Ravi Varma.
File:Bangladeshi bride in Jamdani sari.jpg, Bride in traditional Bengali sari
File:Karnataka kacche drape 1.jpg, Woman in Karnataka kacche drape by Raja Ravi Varma.
File:Hillarydipumoni.jpg, Education Minister of Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
Dr.Dipu Moni
Dipu Moni (born 8 December 1965) is a Bangladeshi politician, and has been the Minister of Education of Bangladesh since January 2019 and a Member of Parliament representing the Chandpur-3 constituency. She was Foreign Minister of Bangladesh ...
wearing sari with Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
File:Russia-Bangladeshi talks Moscow 2013-01-15 05.jpeg, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina Wazed (''née'' Sheikh Hasina ; ; bn, শেখ হাসিনা ওয়াজেদ, Shēkh Hasinā, , born 28 September 1947) is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh since January 2 ...
in a Rajshahi silk sari at the Moscow Kremlin
File:Women in Karnataka wearing Kodagu style sari.jpg, Women in Karnataka wearing Kodagu style sari.
File:A Traditional Bengali Attire- Saree draped in the Bengali way.jpg, Sari is worn in Bengal using the Aat Puroure draping style.
File:Sari 2.jpg, Sari in modern India
See also
*
Ghagra choli
Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Pu ...
*
Clothing in India
Clothing in India is dependent upon the different ethnicities, geography, climate, and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Historically, male and female clothing has evolved from simple garments like kaupina, langota, achk ...
*
Indian wedding clothes
Indian wedding clothes are elaborate set of clothes worn by the bride, bridegroom, and other relatives attending the wedding.
Clothing culture
Attire is extremely important in an Indian wedding, not only for the marrying couple, but also the gue ...
*
Lehenga-style sari
*
Shalwar kameez
*
Sari cancer
*
Dhoti
The dhoti, also known as veshti, vetti, dhuti, mardani, chaadra, dhotar, jaiñboh, panchey, is a type of sarong, tied in a manner that outwardly resembles "loose trousers". It is a lower garment forming part of the ethnic costume for men in the ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
* Ambrose, Kay (1950) ''Classical Dances and Costumes of India''. London: A. & C. Black.
* Craddock, Norma (1994) ''Anthills, Split Mothers, and Sacrifice: Conceptions of Female Power in the Mariyamman Tradition''. Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
External links
*
Sari vs. salwar kameez on the subcontinent
{{Silk fibre
Dresses
Indian clothing
Nepalese clothing
Bangladeshi clothing
Pakistani clothing
History of Asian clothing
History of fashion
Sri Lankan clothing