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=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
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
garment from the
Indian subcontinent, that consists of an un-stitched stretch of
woven fabric arranged over the body as a
robe, with one end tied to the waist, while the other end rests over one shoulder as a
stole (shawl), sometimes baring a part of the
midriff.
[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
A folk costume (also regional costume, national costume, traditional garment, or traditional regalia) expresses an identity through costume, which is usually associated with a geographic area or a period of time in history. It can also indicat ...
in
India,
Pakistan,
Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
and
Nepal. 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 commonly called a
choli
A choli (Hindi: चोली, Urdu: چولی, gu, ચોળી, mr, चोळी, Nepali: चोलो ''cholo'') (known in South India as ''ravike'' (Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ, Telugu: రవికె, Tamil: ரவிக்கை)) is a blou ...
( or in southern India, and in Nepal) and a
petticoat called , , or .
It remains fashionable in the Indian Subcontinent today.
Etymology
The
Hindustani
Hindustani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Hindustan (another name of India)
* Hindustani language, an Indo-Aryan language, whose two official norms are Hindi and Urdu
* Fiji Hindi, a variety of Eastern Hindi spoken in Fiji, and ...
word (, ),
described in
Sanskrit which means 'strip of cloth'
and or in
Pali, and which evolved to in modern Indian languages.
The word is mentioned as describing women's
dharmic
Dharma (; sa, wikt:धर्म#Sanskrit, 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 Untranslatabili ...
attire in
Sanskrit literature and Buddhist literature called
Jatakas
The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...
.
[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, 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'', a tenth-century literary work by
Kalhana, states that the choli from the Deccan was introduced under the royal order in Kashmir.
The petticoat is called (, ) in
Hindi-Urdu,
() in
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
, () 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, nati ...
( 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
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
. 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, which flourished during 2800–1800 BCE around the northwestern part of the
Indian subcontinent.
Cotton 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,
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.
Silk 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 literature and Buddhist
Pali literature during the 6th century BCE. Ancient
antariya 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 was a shawl-like veil worn over the shoulder or head. It evolved into what is known today known as
dupatta and
ghoonghat. Likewise, the evolved into the ''
choli
A choli (Hindi: चोली, Urdu: چولی, gu, ચોળી, mr, चोळी, Nepali: चोलो ''cholo'') (known in South India as ''ravike'' (Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ, Telugu: రవికె, Tamil: ரவிக்கை)) is a blou ...
'' by the 1st century CE.
The ancient
Sanskrit 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, nati ...
poetry, such as the ''
Silappadhikaram
''Cilappatikāram'' ( ta, சிலப்பதிகாரம் ml, ചിലപ്പതികാരം,IPA: ʧiləppət̪ikɑːrəm, ''lit.'' "the Tale of an Anklet"), also referred to as ''Silappathikaram'' or ''Silappatikaram'', is the e ...
'', describes women in exquisite
drapery 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
Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and ...
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 e ...
indicate that during the
Sangam period 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
Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...
in Kerala.
Numerous sources say that everyday costume in ancient India until recent times in
Kerala consisted of a pleated dhoti or (
sarong) 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) 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 literature has a wide vocabulary of terms for the
veiling 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 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 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'' 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 ''
choli
A choli (Hindi: चोली, Urdu: چولی, gu, ચોળી, mr, चोळी, Nepali: चोलो ''cholo'') (known in South India as ''ravike'' (Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ, Telugu: రవికె, Tamil: ரவிக்கை)) is a blou ...
s'' 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 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 sari
A wedding sari is the traditional wedding dress of South Asian women. The sari is traditionally a combination of red and green, with golden brocade.
Hindu wedding sarees are predominantly red, a colour associated with married women, and never w ...
s, which are the traditional garment choice for brides in
Hindu wedding
A Hindu wedding, also known as Vivaha (Devanagari: विवाह; Kannada script: ವಿವಾಹ; ''Vivaaha'') (), Lagna (लग्न), or Kalyanam (Devanagari: कल्याणम्; Kannada script: ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಮ್; ta, கல ...
. Women traditionally wore various types of regional
handloom sari
Handloom saris are a traditional textile art of Bangladesh and India. The production of handloom saris are important for economic development in rural India.
Completion of a single sari takes two to three days of work. Several regions have th ...
s made of silk, cotton, ikkat, block-print, embroidery and tie-dye textiles. Most sought after
brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...
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 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-dyed 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 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
Georgette is a feminine given name, the French form of (''Geōrgia''), the feminine form of George.
Georgette may refer to:
People
* Georgette Barry (1919–2003), stage name Andrea King, American actress
* Georgette Bauerdorf (1924–1944), Ame ...
and charmeuse are also commonly used.
Styles of draping
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 and recognised
textile 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,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
Goa,
Karnataka,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha,
West Bengal,
Jharkhand,
Bihar,
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
,
Madhya Pradesh, and
Uttar Pradesh. The French cultural
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and ...
and sari researcher
Chantal Boulanger
Chantal Boulanger-Maloney (January 4, 1957 – December 27, 2004) was an anthropologist who wrote widely on South India and Tamil culture, 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,
Uttar Pradesh,
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
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
– 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
Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to:
* Odia people in Odisha, India
* Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family
* Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...
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.
*
Nepali: 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 royals and the
Ranas
Rana dynasty ( ne, राणा वंश, IAST=Rāṇā vaṃśa , ) is a Chhetri dynasty that imposed totalitarianism in the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1951, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other ...
.
*
Nauvari and
Kasta
Kasta (russian: Каста, Russian for caste) is a Russian rap group from Rostov-on-Don. The group is led by MC and producer Vladi. Other members include MCs Shym, Khamil and Zmey, as well as DJ Khobot. Kasta is notably influenced by New York C ...
: 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 women differs from that of the
Marathas. The style also differs from community to community. This style is popular in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
and
Goa.
*
Madisar – 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
Jnanadanandini Tagore (''née'' Mukhopadhyay; 26 July 1850 – 1 October 1941;''Gyanodanondinee Debi'') was a social reformer who pioneered various cultural innovations and influenced the earliest phase of women's empowerment in 19th century Beng ...
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 style – this drape is confined to ladies hailing from the
Kodagu district of
Karnataka. 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 – 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
Kerala sari (Set-sari) () is a clothing of women in the Indian state of Kerala.
Mundum Neriyathum
It is worn as a garment that closely resembles the '' mundum neriyathum'' though it is not considered a true mundum neriyathum by classic defini ...
style – the two-piece sari, or
Mundum Neryathum
Mundum neriyatum (Malayalam: മുണ്ട് നേരിയത്; settu-mundu or mundu-set) is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala, a state in southwestern India. It is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of the sari which covered ...
, worn in
Kerala. Usually made of unbleached cotton and decorated with gold or coloured stripes and/or borders. Also the
Kerala sari
Kerala sari (Set-sari) () is a clothing of women in the Indian state of Kerala.
Mundum Neriyathum
It is worn as a garment that closely resembles the '' mundum neriyathum'' though it is not considered a true mundum neriyathum by classic defini ...
, 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 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 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
Khasi may refer to:
* Khasi people, an ethnic group of Meghalaya, India
* Khasi language, a major Austroasiatic language spoken in Meghalaya, India
* Khāṣi language, an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India
See also
* Khasi Hills
* Gh ...
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
File:Detail of a leaf with the birth of mahavira.jpg, Kalpa Sūtra
The ''Kalpa Sūtra'' ( sa, कल्पसूत्र) is a Jain text containing the biographies of the Jain Tirthankaras, notably Parshvanatha and Mahavira. Traditionally ascribed to Bhadrabahu, which would place it in the 4th century BCE, i ...
manuscript
File:Green Tara. Sumtsek hall at Alci monastery, Ladakh, ca. 11th century.jpg, Green Tara
Tara ( sa, तारा, ; bo, སྒྲོལ་མ, ), Ārya Tārā, or Shayama Tara, also known as Jetsun Dölma (Tibetan: ''rje btsun sgrol ma'') is an important figure in Buddhism, especially revered in Tibetan Buddhism. She appears as a f ...
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
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
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 in Mysore sari
File:Karnataka kacche drape.jpg, Women depicted in Melgacche drape, from Karnataka , Kannada 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
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 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 white as per tradition. Characteristically, she transformed her "
mourning" 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 was adopted, along with Victorian styles of puffed-sleeved blouses, which was commonly seen among the elites in
Bombay presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
and
Bengal presidency. Nivi drape starts with one end of the sari tucked into the
waistband of the
petticoat, usually a plain
skirt. 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
Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...
.
[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 chain
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On people with slim bodies, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso.
''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appearan ...
s. They are sometimes worn as a part of bridal jewellery.
Professional style of draping
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 and
Air India 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
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...
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,
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, and
Bangladesh as the symbol of
Indian,
Sri Lankan, and
Bangladeshi culture, respectively.
Similarly, the female politicians of all three countries wear the sari in a professional manner.
Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...
politicians usually wear saris with long sleeve blouse while covering their midriff. Some politicians pair up saris with
hijab
In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...
s or
shawls for more coverage.
The women of the
Nehru–Gandhi family like
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
and
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi ('' née'' Maino; born 9 December 1946) is an Indian politician. She is the longest serving president of the Indian National Congress, a social democratic political party, which has governed India for most of its post-independ ...
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
Prasad Bidapa is a Bangalore based fashion stylist and choreographer for various fashion events and shows. He is known to be a fashion consultant, choreographer, image consultant and stylist.
Career
He is the pioneer in the Indian Fashion Ind ...
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 wear a Kandyan osari. This includes prominent women in politics, the
first female premier in the world,
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike ( si, සිරිමා රත්වත්තේ ඩයස් බණ්ඩාරනායක; ta, சிறிமா ரத்வத்தே டயஸ் பண்டாரநாயக்கே; 17 April 191 ...
and
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. 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
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
. The adoption of the sari is not exclusive to Sinhalese politicians;
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
MP
Ferial Ashraff
Ferial Ismail Ashraff (born August 20, 1953) is a Sri Lankan politician. She was the wife of M. H. M. Ashraff, the deceased leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the National Unity Alliance.[Bangladeshi
Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay.
Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...]
women. All girls and married women used to wear sari as their regular clothes but nowadays most working women choose to wear
shalwar kameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...
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 sa ...
,
Rajshahi silk
Rajshahi silk is the name given to the silk products produced in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is famous because it is a high quality fabric used for clothing, especially for saris.
In 2021, it was given Geographical indication status as a product of B ...
,
Tangail sari
The handloom industry in Tangail is one of the oldest cottage industries of West Bengal. This traditional saree is produced in Tangail district and is named after the place.
Origin and evaluation
The handloom industry in Tangail was evolved d ...
,
Tant sari
Tant sari is a traditional Bengali sari, originating from the Bengal region in the eastern part and usually used by Bengali women. Tant sari are woven from cotton threads and distinguished by its lightness and transparency. It is considered t ...
,
Tassar silk sari,
Manipuri 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.
In 2013, the traditional art of weaving jamdani was declared a
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
In 2016, Bangladesh received
geographical indication (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
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
SriLankan Airlines (formerly known as Air Lanka) is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is currently the largest airline in Sri Lanka by number of aircraft and destinations and was launched i ...
.
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 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
In Pakistan, the saris are still popular and worn on special occasions. The
Shalwar kameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...
, 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
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
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
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 sa ...
,
Ajrak 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
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
and by some of the new generation who have reintroduced the interest in saris. Non-
dharmic
Dharma (; sa, wikt:धर्म#Sanskrit, 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 Untranslatabili ...
of
Indian subcontinent are not the only ones who have normalized the cultural appropriatness of saris since it has been happening all over the world.
Black
Sari 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
Hum Dekhenge ( ur, - In english ''We shall see'') is a popular Urdu nazm, written by the Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Originally written as ''Va Yabqá Vajhu Rabbika (And the countenance of your Lord will outlast all)'', it was included ...
. 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 Asian 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 C. Wells, Joh ...
,
Malaysia,
Indonesia, the
Philippines,
Cambodia,
Thailand and
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
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, 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
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 or cotton. The rich could afford finely woven,
diaphanous silk saris that, according to
folklore, could be passed through a
finger ring. 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 using carved wooden blocks and vegetable dyes, or
tie-dyeing, known in India as ''bhandani'' work.
More expensive saris had elaborate geometric, floral, or figurative ornaments or brocades created on the
loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...
, as part of the fabric. Sometimes warp and weft threads were tie-dyed and then woven, creating ''
ikat'' 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 in ...
'' work.
Sometimes the saris were further decorated, after weaving, with various sorts of embroidery. ''Resham'' work is embroidery done with coloured silk thread. ''
Zardozi'' embroidery uses gold and silver thread, and sometimes pearls and
precious stones. Cheap modern versions of ''zardozi'' use synthetic metallic thread and imitation stones, such as fake pearls and
Swarovski
Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski.
The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...
crystals.
In modern times, saris are increasingly woven on mechanical looms and made of artificial fibres, such as
polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...
, nylon, or
rayon
Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber, made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. It is also called viscose. Many types and grades of viscose f ...
, which do not require starching or
ironing. 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
In Hinduism, Adityas ( sa, आदित्य, Āditya, of Aditi, ), refers to the offspring of Aditi, the goddess representing the infinity. The name ''Aditya'', in the singular, is taken to refer to the sun god Surya. Generally, Adityas are tw ...
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
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 celebrities, like
Aishwarya Rai, have worn it at international events representing
India's cultural heritage. In 2010, Bollywood actress
Deepika Padukone 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, she stepped out on the red carpet in a
Rohit Bal
Rohit Bal is an Indian fashion designer. He designs for both men and women.
Early life
Rohit Bal was born in the city of Srinagar in the Jammu and Kashmir state of India on 8 May 1961 into a Kashmiri Pandit family. Bal received his Bach ...
sari.
Many foreign celebrities have worn traditional sari attire designed by Indian
fashion designer
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
s. American actress
Pamela Anderson 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
Big Brother may refer to:
* Big Brother (''Nineteen Eighty-Four''), a character from George Orwell's novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four''
** Authoritarian personality, any omnipresent figure representing oppressive control
** Big Brother Awards, a sat ...
, dressed in a sari that was specially designed for her by Mumbai-based fashion designer Ashley Rebello.
Ashley Judd donned a purple sari at the
YouthAIDS
YouthAIDS is an international nongovernmental, nonprofit education, funding, and health initiative of Population Services International (PSI) that provides humanitarian assistance and brings global awareness to the proliferation of HIV/AIDS. The o ...
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 – dressed in saris. in 2014, American singer
Selena Gomez was seen in a sari for an
UNICEF charity event at Nepal.
In the
United States, the sari has recently become politicised with the digital-movement, "Sari, Not Sorry".
Tanya Rawal-Jindia, a gender studies professor at
UC Riverside, 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, each region in the
Indian subcontinent 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 w ...
. The handloom weaving process requires several stages in order to produce the final product. Traditionally the processes of
dyeing (during the yarn, fabric, or garment stage),
warping
Warp, warped or warping may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books and comics
* WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher
* ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!''
* Warp (comics), a ...
, sizing, attaching the warp, weft winding and
weaving were done by weavers and local specialists around weaving towns and villages.
Northern and Central styles
*
Banarasi
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 sa ...
–
Uttar Pradesh
*
Shalu – Uttar Pradesh
* Tanchoi – Uttar Pradesh
* Pattu -
Himachal Pradesh
*
Chanderi sari
Chanderi sari is a traditional sari made in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, India.
History
The weaving culture of Chanderi emerged between the 2nd and 7th centuries. It is situated on the boundary of two cultural regions of the state, Malwa and Bundel ...
–
Madhya Pradesh
* 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
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'', inclu ...
–
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
* Dhokra silk – Madhya Pradesh
Eastern styles
*
Tant sari
Tant sari is a traditional Bengali sari, originating from the Bengal region in the eastern part and usually used by Bengali women. Tant sari are woven from cotton threads and distinguished by its lightness and transparency. It is considered t ...
– throughout
Bangladesh and
West Bengal
*
Baluchari sari – Bishnupur, West Bengal
*
Kaantha sari – throughout Bengal
* Garode / Korial – Murshidabad, West Bengal
* Shantipuri cotton –
Shantipur,
Phulia, West Bengal
*
Jamdani / Dhakai – Dhaka, Bangladesh
*
Rajshahi silk / Eri – Rajshahi, Bangladesh
* Dhakai Katan – Dhaka, Bangladesh
* Mooga silk –
Assam
* Mekhla Cotton – Assam
*
Sambalpuri Silk & Cotton sari –
Sambalpur,
Odisha
*
Ikkat
''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 bi ...
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
*
Bomkai sari
Bomkai sari or Bomkai Saree (also Sonepuri sari) is a handloom saree from Odisha, India. It is an origin of Bomkai village from Ganjam district, however later it is mainly produced by the Bhulia community of Subarnapur district. Bomkai is one of th ...
– Bomkai,
Ganjam, Odisha
*
Khandua Silk & Cotton sari –
Nuapatna
Nuapatna is a census town in Cuttack district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Odisha.the whole area have rich in cultural and commercial importance.
Demographics
India census, Nuapatna had a population of 7846. Males co ...
, Cuttack, Odisha
*
Pasapali sari
Pasapali sari also known as Saktapar is a ''Bandha'' (Ikat) handloom sari weaved mainly in the Bargarh district of Odisha, India. The name Pasapali is derived from pasā or gambling games using Chess board. These sari
A sari (sometimes als ...
– Bargarh, Odisha
* Sonepuri Silk & Cotton sari –
Subarnapur, Odisha
* Berhampuri silk – Behrampur, Odisha
* Mattha Silk sari –
Mayurbhanj, Odisha
* Bapta Silk & Cotton sari –
Koraput, Odisha
* Kotpad Pata sari – Koraput, Odisha
* Tanta Cotton sari –
Balasore
Balasore or Baleswara is a city in the state of Odisha, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar and from Kolkata, in eastern India. It is the largest town of northern Odisha and the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It i ...
, Odisha
* Manipuri Tant sari –
Manipur
* Moirang Phi sari – Manipur
* Patt Silk sari – Assam
* Kotki sari –
Orissa
* Kotpad sari – Orissa
Western styles
*Paithanpattu - Maharashtra
*Yeola sari - Maharashtra
*Peshwai shalu - Maharashtra
*Mahalsa sari - Maharashtra
*Narayanpeth - Maharashtra
*Khun fabric - Maharashtra
*Karvati tussar sari - Maharashtra
*
Bandhani –
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Pakistan, Sindh
*
Kota doria – Rajasthan, Pakistan, Sindh
*
Lugade
The Kaashtha sari ( mr, नऊवारी साडी) is a style of sari draping is very similar to the way the Maharashtrian ''dhoti'' is worn. The word Kaashtha refers to the sari being tucked at the back. Since this sari is usually worn by u ...
– Maharashtra
*
Patola – Gujarat
*
Bagru
Bagru is a town and a municipality in Jaipur district (Tehsil Sanganer) in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located at a distance of 32 km from Jaipur, on Jaipur-Ajmer Road.
Demographics
At the 2011 India census, Bagru had a population of ...
– 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 - Sindh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
Southern styles
*
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 the ...
–
Karnataka
*
Kanchipuram Silk
The Kanchipuram silk sari is a type of silk sari made in the Kanchipuram region in Tamil Nadu, India. These saris are worn as bridal & special occasion saris by most women in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh. It has been recognized ...
(locally called Kanjipuram pattu) –
Tamil Nadu
* 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 –
Andhra Pradesh
*
Mangalagiri Silk saris – Andhra Pradesh
*
Uppada 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
Salem Silk known as Salem Venpattu refer to silk clothes made in Salem, Tamil Nadu. It received Intellectual Property Rights Protection or Geographical Indication
A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corres ...
– Tamil Nadu
* Chinnalampattu or Sungudi – Tamil Nadu
*
Kandangi – Tamil Nadu
* Rasipuram silk saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Koorai 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
* Arni silk sari – Tamil Nadu
*
Chennai – Tamil Nadu
*
Karaikudi – Tamil Nadu
* Madurai cotton saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Tiruchirappalli saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Nagercoil saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Thoothukudi – Tamil Nadu
*
Thanjavur saris – Tamil Nadu
*
Tiruppur – Tamil Nadu
*
Kerala sari
Kerala sari (Set-sari) () is a clothing of women in the Indian state of Kerala.
Mundum Neriyathum
It is worn as a garment that closely resembles the '' mundum neriyathum'' though it is not considered a true mundum neriyathum by classic defini ...
silk and cotton –
Kerala
*
Balarampuram
Balaramapuram is one of the panchayats that form the city of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, India. It is the most urbanized panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district.
Balaramapuram is the centre for the production of traditional varietie ...
– Kerala
*
Mundum Neriyathum
Mundum neriyatum (Malayalam: മുണ്ട് നേരിയത്; settu-mundu or mundu-set) is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala, a state in southwestern India. It is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of the sari which covered ...
– Kerala
* Mayilati silk – Kerala
* Kannur cotton – Kerala
* Kalpathi silk saris – Kerala
* Maradaka silk – Kerala
* Samudrikapuram silk and cotton – Kerala
* Kasargod – Kerala
*
Pochampally sari
Pochampally sari or Pochampalli ikat is a saree made in Bhoodan Pochampally, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana State, India. They have traditional geometric patterns in "''Paagadu Bandhu''" (Ikat) style of dyeing. The intricate geometric ...
or Puttapaka sari –
Telangana
*
Gadwal sari
Gadwal sari is a handcrafted woven sari style in Gadwal of Jogulamba Gadwal district in the Indian state of Telangana. It was registered as one of the geographical indication from Telangana by ''Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and ...
– 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
Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...
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
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 ...
.
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 Kandyan 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 Dr. Dipu Moni wearing sari with Hillary Clinton
File:Russia-Bangladeshi talks Moscow 2013-01-15 05.jpeg, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a Rajshahi silk
Rajshahi silk is the name given to the silk products produced in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is famous because it is a high quality fabric used for clothing, especially for saris.
In 2021, it was given Geographical indication status as a product of B ...
sari at the Moscow Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...
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
*
Clothing in India
*
Indian wedding clothes
*
Lehenga-style sari
A lehenga-style sari is a modern garment introduced in India that blends elements of the traditional sari and lehenga choli. A lehenga-style sari is normally to long. To wear one, unlike a sari, one does not have to form pleats but may simply t ...
*
Shalwar kameez
Shalwar kameez (also salwar kameez and less commonly shalwar qameez) is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
''Shalwars'' are trousers which are atypically wide at the wa ...
*
Sari cancer
Sari cancer is a type of skin cancer that occurs along the waistline in females wearing the sari, caused by constant irritation which can result in scaling and changes in pigmentation of the skin. It is a rare type of cancer and generally found ...
*
Dhoti
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