Bengal cotton sarees shopping today: What started as India’s first seamless garment, went on to become the symbol of Indian femininity. A sari consists of an unstitched drape varying from 4.5 to 9 metres (15 to 30 feet) in length and 600 to 1,200 millimetres (24 to 47 inches) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, partly baring the midriff. It is traditionally worn in the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. There are various styles of sari manufacture and draping, the most common being the Nivi style, which originated in the Deccan region. The sari is worn with a fitted bodice commonly called a choli and a petticoat called ghagra, parkar, or ul-pavadai. In the modern Indian subcontinent, the sari is considered a cultural icon. Find more information on Shop Bengal Cotton Sarees Online.
Each region brings forth a trunk full of saris, with a strong identity and their own traditional designs, motifs, and colours, says 73-year-old Laila Tyabji, co-founder of Dastkar, an NGO established in 1981 that supports traditional Indian craftspeople. Even from village to village, there is a different weave. Every sari has a story about the society and the people around it. It is a history book that tells you about the region, the community, the craftsmen, and the geography of the place. The famous brocades from the ancient city of Banaras, with intricate designs and detailed embroidery using gold and silver threads, take their name from the city and evolved during Mughal rule over India. To this day a Banarasi sari is a must-have in an Indian bride’s trousseau.
Tourists, locals, and bridal parties hunt for saris in the shops that seem to line every azure alley in Jodhpur or buzzing street in Mumbai. You’ll find them at grander, more expensive boutiques such as Delhi’s Ekaya Banaras, known for its handloomed silks and support of over 8,000 Banaras weavers, or Chennai’s Nalli, open since 1928, and sprawled over two floors of an Art Deco building in the T. Nagar neighborhood. Wherever they go, sari browsers find themselves overwhelmed by candy-colored stacks of neatly folded silks, cottons, and chiffons. A sari can be had for as little as $20 from a street seller or as much as $10,000 for a Banarasi beauty. “When you buy a sari, it’s usually a long process—you get the sari fabric at one store, have a blouse tailored somewhere else, and purchase a petticoat at yet another store,” says Sethi. It’s a complex dance through stores and tailors to score a sari, and not an item of clothing you throw on quickly. “But its a piece of fabric that has become iconic, and there are so many variations,” says Sethi. “Saris are so important, and certainly worthy of a celebration.”
Every once in a while, we come across a sappy wedding post that shows the bride in her grandmother’s saree, which she wore as a tribute to her well-kept saree wardrobe. Saree, a nine-yard wonder, is not just a relic of our shared history but also has roots deep in Indian society. Its existence can be traced back to the scriptures of Jain and Buddhist texts, with the sari originating from the word sattika. It is a three-piece ensemble consisting of the Antriya, the lower garment; the Uttariya, a veil worn over the shoulder or head; and the Stanapatta, which is a chest band.
Silk Petalss was born from a career Investment Professional’s love for the rich heritage of Indian handcrafted textiles and artefacts. Her admiration for the beautiful heritage weaves and products saw her travelling widely through interior villages and towns of India, interacting with the weaving community and understanding their perspective and concerns. Awareness about their issues, specifically post Covid19, the need to protect the community and our rich heritage led to Silk Petalss being created. Read additional information on https://silkpetalss.com/.
The popularity of the sari has a great deal to do with its versatility. The sari can be draped in nearly a hundred ways, allowing the wearer to style it so as to look formal or casual. Most of the drape styles are specific to different regions of India and, just like the food and regional languages, are a result of context, geography and function, explains 39-year-old Malika Verma, co-creator with Rta Kapur Chishti, 72, a sari historian, textile scholar and co-author of Saris: Tradition and Beyond, of the The Sari Series, a series of 84 short films documenting India’s regional sari drapes.