The beautiful saree transcends time, race and age. It epitomises the continuity of an age-old tradition that has withstood the onslaught of many different cultures, to emerge today as a visible symbol of the resilience and continuity of the Indian way of life.

Origins

The exact origins of the saree are still not known but there are a few speculations as to how the saree comes about. It is believed the word "saree" evolved from the Prakrit word "sattika". The history of Indian clothing traces the saree back to the IndusValley civilisation which flourished during 2800 to 1800 BC around the western part of the Indian Subcontinent. In ancient Indian tradition, the navel of the Supreme Being is considered to be the source of life and creativity; hence the midriff is to be left bare by the saree.

Other sources say that everyday costume at the time consisted of a dhoti or lungi (sarong), combined with a breast band and a veil or wrap that could be used to cover the upper body or head. The two-piece Kerala mundum neryathum (a dhoti or sarong) is a survival of ancient Indian clothing styles and the one-piece saree is a modern innovation, created by combining the two pieces of the mundum neryathum. One point of particular controversy is the history of the choli or saree blouse and the petticoat. Some researchers state that these were unknown before the British arrived in India, and that they were introduced to satisfy Victorian ideas of modesty.

Saree Decoded

A saree in its most basic form is simply a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the saree to be wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. The saree is usually worn over a petticoat or pavada, with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped. Cholis may be -backless" or of a halter neck style. These are usually dressier with a lot of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery and usually worn on special occasions.

NORTH INDIAN STYLE This style of saree draping is very similar to the nivi style, except that the pallu or the decorative end of the saree is draped over the right shoulder rather than the left shoulder. Also, the pallu is draped from back to front and not like the nivi in which the pallu is draped front to back.

MAHARASHTRIAN STYLE This saree is draped so that the center of the saree is neatly placed at the back of the waist and the ends of the saree are tied securely in the front, and then the two ends are wrapped around the legs. The decorative ends are then draped over the shoulder and the upper body.

DRAVIDIAN STYLE The archetypical Dravidian saree is draped in two parts: The veshti covers the lower body, while the mundanai is an add-on to the veshti. The draping of the veshti is fairly simple as it is draped like a towel around the waist. It is then folded in half lengthwise. Some of these sarees are distinctly characterised by a pleated rosette (pinkosu) at the waist.

KODAGU STYLE This saree draping differs from other styles because the folded pleats of the saree are formed at the back instead of the usual front side. The pallu or decorative end of the sari is carefully draped from the back to front over the right shoulder and is secured by a pin to the saree to keep it in place.

GOND STYLE This saree draping style is common in central parts of India. In this style, before arranging to drape the saree over the body, the saree is first draped over the left shoulder.

MUNDUM NERYATHUM STYLE This two-piece saree is made up of the mundu that forms the lower garment while the neriyathu forms the upper garment. This saree can be draped either in the customary style in which the neriyathu is tucked inside the blouse or the more modern style in which the neriyathu comes over the left shoulder.

TRIBAL STYLES The tribal styles are usually draped to cover the chest by tying and securing the saree firmly across the chest.

More Than Meets The Eve

The colour and material of the saree reflects the occasion, the mood and the event.

The way it is draped signals the community. Brocades speak of happy times - the birth of a baby, the marriage of a dear one. Festivals like Diwali or Durga Puja are occasions to bring out colourful sarees woven in gold and vibrant rainbow-hued skeins of silk. For the bride it is always, in almost all communities, a bright red.

Sarees with small borders or no borders compliment petite women while taller women should opt for sarees with big borders.

In past times, sarees were woven of silk or cotton. The rich could afford finely-woven silk sarees while the poor wore coarsely woven cotton sarees. All sarees were hand woven and represented a considerable investment of time or money.