The 6 Yard Wonder - Elegant & Seductive!

Silk Saris never fail you in terms of making the atmosphere appear festive and colourful and there is a variety you can choose from each part of India. The core of any good sari wardrobe is to have at least one traditional Sari from every region of India. In addition, there should be some plain, single coloured Saris, to show off accessories – be it elegant jewellery or a shawl to perfection. The wisest thing to do is to choose colours that complement you and make your jewellery stand out. For an Image of most of these visit: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/textiles/Saris/

Saris from North India:

Banaras Brocade: This sari from Banaras is virtually mandatory in the bride’s trousseau. These saris vary tremendously as weavers create different products to suit different regional markets and changing fashions. Most brocades usually have strong Mogul influences in the design, such as intricate intertwining floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel. A characteristic found along the inner, and sometimes outer, edge of borders is a narrow fringe like pattern that often looks like a string of upright leaves called jhallr. This is almost a signature of Benarasi brocade.
Lucknow Chikan: Chikankari is a fine and intricate shadow-work type of embroidery done by white yarn on colourless muslins called tanzeb (tan meaning body and zeb meaning decoration). The word ‘chikan’ according to one school of thought appears to have had its origin in Persia, being derivative of chikn or chakeen. Indian women wear chikan Saris or aunty Sari at all occasions these Saris are available at different colours and designs. It is also known as chikan lucknowi Saris.

Saris from South India:

Gadwal: Gadwal Sari is made in cotton in a style influenced by the Banarasi weaves. While the ground of the Sari is cotton, there is a loosely attached silk border. Copper or gold-dipped zari is generally used in these Saris. The motifs of the murrugan (peacock) and the rudraksh are popular. Traditional colours for these Saris are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer.
Kanjeevaram Sari: No Indian bridal trousseau is complete without the ‘Kanjeewaram’ Sari, characterised by gold-dipped silver thread that is woven onto brilliant silk. Kanchipuram is a town in Tamil Nadu with more than 150 years of weaving tradition – completely untouched by fashion fads. Kanjeewarams are favoured for their durability. Kanjee silk is thicker than almost all other silks, and is therefore more expensive. The heavier the silk, the better the quality. Peacock and parrot are the most common motifs. Though lightweight kanjee Saris are popular as they are easy to wear and cost very little, the traditional weavers do not like to compromise. While Korean and Chinese silk is suitable for light-weight Saris (machine woven), only mulberry silk produced in Karnataka and few parts of Tamil Nadu, is right for the classic Kanjeewaram.
Konrad Sari: The konrad or the temple Sari is also a speciality item from Tamil Nadu. These Saris were original woven for temple deities. They are wide bordered Saris and are characterised by wedding related motifs such as elephants and peacocks, symbolising water, fertility and fecundity. Traditional colours for these Saris are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer.
Others: Pashmina silk, kota silk, Mysore crepes, pochampallis and puttapakshi Saris are also popular South Indian Saris Typical wedding Saris from Kerala are the nayayanpets and bavanjipets which usually have a gold border on a cream base. Traditional colours for these Saris are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer.

Saris from Central India:
Chanderi and Maheshwari: The Chanderi Sari from Madhya Pradesh is light and meant for Indian summers. It is made in silk or fine cotton with patterns taken from the Chanderi temples. The Maheshwari Saris are also both in cotton and silk, usually green or purple with a zari border. The traditional block-printed tussar can also be found in contemporary designs nowadays.

Saris from East India:
Baluchari Saris: This Sari from Bengal is usually five yards in length and 42” wide in flame red, purple and occasionally in deep blue. The field of the Sari is covered with small butis and a beautiful floral design runs across the edges. The anchal has the main decoration depicting narrative motifs. Taingals and kanthas are other speciality items from Bengal.
Others: Baluchari, Kantha, Ikat, Sambalpuri

Saris from West India:
Bandhani: The panetar Sari is a Gujarati-Hindu Sari of satin weave and Gajji silk with red borders, central medallions and a white body, which may contain regularly spaced red tie-dyed spots. Single colour Saris and odhnis with white spots are also common. The most famous of this type is the Gujarati Sari called Garchola. It is usually red, but occasionally green, and is divided into a network of squares created by rows of white tie-dyed spots or woven bands of zari. The Garchola is a traditional Hindu and Jain wedding Sari, which used to be made of cotton, but is now usually in silk. The number of squares in the Sari is ritually significant multiples of 9, 12 or 52.
Patola: The most time consuming and elaborate Sari created by the western region is the potole (plural patola) which has intricate five colour designs resist-dyed into both warp and weft threads before weaving. Double ikat patola Sari is a rare and expensive investment. A cheaper alternative to double ikat patola is the silk ikat Sari developed in Rajkot (Gujarat), that creates patola and other geometric designs in the weft threads only.
Gujarati Brocade: These are extremely expensive and virtually extinct. The main distinguishing characteristics of the Gujarati Brocade Sari: Butis (circular designs) woven into the field in the warp direction instead of the weft, resulting in their lying horizontally instead of vertically on the Sari when draped. Floral designs woven in coloured silk, against a golden (woven zari) ground fabric. Although such ‘inlay’ work is a common feature in many western Deccan silks, the Gujarati work usually has leaves, flowers and stems outlined by a fine dark line.
Embroidered Tinsel Saris: The western region also has a rich embroidered tradition, made famous by ethnic groups such as rabaris and sodha Rajputs. The Sari with zardozi, the gold gilt thread embroidery technique, at one time patronised by the Moghul emperors and the aristocracy, is today an inextricable part of a bridal trousseau. Balla tinsel and khari work are the cheaper variations available in metallic embroidery, which have also become quite popular.
Paithani: This Sari is named after a village near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Now also woven in the town of Yeola, these Saris use an enormous amount of labour, skill and sheer expanse of material in their creation. Distinctive motifs such as parrots, trees and plants are woven into the Sari. The shades vary from vivid magenta, peacock greens and purples. In the pallav, the base is in gold and the pattern is done in silk, giving the whole Sari an embossed look.
Kota Doria: Kota in Rajasthan, India is the home of the famous Kota Doria saris made in small villages around the Kota city. "Kota Doria" is a super transparent yet stable cotton or cotton/silk weave consisting of varied guages of yarn, creating an almost graph like pattern called khats (squares formed between the different thicknesses of fibers). The intermittent heavier guage yarns give the fabric enough weight and lateral stability to fall very gracefully, yet it is incredibly airy and transparent. Generally, these pieces are worn in the heat of summer. The chequered weave of a Kota sari is a prized possession of many women. The gossamer-fine fabric Kota dorias are the finest weaves in India - so fine that they are almost weightless.
Other Saris from this region: The region is also famous for producing ornate Saris such tanchois, amru brocades, shikargarh brocades and tissues. Abrawans (literally meaning flowing water). Tissue Saris, usually woven with the finest silk thread are also quite popular. A classy design in Abrawans is tarbana (woven water) with a fine silk warp with a zari weft giving an almost metallic sheen. Kincab or Kinkhwab Saris are the most popular of the brocades and are so covered with the zari patterning that the underlying silk cloth is barely visible. Jamawars also come from Uttar Pradesh. These silk Saris are embellished with zari threadwork. The popular theme is a jacquard weave in ‘meena’ colours like orange and green. Tanchois (in zari) are another item from of Uttar Pradesh and have different designs, not just Moghul motifs. Another type is the kora silk Sari which is starched as brittle as organza.