Saree

The glowing colors of the sari that the Indian women daily wear have undoubtedly a big role to play in the beauty of the Indian Landscapes.

Traditionally, the women wear it during some important occasions such as weddings, and once they are married they wear it daily.

The sari would have been already used 5 000 years ago, according to the frescoes and the carving found in the country.

The Sari is a long piece of cloth of about 1.20 m of width and 5 to 6 m of length. It can be in cotton, silk or other fabrics. The women wrap it over a corsage (choli), showing the belly, and a jupon. Depending on the regions and the models, the techniques of wrapping differ. In the past, some wrapping techniques revealed the belonging to a particular cast, religion or social class. Nowadays, the technique has been democratized and the traditional wrapping methods are less and less used. Moreover, as it is really complicated to wear a traditional sari, creators and designers are creating some easy to use, with ties.

Daily worn saris are made with simple fabrics, often with colorful motives. However, for the important occasions, the women buy more elaborated saris, ornate with pearls and homemade embroideries, whose prices can attain hundreds of Euros.

When you try a sari for the first time, we may feel a huge respect towards the women that work, ride bike or dance in it. It takes a huge practice to move elegantly in a sari, without stumble or unrolled the cloth.

The motives on the fabrics can be aimed to ward off the evil eyes, even if for the young generations it is more a matter of taste and fashion.

In the past, the colors of the saris also had a particular meaning.

Blue was the color of the servants cast, the shudras. This colors was particularly avoid by the members of the high cast who considered it as impure.

Green was basically wear by the cast of the merchants, the vaishyas. Nowadays, a green sari symbolizes more the belonging to the Muslim community. In some parts of the country, it can also be the color of the wedding.

Red saris were a sign of the belonging to the Kshatryas, cast of warriors. This color is considered as good auspices and in most of the parts of the country the women get married in red.

The sari is also considered as being magic in the Hindu mythology, and particularly in the Mahabharata epics. Indeed, the princess Draupadishould be offer to the winner of a duel. However, the god Krishna had make the promise to protect her virtue. So when the winner wanted to enjoy his gift by catching Draupadi’s sari, this get unrolled indefinitely. He  couldnever undress the princess and thus her virtue was safe.