Sarees are one of the most beautiful outfits for women, and our ancestors have worn them for thousands of years. A saree can be described as an unstitched long piece of cloth with five to nine yards in length that an Indian woman drapes around her body. In today’s time, there are more than 80 ways to wear a sari, and there are more than 30 types of sarees available in India, and each one has its own specialty and value.
Origin of Saree in India
The origin of the saree can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation (2800–1800BC) in northwest India. The name ‘Saree’ comes from the popular word “satika”, which means women’s attire. Initially, women only wore regional handloom sarees made of silk and cotton with block-printed embroidery and tie-dye textiles. But with the advent of foreigners, rich women started demanding for gold-thread bordered sarees to look rich.
Later on, Britishers came up with their new techniques of dying and painting, which gave sarees a totally new look with different prints like figures, motifs, and flowers. Therefore, the saree became the first Indian international attire and a symbol of Indian feminity.
Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad of Baroda.
She is wearing one of the oldest sarees in the Gaekwad collection. An over 100 year old cotton paithani 9 yard saree in real gold thread.
Specialty of Saree in Indian Literature
The Indian literature from Vedic times described ‘saree’ as a youthful and versatile dress and it has connections with the Indian goddesses, Devi, who are portrayed as wearing bright silk sarees. In Indian literature, the different colours of sarees represent different beliefs, such as a yellow saree represents the belief of auspiciousness, a red saree indicates the belief of courage, and a white saree is believed to be the symbol of purity.
Moreover, with these theories and emphasis, the traditional importance of a saree has increased rapidly among Indian families, where the pallu (loose end of the saree) has become essential to be worn by a woman to show her respect to the elders.
Thus, the saree is the most worn traditional dress in India, and it maintains the same charm every day. The way the saree is pleated, draped, and carried clearly reflects the definition of style. It is fashionable, graceful and always gives you an elegant and charming look. The saree is an ever-going outfit, so it goes well with every generation. And not only in India, but now the western style has also started to be influenced by sarees.
