The sari has a hoary past

The flowing nine-yard attire has evolved over the years, but its simplicity and beauty continue to rule hearts

Sari, now a fashionable garment, had very humble beginnings. One of the oldest attires in the world, its origin can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilisation.

Through all the cultural evolution that the country has seen, the nine-yard drape has remained constant, while adapting itself to suit the needs of the women at each time period.

Over the millennia, the sari evolved to become sensuous, glamorous wear on one end, and space of artistic expression for weavers and printers, on the other.

Traditional style

Traditionally, women wore various types of regional handloom saris made of silk, cotton, ikkat, block-print, embroidery and tie-dye textiles.

More often than not, women did not cover their heads as a traditional or religious requirement through the epic age or even later in the Puranic age. They wore veils to enhance the beauty of their elaborate hairstyles or to show off the bejewelled veils themselves.

There are many ways to wear a sari and it usually depends on a range of factors such as the region, fabric, and even the length and width of the garment. Among these various techniques, the Nivi drape (the fabric is pleated, wrapped around the waist, and the pallu is flung over the left shoulder); and the rural Dharampur drape (a long rectangle material is transformed into knee-length bloomers) are the most popular.

This style of wearing the sari, found in the Barhut and Sanchi sculptures, did away with the practice of passing the cloth between the legs and the tucking of the central pleats behind.

Instead, a short decorative piece of cloth, called the Asana, was draped around the hips and knotted in front.

Foreign influence

Just like with anything else, the sari has not been free of outside influence. Greek and Persian styles, for example, brought about major changes in Indian clothing. The cummerbund-like cloth that Greeks used to clinch their long robes at the waist and the Persian way of gathering the length of their fabric and holding it together at the shoulder and using a belt at the waist caught the fancy of Indian women, particularly of the affluent classes. They adapted the look to suit their lighter, more ornamental fabrics.

The Persians were also the first to introduce the country to the art of stitching as well as encrusting fabrics with pearls and precious stones.

The migrating tribes from Central Asia, on the other hand, brought loose jackets to the Indian wardrobe. This evolved into stitches short jackets that women used to cover their upper torsos.

Women of all classes wore simple cholis, but the upper-class women started creating silken ones that were embellished using the methods that the Persians brought with them. Others followed suit but chose to use less precious materials such as glass, wooden beads and embroidery. Many royal women commissioned weavers and craftsmen to produce exquisite works of art to make their jackets. Thus, it may be said that the saree, a quintessential Indian attire, is born from a mingling of influences from Greece, Persia and several other Central Asian countries.

Colours and prints

In the golden age of Indian textiles, vegetables or other natural sources were used to dye saris. Turmeric, the indigo plant, barks of several trees, gums, nuts, flowers, fruits and berries were the most popular choices. It is reported that in the earliest age of dyeing, during the Moghul era, there were over five hundred kinds of natural dyes.

With synthetic dyes entering the market, natural dyes began to lose prominence within the industry. Today, one can hardly find sixty varieties of natural dyes in use. With invasions and other external influences, many new designs and techniques of weaving, dyeing and printing came to India. Both hand block printing and tie-and-dye techniques, for example, reached their zenith and added new dimensions to the Indian textile industry’s flourishing trade.

The skills of artisans and weavers have been instrumental in allowing the attire to gain the status it enjoys today. Many of the designs and motifs are seen on sarees have been inspired by nature and religion. Kanjeevaram saris, Banarasi saris, Chanderi and Chikankari fabrics for example are still coveted garments among women.

Trends today

The sari’s diverse history may have gotten hazy and lost, but its charm has continued to withstand the tests of time. Not only are designers coming up with new and exciting prints and styles, but many have also even started using the drape to create gowns, dresses and skirts.

It has even made its way to the international runway thanks to designers such as Alexander McQueen, Hermès, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Prabal Gurung. But, globalisation and demand for cheaper merchandise have pushed machine-loomed saris to the top leaving many long-time weaving families in a lurch. In recent times, however, with the push for local, sustainable clothing, there has been a revival of these forms.

With the drape glitzing the screens of Bollywood, catching the fancy of tourists and continuing to be a favourite choice among women, thanks to its versatility and vibrancy, it is safe to say that the sari will not be disappearing from Indian wardrobes any time soon.