Top Indian sarees shopping: Sari might be a fashionable garment now, but it started from being a humble drape used by women thousands of years ago. The origin of the drape or a garment similar to the sari can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which came into being during 2800–1800 BC in north west India. The journey of sari began with cotton, which was first cultivated in the Indian subcontinent around the 5th millennium BC. The cultivation was followed by weaving of cotton which became big during the era, as weavers started using prevalent dyes like indigo, lac, red madder and turmeric to produce the drape used by women to hide their modesty. Find extra details on Shop Bengal Cotton Sarees Online.
A factory-made cotton sari can cost as little as 500 rupees (US$7), while a handcrafted sari that takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to make can cost upwards of 200,000 rupees. The most expensive sari was sold for 3.93 million rupees in 2008. Over the past few decades, the demand for cheaper saris has made power-loom saris popular, making it difficult for hand weavers to compete. However, of late, handloom weaves are being reinterpreted in contemporary designs, and forgotten craftsmen are making a comeback. A beautiful sari is a living, breathing and enduring piece of art. It holds in its folds the history of an entire subcontinent, the skill of its craftsmen and the memories of the women who lovingly cared for it for the next generation.
The word “sari” means “strip of cloth” in Sanskrit. But for the Indian women—and a few men—who have been wrapping themselves in silk, cotton, or linen for millennia, these swaths of fabric are more than just simple garments. They’re symbols of national pride, ambassadors for traditional (and cutting-edge) design and craftsmanship, and a prime example of the rich differences in India’s 29 states. “The sari both as symbol and reality has filled the imagination of the subcontinent, with its appeal and its ability to conceal and reveal the personality of the person wearing it,” says Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti, author of Saris of India: Tradition and Beyond and co-founder of Taanbaan, a fabric company devoted to reviving and preserving traditional Indian spinning and weaving methods.
Every once in a while, we come across a sappy wedding post that shows the bride in her grandmother’s saree, which she wore as a tribute to her well-kept saree wardrobe. Saree, a nine-yard wonder, is not just a relic of our shared history but also has roots deep in Indian society. Its existence can be traced back to the scriptures of Jain and Buddhist texts, with the sari originating from the word sattika. It is a three-piece ensemble consisting of the Antriya, the lower garment; the Uttariya, a veil worn over the shoulder or head; and the Stanapatta, which is a chest band.
Most of our products are handcrafted and the weavers have been chosen with care in order to ensure the best quality of handwork is brought to our customers. In fact , some of our empaneled weavers have won awards at the highest national level and have been associated with this work for generations. Our products and weaves are authentic, artisanal and sourced sustainably , curated by Karigars from different parts of India like West Bengal, Varanasi, Rajasthan, Gujarat etc. See even more information at silkpetalss.com.
That a long, unstitched rectangular garment used to drape the female form for 5,000 years and worn every day by hundreds of millions of women from the Indian subcontinent flourishes as a fashion choice of the 21st century woman makes the story of the sari a fascinating one. The earliest records of a garment similar to the sari can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation that flourished between 2800 and 1800BC in what is today northwest India. The word sari is believed to be derived from a Sanskrit word meaning strip of cloth.
