The Indian Saree: Fashioning the Female Form
Ever wondered what makes the traditional Indian sarees so special? They are after all a simple nine-yard garment. Well, let’s first look at the history, from where it began, in real. Legend has it that when the beauteous Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, was lost to the Kauravas in a gambling duel. Later, as a benefit of winning, the lecherous victors, intent on humiliating and harassing Draupadi. In the process of the same, they caught one end of the sheer material that draped her modestly, yet seductively and started pulling it. They continued to pull and unravel, but could not reach the end, and thus were unsuccessful in undraping her. This happened in the 5,000-year-old Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Call it legend, fantasy, history or fact, or anything; it is the first recorded reference to the eternally attractive Saree – the longest running ‘in fashion’ item of feminine apparel in the country and the world.
A delightful folktale explains the origin of the Sari as follows:
“The Sari, it is said, was born on the loom of a fanciful weaver. He dreamt of Woman. The shimmer of her tears. The drape of her tumbling hair. The colors of her many moods. The softness of her touch. All these he wove together. He couldn’t stop. He wove for many yards. And when he was done, the story goes, he sat back and smiled and smiled and smiled”.
Indian civilization has always placed a tremendous importance on unstitched fabrics like the sari and dhoti, which are given sacred overtones. Slowly and gradually it all combined and formed more than just ensembles for deities in temples or the royal class. Today, with such tremendous fashion development, sarees not only have become one of the most preferred ethnic wear by the women, but also a fashion statement.
Sarees today, come in different styles, patterns, colors, motifs, embroidery, works, and fabrics that make them the most suitable option to be worn at different occasions that we witness throughout the year. The most popular fabrics that are worn in every corner of the country includes, cotton, net, georgette, silk, etc.
These traditional Indian sarees are important and a must have in the wardrobes of every Indian woman not just because they have a huge variety that could be worn everywhere from office to weddings, but because it has a historic origination and background.