France being famous for its wine and Darjeeling iconic for tea, the little town of Kanchipuram is best known for its traditional ‘Kanchi pattu’. The ‘dream weavers’ of this town have been establishing the art since decades. Kanchipuram silk sari happens to be an integral part of every South Indian girl’s wardrobe; although now it’s being treasured all over India. Kanjivaram silk sarees are believed to be the most valuable costume for a girl on the wedding day. The sari beholds a special and graceful position among various other conventional fabrics of India. Though silk saris are made in various Indian towns, the small town of Kanchi is renowned for this fabric.

Kanchipuram silk sarees are woven from pure mulberry silk and this fabric is available in countless and attractive hues. These sarees are woven with three ply, high denier threads using thick zari to complement the warp and weft designs forming unique and intricate motifs in the sari. Following the color combinations, and the complicated designs used a sari normally takes 20 to 30 days for completion. It is from pure silk and again this fabric enjoys an everlasting reputation for its texture, gleam, finishing, and resilience.

Traditionally, these saris were woven in lovely patterns with simple gold lines making peacocks, temples, and dots. The contemporary fashion has breathed a new life into this 500 year old traditional fabric. Now, you get these Kanjivaram silk sarees in new and alluring patterns. To match with the altering trends, this silk has experienced brisk conversion. Magnificent designer silk saris are available unifying the conventional art with embroidery and matching crystal work. Latest trend of Kanchipuram silk sarees comes with the images of gods and goddesses on the pallu. Now, these silk fabrics are available all over the world. The matching hues in bright, simple tones are used in the sari catering to the consumers’ tastes and preferences. Nowadays, the consumers are more alarmed about the cost, weight, and simple yet elaborate designs with pastel shades. Looking into the requirement of modern day women, churidhar sets are also woven with Kanchipuram silk.

More than 60,000 silk looms manufacture Kanchipuram silk sarees, filling the town with the musical ‘tak tak’. The town is having an annual turnover over Rs.200 crores with exports around Rs.3 crores. Export figures are however limited due to the restraint of weaving mostly saris, which has its own monopoly, but is moderately lesser over other outfits. 75% of the population residing in Kanchipuram earns their livelihood by weaving this fabric. The particular zari used in this type of sari is made in Tamil Nadu, but the silver wire required for the weaving part is brought from Surat as the procedure behind its making is detained secretly by some traditional weaving families there, thus making the process time consuming and expensive.

South India is fondly called the Manchester of India, thanks to the superior variety of cotton grown and spun here on handlooms as well as power looms. With time it has become a large hub of cotton apparels like chudidar, salwar, kurta, shirts and sarees. Though South Indian Sarees are mostly famous for their silk touch, cotton sarees are equally in vogue such as the venkatgiri sari from Andhra Pradesh and Kora Cotton sarees from Coimbatore. Though, the Kora Cotton traditional saris are not purely made of cotton. It has a good measure of silk woven into it and that is where lies the aesthetic beauty and the USP of the Kora cotton sarees. The cotton fabric used for this traditional sari is of a quality is superior to that of used to manufacture cotton saris in other parts of India.


Like all other South Indian Saris, its visual appeal lies in its lavish pallu and border designs which are done in bright colours with a hint of shining zari. Various motifs are also used to enhance the visual appeal and on closer look, you will witness the self styled jacquard patterns in the fabric of this saree. These patterns are created by the artistic interplay of silk and cotton thread which are woven together to form the basic fabric for this sari and its blouse. After the fabric woven on the handloom, further design processes are carried out as in designing the border and the pallu. The archetype of border used in the sari is also used in the blouse.


These sarees come in a variety of colours, though the effect of red cotton woven with gold zari remains with indigo touch on the border as well as pallu remains unparalleled. These sarees are on the affordable side with their cost ranging from INR 400 to INR 1200. This is a welcome news given the fact that other South Indian sarees made from silk and brocaded fabrics such as Kanchipuram, Kodali Karrupur etc are very expensive and not within the reach of an average homemaker.


There is a good demand for these traditional sarees in the international market as well thanks to the Indians living abroad. So no wonder the demand for these saris has been hit hard by the global economic meltdown. At the same time, the demand in the domestic market has been hit by the growing popularity of the Kora saris made on power looms which reduce the overall cost of these South Indian Sarees. But what the consumers fail to understand is that the fabric woven on power looms lacks the aesthetic design and appeal which is the main attribute of these saris.


If you are a true saree lover, then you ought to insist on buying true hand loomed kora cotton sarees and blouse. This will not only add to your rich collection of ethical and traditional saris but will also go a large extent in preventing this genre of saris being lost into the annals of history.

Earlier known as kasi, Varanasi is a place known as one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages. It is said that if a person dies on this land then he/she is freed from the cycle of rebirths. This is one of the most crowded places in India, with hundreds of small streets full of temples and dharamshalas.

The important thing for which it is famous world wide is the Brocades. The Brocades of Varanasi were first woven only in the small city known as Alaipura, but now it is woven all over Varanasi. The brocades of Varanasi, have made a remarkable position in the designer sarees as well. The fabrics that are woven with warps and wefts threads of varied colors, and also of varied materials are called the brocades. The brocades of Varanasiare woven in threads of silk. The other region known for the brocades is the Madanpura, which is popular as the most traditional style and designed, used on the fabric. The fabric is woven in a light and transparent fabric. The best examples that are also widely used in the designer sarees are the jamdani, organza and tissue sarees.

The motifs and the designs that are common and still have succeeded to maintain their position in terms of popularity are the kairi (mango), and the moon shape in the body of the saree. The fabric is woven in such a style in the transparent material that it gives an impression of a double sided pattern. The weavers of Alaipura have easily adopted the new techniques so the work is not so fine. Hence, the brocades of this place are used in the furnishings and sometimes for blouse.

The brocades of Varanasi were woven at homes earlier but now the work is done on large scale in karkhanas(factories). It is construction of several rooms in a row and the workers are provided peace for complete concentration. The same style is adopted by the designers who want particular motifs and pattern for designer or for the blouse. Generally, they buy the fabric from the place and get the desired work on, by the artists. The zari thread that is used in the weaving is known as kalabattun. One single zari thread is made with finely drawn gold, silver and base metal thread, that is wound together rounded like a silk thread.

One of the best brocades of Varanasi that is known all over the world is the Kimkhab. It is woven with mukta, a durable silk thread. It is coarse and thick and heavy, therefore it can hold the gold and the silk threads for weaving easily. It became popular because of the gold used in it and this also led to the higher price of the saree. The designer sarees are far too expensive. A lot of people just buy the fabric and use it for making stylish blouse only. The common motif used in this was the ashrafi. Other patterns were jal, buta and trellis. The designers have succeeded well in en-cashing the popular and expensive brocades of Varanasi.

The Mughal emperor Shahjahan, nominated Rao Madho Singh as the ruler formed Kota in 1631 A.D. The city is famous for opulent palaces, impressive forts, and splendid temples dating back over several centuries retain its past glory with a contrasting modern industries and edifices.

Kota Sarees were also known as Masuria Malmal. These saris were called Masuria as they originated from Mysore. Rao Kishore Singh, the then Mughal Army General brought these weavers to Kota from Mysore. The weavers were brought in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and from then the saris came to be known as ‘Kota-Masuria’. Kota saris are popularly known as Kota Doria outside the state and ‘Masuria’ in Kota. The word ‘Doria’ means thread.

Indian Saree enthusiast woman makes it a point to have at least one sari from each part of India. They desire to own a sari that is the specialty of a particular region of India. Each state of India has its own specialist saree. The wardrobe of the Indian woman also has synthetic, printed, plain sarees apart from the specialties. Women in India complement these specialty sarees with matching blouses and designer jewelry.

Kota Saree is the specialty from the desert state of Rajasthan. The fabric derives its name from the city of the same name. The sarees are made in and around the city of Kota.

Kota Sarees are also known as Kota Doria. They fabric is transparent and yet cotton-silk weave. The silk provides the required transparency while the cotton provides the necessary strength. The absence of uniformity in the weave forms the graph-like pattern. These fabrics are woven in a way that the graph-like pattern formed from the different thicknesses of fiber is prominently visible. These checked patterns itself within the weave are known as Khat. Other elaborate patterns are also used for weaving these sarees. These saris are mostly worn during the summer months to get relief from the extreme summer heat.

The designs are so made they give a weightless feel. The weaving, spinning and dyeing are done by skilled artisans. Basically white is the basic color and later dyed in different vibrant hues. The weaving of doria requires special skill and aesthetic knowledge of color combination.

Kota Sarees are sold with matching blouse pieces and are available in 3 different types- Plain, Printed and Zari.
In Plain Kota saris the checks are formed either by coarse cotton or golden threads. Printed Kota generally have white or off white background and have sanganeri patterns. Traditionally these sarees are either with single motifs or jalls. And the last one is Zari Kota where the borders are embellished with sequence and zari work.

Kota Doria was initially used as a ‘Pagri’ (traditional headgear) to sari and even now ladies suits and dress materials. This weaving activity supports almost 2500 families. Though the Kota Doria has come a long way from being used as the Pagri to saris and dress materials it is a dying art now and is the protection of such a fine art is the need of the hour.

Indian ladies, be of any age look most elegant and gorgeous when they are clad in a saris. There are many fabrics that are chosen by the ladies vary from region to region. The preferred fabric that gives a rich look to the one who has draped is silk. The silk sarees are worn all over India on various occasions. Especially the traditional sarees and the silk sarees are worn on the festivals and during the weddings. Whenever, one buys saris the next thing to look for is the blouse. Generally, the blouse is in extension to the saris only and if not that there are many shops that sell exclusively the fabrics for all sorts of blouse.


One of the most lovable silk sarees is the Dharamvaram silk sarees. These are traditional sarees in the region of Dharamvaram which is small town in Andhra Pradesh. It is a woven silk that is famous all over the world amongst all the woven silks. These are traditional sarees with dark color borders and they are broad, which is in contrast to the pallou that is woven with gold brocades. For the silk sarees that are worn in the daily routine by the ladies, are woven in two colors and the affect that is given is of muted double shades. These sarees are too much similar to the kanchipuram silk saris but these muted color shades give them a different look and makes it easy for all to differentiate.


These Dharamavaram silk saris are liked as they are simple yet elegant. These saris are simple, but as the fabric has a rich look and is adorable therefore many designers are trying to these fabrics for making designer sarees which are now being sold readily in the markets of many countries other than India. These saris are very comfortable to wear and there is not much of problem for those who have just started to begin sarees and do not know how to drape them.


Normally with traditional wearing there are certain specific styles of draping the saris and it is mostly known by the local ladies only, but with the designer sarees now getting place in the international markets, has led to these traditional styles get known all over the world. There are certain specific styles for which one can get CD’s from the stores to learn how to drape them. The interesting part is that for many styles the saris of silk fabric are preferred as they are easy to carry.the Dhramavaram silk sarees are capable of retaining the style they are draped in and give a smooth feel.


The Dharmavaram silk sarees are woven out to get a fabric that can be easily dyed. They can be worn in summers as well as in winters. In winters they give a warm feel and in summers a cool feel. The only thing to be kept in mind about care is that this fabric in not resistant to sunlight. But this is the strongest natural fiber known therefore it is also a must for an Indian lady to keep a Dharmavaram silk in her wardrobe.

Ever wondered what the latest fashion craze is in this festive season? Well, undoubtedly it has to be the Anarkali Salwar Kameez, back in fashion after a long time and how! Anarkali style is nowadays becoming very fashionable in India and among most of the NRI women as well. But do we know the history of how this stunning dress got its name as the “Anarkali shalwar kameez”?


Well, Anarkali (“pomegranate blossom”) was a renowned slave girl from Lahore (Pakistan) during the Mughal era. She was a performer and dancer at the palace of the Emperor Akbar. She was allegedly ordered to be buried alive by the Emperor for having an illegitimate love affair with Prince Salim, who later became the royal leader Jahangir. The dance called mujra was famed at that time. Legendary dancers at the fortress of the Mughal kings danced for the kings’ amusement. So, the dresses worn by the dancers were known as mujra dresses which slowly came to be known as Anarkali dresses or Anarkali shalwar kameez in the commemoration of the great dancer and ardent lover, Anarkali.


We have all seen how bollywood stars admired this designer salwar kameez over many lavishly designer sarees, making them so famous in the 1970′s to 1990’s. It was made popular by Madhubala in the song ‘Pyar kiya to darna kya’ from the film ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and Madhuri in ‘Aaja Nachle’. Heroines like Rekha, Parveen Babi, Jayaprada, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Divya Bharti brought this Anarkali salwar style into the fashion in Bollywood and it has been re-discovered time and again.


Base of this Designer Salwar Kameez known as the skirt is uncomplicated plain umbrella patterned and the top known as the blouse or choli is made up of shimmery chiffon or china silk materials with heavy embroidery work. This Indian shalwar kameez gets a chic appearance because of its blouse or choli. You can add an elite and designer look with heavy weight embroidery using zari, zardosi work, mirrors, aari, sequins and kundan. You can then embellish your cholis with a variety of designer sleeves. Your suit can look even more graceful with half sleeves as well. You can add petite ghungaroos to your half sleeves or mega sleeves hanging on your arms. Long sleeves with puffy or bolloon at shoulder, but sleeveless cholis can indeed make you the fashion diva of any social gathering, the dazzling eye-candy of the entire ceremony.


Your Churidar salwar can have attractive patches at the bottom. Salwars or churidars stitched in tight patterns with bangles or wrinkles at the bottom will make you look even more stylish. Dupatta can be of dual shades with beautiful laces on the edges. Good quality fabrics like crepes, georgettes, silks and brocades are used to make the suit more charming. Embroidery adds to the ethnicity on silk or georgette material.


So, the next time you plan a shopping trip, don’t forget to include the Anarkali Salwar Kameez to your ensemble apart from your batch of selected sarees, as it’s surely the rage and fashion trend of today.

India is a land of diversities and colors. People all over the world are fascinated by the dresses worn by the Indian women. One of the most elegant wear of the Indian ladies is the saree. No matter what the features the lady has or what figure, all the ladies look gorgeous in a saree. Saree is an outfit that can never be out of fashion. There is special sophistication attached to this wear and that is the reason all the people like it. it has also got the honor of being chosen as office wear for many reputable offices. With the popularity of the sarees now a lot of designer sarees are available as well.

The chanderi sarees of Madhya Pradesh have a special shimmer in the cotton with an elegant and delicate gold thread that is used in the borders and for the motifs. One who has a lot of knowledge about sarees sees the quality of the thread that is used. The name chanderi has been given to these sarees after the weavers town who gives these flamboyant sarees.

There are hundreds of varieties in the sarees. One of most popular and loved are the chanderi sarees of Madhya Pradesh. The name chanderi was originally the name of city and taken up for the saree as it was a particular standard that maintained a style similar to the pathans. The chanderi sarees of Madhya Pradesh are most preferred in the months of summer as they are light and keep the heat off. They are woven well in cotton as well as in silk fabrics. They are available in many patterns like the striped and or plain with borders. These are the very common ones. The other range has one with motifs and designs of butis, floral pattern on the borders. Another pattern is which has motifs generally floral in the body of the saree.

Now, with the increase in the demand of sarees all over, the designers have taken these fabrics for various creations. The chanderi sarees of Madhya Pradesh are one of the lovable designer sarees as the fabric is preferred and suited to both summers as well as winters. The sarees with cotton fabric, preferred for summers are available in many colors but the pattern does not have much variations. The colors are specified once so the blouse is attached to the sarees itself. This is to avoid the tension of looking for the color and the desired fabric here and there. The length of the sarees is also appropriate to fit every figure, with perfect number of pleats, to give an elegant look.

The majesty of the chanderi sarees of Madhya Pradesh lies in the style in which it is draped. In the earlier tomes it did not have much variation but now with the incoming of designer sarees the innovations can be seen in the belnd of the fabrics to some extent and also the design of the blouse has shifted from the traditional one to the new fashionable styles.

Previously, the fabric was made obtained from the craftsmen in the chanderi village, but long back with the incoming of spun yarn, a lot of varieties have become a part of designer sarees. Now, there are variations in blends from cotton to cotton and silk to silk and from silk to cotton as well. this has come up like a revolution in the 20th century. With the inclusion of designer sarees and blouses a lot of new motifs like man, women, birds, scenes from forests and sky etc. have been added to the sarees. The best part of the chanderi sarees is the harmony that it maintains between the body and the border of the saree. The most common combination that can be found is the off white color on the body and the various colors on the border.

The chanderi sarees are most famous for their zari patti ( band). In this patterned saree the design is enriched by using butis and motifs in the body of the saree. The same motif as is found on the body is also a part of the design on the blouse.

One of the versions is the meenakshi, in this pattern the motif is inlayed and the patti has a design that looks as if jeweled out. This is the latest in the designer sarees. Another thing that can be found is the variation in the motifs on the borders and the edges of the border. The name given to this version is Kalgi. This name has been given on the basis of motif.

Though a lot of girls feel that draping a chanderi saree, be it a designer one would be a bit tough, even then they are tried at large. This is so as they give one the most elegant looks to the one who is wearing it.