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.

Have you ever imagined a story narrated on a saree? India and its garments, especially sarees have been the bed of seamless creativity. Acknowledged all across the globe as a ‘poem’ hand woven onto silk and gold backgrounds, Paithani Sarees are the ultimate choice of majority women. The refined art of Paithani weaving prospered in Deccan area during Satvahana era, in 200B.C.

Since its inception, Paithani Sarees are in demand all across India as a precious heirloom that is inherited from generation to generation. Delicate silk from Paithani was exported to many countries and was traded in exchange for gold and precious stones. Passionate dedication and the faith of the weavers have still kept Paithani silk work alive for more than 2000 years. The actual Paithani Sarees are hand woven pure silk with gold/silver-embroidered designs.

You shall be amazed witnessing the intricate designs on Paithani pallu and border that is believed to be a specialty of such Indian Sarees. The perfectly made motifs on Paithani pallu will make you stand awestruck. The delicate designs of peacock, lotus, mango and others adorn the body of Paithani silks. Paithani Sarees often require from 2 months to several years to manufacture, depending on the design of border and pallu. The price of Paithani Silk sarees costs from Rs.6000/- to Rs.500,000.

The Paithani Silk sarees are woven primarily in traditional ways even after many centuries. Even in present day’s sophisticated world the methods of weaving Paithani have not changed. Paithani Sarees are woven with extremely delicate silk threaded sticks, thus bearing a testimony of Maharashtra’s fabric legacy of beautiful women. Some places in India do have the tradition of weaving silk but Paithani has carved its niche and retained a distinctive status since ancient times.

Alike its technique, the design and patterns used on the Paithani silks are equally special. Moreover, the silk used to weave Paithani sarees are also very delicate. Specifically the nature source such as different kinds of leaves, tree-skin, flowers; soils, lamps soot, etc. are used to make these radiant and pretty colors. The names of Paithani sarees depend on their colors. The perfect balance between the design of the Paithani borders and the overall color determine their specific genres. References to Paithani patterns are also found in folksongs and literature.

The embroidery on the borders of Paithani silks is another fascinating sight. Some of the primeval designs of embroidery on the saree borders and the inner design is made up of small orbs that is likewise essential from five hundred to nine hundred such orbs and can be found in one design.

The Paithani sarees are considered holy in Indian tradition owing to the use silk that has a special importance in Indian marriages. You can also buy Pathani sarees online these days at competitive rates. The innumerable variety of Pathani sarees online clearly gives you a glimpse of its demand even today.

Patan the place in Gujarat is famous for its Patola Saree. Patola sarees are the hand made Sarees which are created in large quantities in Patan. Patola Sarees are famed for its subtle, attractive and clear pattern which is done with great precision and skill. These sarees are prepared with handlooms, and so according to the design and pattern, it takes time to produce this saree. Even surat is famous for the making of Patola Sarees; the pride of Gujarat.

Historical evidences show that Patola sarees have existed since at the thirteenth century and have always had upper-class and ritualistic associations. The walls of some south Indian temples, such as at Mattancheri (Kerala) and Padmanabhapuram (southern Tamil Nadu) exhibit eighteenth-century depictions of Patola designs. Gujarat is believed to have exported Patola sarees to South-East Asia since the fourteenth century. Traditionally crafted by the Hindu Salvi caste and traded to South-East Asia by the Muslim Vohra community, these expensive, high-status sarees were worn by the Vohras and wealthy Jains and Hindus (Brahmins and Bhatia traders) in weddings and other auspicious events. Slowly the Patola Sarees became a status symbol among Gujarati girls and graduated as an indispensable part of the women closet.

The patola saree is one of the best hand-woven sarees created today. Patola silk sarees are the pride of Gujarat. These sarees are fashioned by using the resist dying technique. There are two types of Patola sarees:

• Rajkot Patola: This is only vertically resist dyed (single ikat).
• Patan Patola: This is horizontally-resist dyed (double ikat).

Patola Sarees are recognized for their blazing bright colors and geometric designs interweaved with folk motifs. Every patola saree is one of its kinds as it is fashioned completely with the imagination and expertise of the weaver.

Fabric in Patola Saree:
Patola saree is woven from silk known as the patola silk. The patola silks are still made by a handful of master weavers from Patan and Surat known for their zari work.

The Process:
A Patola Saree takes 4 to 6 months to make, depending on how complex the design is. The Patan patola is done in the Double ikat style, which is possibly the most intricate textile design in the world. Every fabric consists of a sequence of warp threads and a lone weft thread, which binds the warp threads collectively. Each one of the warp threads is tied and dyed according to the pattern of the saree, such that the knotted sections of the thread do not catch the colours. The result is that both sides of the saree look precisely similar as if it is printed on both sides with identical designs, and can be worn both ways.

Design and Colour
The weaving is done on plain conventional handlooms, and the dyes used are made from vegetable extracts and other ordinary colours. Flowers, animals, birds and human figures form the fundamental design. Nowadays, there are new geometrical designs using the vegetable dye as well as chemical dyes. Patola Silk Sarees with vivid colours are also enriched with zardosi, kundan, sequins. The designs of Patola sarees have a wide range of variants. The designs of this saree principally fall into three types that comprise purely geometric forms, reminiscent of Islamic architectural embellishments and ajrak (complex geometric print designs of the Sind), such as the navaratna bhat (nine jewels design). Other designs that are included in the Patola sarees are the floral and vegetal patterns. These gratified the needs of the Muslim market which spurned depictions of animals and people, such as the Vohra bhat (Vohra community design), paan bhat (paan leaf or peepal tree leaf design), and chhaabdi bhat (floral basket design). The Patola sarees are also designed with patterns that portray forms as the nari (dancing woman), kiinjar (elephant) and popat (parrot). Among the Vohra Muslims, a version of Patola sarees is used as their marriage sarees.

The cost of this saree is very high and thus few people can afford to buy this sarees. Therefore due to its expensive exquisiteness, it has become a status symbol to wear this saree. One can wear this saree to formal occasions as well as to weddings to enhance her appearance and status.

Thus, Patola Sarees are the most time-consuming and intricate sarees produced in the western region. These sarees may have elaborate five-colour designs, resist-dyed into both warp and weft threads before weaving, ensuing in an entirely reversible fabric. The sarees are produced with great meticulousness and excellence by the artisans of the western region. Patola saree is a gorgeous saree which you can where for any formal occasion. Moreover, the Patola sarees are expansively used in each region for the diversity and the designs they manifest. As the custom exemplifies, the sarees have accomplished a grand position in the list of Indian Traditional Sarees, indeed becoming the pride of Gujarat.