Art of Saree Designing

 


Saree has been the most trendy and favorite costume, prefered by most of the Indian women forever. Besides saree being a formal dress, it has been a garment that adds beauty to an Indian women. Different types of sarees, different materials and designs are worn to suit each different occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

Sarees are catergorized into different catergories with respect to the material, designs and texture.

 

 


Different types of Sarees

 

1.     Cotton Sarees

 

 

Cotton sarees are prefered by women for daily use as a casual wear. Cotton sarees are easily washable and light-weight.

 

 


2.     Chiffon Sarees

 

 

A light-weight fluffy kind of material that provides an elegant floating appearance, commonly used as an evening wear.

 

 


3.     Silk Sarees

 

 

Silk sarees is a sign of royalty and wealth, used for South Indian weddings. Silk sarees are very heavy compares to other saree materials and difficult for cleaning.

 

 


4.     Designer Sarees & Exclusive Sarees

 

 

Designer sarees are sarees which are not in mass scale production. These are limited to just a few pieces and women opt to wear these for parties and special occasions.

 

 


5.     Wedding Sarees & Bridal Sarees

 

 

Sarees worn by brides on their engagement or wedding with a heavy hand work and embroidery.

 

 

 

 

 

Types and details of Indian Saree Designs

 

Indian Sarees have a wide range of variety designs as different state has their own cultural background, style and trends.

 

 

1.     South Indian Sarees

 

 

1.     Kanchipuram

 

 

- Tamil Nadu

 

 

2.     Chinnalaputtu

 

 

- Tamil Nadu

 

 

3.     Chettinadu Cottom

 

 

- Tamil Nadu

 

 

4.     Konrad

 

 

- Tamil Nadu

 

 

5.     Balaramapuram

 

 

- Kerala (Trivandrum)

 

 

6.     Pochampally

 

 

- Andhra Pradesh

 

 

7.     Venkatagiri

 

 

- Andhra Pradesh

 

 

8.     Gadwal

 

 

- Andhra Pradesh

 

 

9.     Mangalagiri

 

 

- Andhra Pradesh

 

 

10.                        Narayanpet

 

 

- Andhra Pradesh

 

 

11.                        Mysore Silk

 

 

- Karnataka

 

 

2.     North Indian Sarees

 

 

1.     Banaras Silk (Jamdani)

 

 

- Uttar Pradesh

 

 

2.     Banarasi Silk

 

 

- Uttar Pradesh

 

 

3.     Tanchoi

 

 

- Uttar Pradesh

 

 

4.     Tissue Sari

 

 

- Uttar Pradesh

 

 

3.     East Indian Sarees

 

 

1.     Mooda Silk

 

 

- Assam

 

 

2.     Bengal Cottom or Tant

 

 

- West Bengal

 

 

3.     Balncheri Silk

 

 

- West Bengal

 

 

4.     Kantha

 

 

- West Bengal

 

 

4.     West Indian Sarees

 

 

1.     Bandhini

 

 

- Gujarat & Rajasthan

 

 

2.     Patola

 

 

- Gujarat

 

 

3.     Kota Doria

 

 

- Rajasthan

 

 

4.     Pythani (Paithani)

 

 

- Maharashtra

 

 

5.     Central Indian

 

 

1.     Chanderi

 

 

- Madhya Pradesh

 

 

2.     Maheshwari

 

 

- Madhya Pradesh

 

 

3.     Tussar Silk

 

 

- Bihar

 

 

6.     Bangladesh

 

 

1.     Dhakai Jamdani

 

 

- Bangladesh

 

 

2.     Maheshwari

 

 

- Madhya Pradesh

 

 

3.     Tussar Silk

 

 

- Bihar & other places

 

 

South Indian

 

 

 

Kanchipuram or Kanjeevaram Sarees (Tamil Nadu)

 

 

Kanchipuram is a town in Tamil Nadu with more than 400 years of weaving tradition. It is favoured for their durability. Kanjee Silk is thicker than almost all other silks and is therefore more expensive. The heavier the silk, the better the quality. Peacock and parrot are the most common motifs. Only mulberry silk produced in Karnataka and few parts of Tamil Nadu is right for the classic Kanjeevaram. Kanjeevaram are being experimented with patterns from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagawad Gita.

 

 


Konrad Sarees, Temple Sari (Tamil Nadu)

 

 

Temple saree is also a speciality from Tamil Nadu. These saris were original woven for temple devoties. They are wide bordered sarees and are characterised by motifs. Such as elephant and peacocks. Traditional colours are earth shades of browns, greys and off-white.

 

 


Pochampally Sari (Andhra Pradesh)

 

 

Pochampalli is a place is Andra Pradesh near Hyderabad. It is handmade sari and have a unique design. It is famous for its rich saris in both cotton and silk with traditional ikat weaves.

 

 


Venkatagiti (Andhra Pradesh)

 

 

Venkatagiri sari blend the simplicity cotton with the ornamental zari butas.

 

 


Gadwal Silk Cotton (Andhra Pradesh)

 

 

Sarees from Gadwal have an elegance and grace all its own available in cotton and silks. Cotton saree with heavy silk border and pallus. Copper or Gold dipped zari is generally used in these saris. The motifs of the murrugam (peacock) and the rudraksh are popular. Traditional colors of these sarees are earth shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyers.

 

 


Narayanpat (Andhra Pradesh)

 

 

Narayanpet saris come in both silk and cotton and are well known for their gorgeous sari borders with rudraksh motifs. The pallus in these sarees are very attractive with alternating coloured bands.

 

 


Mysore Silk (Karnataka)

 

 

Mysore Silk saris are famous for their traditional designs and colours. The zari work on the pallu and borders add elegance of these saris. Mysore Silk saris are considered to be very durable and can be washed and worn as often as required.

 

 


North Indian

 

 

Banaras Silk Jamdani (Uttar Pradesh - Varanasi Dist)

 

 

The silk Jamdani, a technical variety of brocade, is traditionally woven in Banaras. Here the silk fabric is brocaded with cotton and rarely with zari thread.

 

 


Banaras Silk (Uttar Pradesh)

 

 

These saris are made of finely woven silk and have designs done in golden thread (zari). Banarasi sari are relatively heavy and worn by Indian women on important occassions like wedding cenemony.

 

 


Tissue Silk (Uttar Pradesh)

 

 

The reowned zari brocade weavers of Banaras has evolved a technique of weaving tissue material which looked like golder cloth. By running zari in weft a combinations of zari and silk in extra weft (pattern thread) and silk is warp. Tissue sari has glazed, shinning character due to the use of real gold or silver. Zari in weft on silk warp ground are ornamented with the particular traditional design.

 

 


East Indian

 

 

Bengal Cotton / Tanta or Taant

 

 

This is a traditional sari worn by Bengali women. It is popularily known as Bengal Cotton and is hand woven in various districts of West Bengal. These saris come in a variety of colours with simple yet beautiful designs.

 

 


Balucheri Silk (West Bengal)

 

 

This sari is from Murshidabad district of West Bengal is usually in bright colours like flame red, purple and occassionally in deep blue. These sarees are made of silk and woven on looms. The sari looks similar to Banarasi sarees there is only one difference between them is that Balucheri sarees use only silk threads and Banarasi sarees do use zari threads. The borders of the sarees depict srories from Mahabharata and Ramayana. i.e Thread work pallu.

 

 


Kantha Silk (West Bengal)

 

 

Kantha, the name is associated not with the fabric used in saree but with the embroidery. This art of kanta is practiced rural women in West Bengal. The cloth is entirely covered with running stitches and has beautiful folk, floral, animal and bird motifs.

 

 


West Indian

 

 

Bhandini (Gujarat & Rajasthan)

 

 

These are sarees created by dying the cloth in such a manner that many small resist dyed spots produce elborate patterns over the fabric. Red and Black is the most commonly used colour combinations but other pairs of colors are also found.

 

 


Patola (Gujarat)

 

 

The patola saree is one of the finest hand woven saree produced today. Patola silk saree are the pride of Gujarat. There sarees are created 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 Rorizontally resist dyed. (Double ikat).

 

 

Every Patola saree is one of its kind as it is created entirely with the imagination and skill of the weaver.

 

 


Fabric in Patola Saree

 

 

Patola sari is woven from silk called Patola Silk. The Patola silks are made by a handful of master weavers from Patan and Surat known for their Zariwork. The Patola saree takes 4 to 6 months to make, depending on how complicated the design is Patan Patola is done in the double ikat style which is perhaps the most complicated textile design in the whole world. [Each fabric consists of a series of warp threads and a single weft thread, which binds the warp thread together. Each one of the warp threads is tied and dyed according to the pattern of the saree, such that the knotted portions of the thread do not catch the colors]. The result is that both sides of the saree look exactly alike as if it is printed on both sides with the same design and can be worn either ways.

 

 


Design and Colour

 

 

The weaving is done on simple traditional handlooms and the dyes used are made from vegetable extracts and other natural colors. Flowers, animals, birds and human figure form the basic designs. Patola Silk Saree with bright colours are also enriched with zardosi kundan and sequins.

 

 


Kota Doria (Rajasthan)

 

 

India is the home of the famous Kota Doria sarees made in small villages around the Kota city. Kota Doria is a super transparent yet stable cotton or cotton / silk weave. Weave is very special - The warp and weft use a combinations of thread creating a fine chequered pattern. Ideal for hot summer.

 

 


Pythani - Paithani (Maharashtra)

 

 

It is a handwoven silk sari with ornamented pattern with zari work with peacock design and motifs such as flowers, fruits and birds. This saree is named after its pallu.

 

 


Central Indian

 

 

Chandari Sari (Madhya Pradesh)

 

 

Handwoven sarees from chandari, M.P. Moss grey chanderi sari with golden bootis and brocaded border pure silk. SIlk or cotton is used to make chanderi sari. It is weighless.

 

 

Maheshwari Sari (Madhya Pradesh)

 

 


It is also both in cotton and silk, usually green or purple with a zari border. The traditional block printed tussar can also be found in contemporary design nowerdays. The speciality of these saris is its unique striped and chequered patteris on silk and unique striped and chequered patteris on silk and cotton fabrics. The pallu of this saree bears five stripes.