One end is passed twice round the waist, upper borderf tied in a strong knot,
and allowed to fall in graceful folds to the ankle, thus forming a sort of
petticoat or skirt. Today in the urban and semi-urban areas of India, modes of
economy and production have radically changed, but one factor that remains
constant is the presence of the Saree in the life of the Indian woman. It is
interesting that even women in Western countries have begun to develop some
interest in Sarees for their graceful decoration of female form.
The word Saree is anglicized from 'Sadi', which existed in Prakrit language As
Sadia and originated from Sanskrit 'Sati' meaning a strip of clot. Sati, occurs
in the 'Mahabharata' and perhaps earlier, but the nature of this garment in
those times and how it was worn, is difficult to gauge accurately. It is
certain that the art was highly cultivated. There are innumerable references in
ancient Indian literature to the draped garment and its style.
As far as length and woven proportions of the draped garment is concerned, it
mostly depends on the cultural area and conjunction of use and varies from
almost a square piece of about 125 cm. to the standard urban rectangular Saree,
about 5 m. long and 120 cm. broad. With respect to the material from which
these Sarees are made and their texture, these aspects vary from one handloom
centre to another. As to the material of choice, cotton naturally occupies the
first place: followed by mixtures of cottons and silk, rayon and their blends
of cottons and lastly silk with ornamented brocading. The silk Sarees of
southern India use heavy lustrous silk and broad borders and elaborate pallus,
with contrasting colour combinations, which result in harmonious colour blends
Kancheepuram, Tanjore and Kumbakonam, are the important centers of Tamil Nadu.
Sangareddy and Dharmaswaram in Andhra Pradesh, Kolegal and Molkalmoru in
Mysore, are also famous silk- weaving centers.
Step 1: These are the "underneath" garments you
need to wear before tying a Saree - a waist-to- floor length petticoat,
tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring. You should not use elastic to
hold the petticoat around the waist as the elastic might not bear the weight of
the Saree. You have to wear an upper garment in the form of a tight fitting
blouse that ends just below the bust. The blouse could be short sleeved or
sleeveless. Its necklines can also be in different shapes and sizes.
Step 2: Now with your left hand hold the inside end
of the Saree material .Tuck the top border of the inner end of the Saree into
your petticoat starting at the navel, and complete one full turn from
right to the left. Make sure that the lower end of the Saree touches the
floor.
Step 3: Beginning from the tucked-in end start
making pleats in the Saree, starting at the right, about 5 inches
deep. Make about 7 to 10 pleats and hold them up together so that they
fall straight and even. All the pleats should be at the same height off
the floor.
Step 4: Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to
the left of the navel, and make sure that they are turned towards the
left. Make sure the Saree is held there firmly. Tuck it in a little more
if necessary and you can even use a safety pin to hold it in place.
Step 5: Drape the remaining fabric around yourself
once more left to right, and bring it up under the right arm and over the
left shoulder so that it falls to about the level of the knees.
Step 6: The end portion thus draped is the palled,
and can be prevented from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the
blouse with a small safety pin.
It is a feminine prerogative to beautify her. Flowers, cosmetics, ornaments,
gay colorful Clothing with these women down the ages have created stunning
looks. Many a man has been charmed, dazzled, seduced, enchanted, bewitched,
captivated, enraptured, and mesmerized by women who can literally use clothes,
jeweler and other accompaniments as weapons. The Saree is a very unique dress.
With only tucks and folds, it is worn in such a way that it sheaths the body
almost completely. The demure Indian woman, covered from head to toe presents a
picture of modesty. But, as women only know how to, a Saree however all
encompassing, can be gently pulled and draped to hint at the alluring form
underneath. It is the promise of what it enfolds which makes the Saree a
bewitching garment.
Different Steps involved in tying a saree:
To wear a saree, the needed accessories along with the saree are matching
blouse and petticoat. The blouse should be fit to the body. Petticoat should be
threaded with elastic or with cotton tape, to tie it around the waist
comfortably and it should be of ankle length.
First of all, put on a petticoat tightly around your waist and take the inner
end of the saree. Starting from left side, tuck the upper edge of it into your
petticoat in front and a little bit more towards right hand side by leaving the
remaining saree towards left side. Check the lower edge of the saree leveled
with the ground.
Now bring the loose (other) end of the saree towards your right hand side
around back by tucking the upper edge of it into the petticoat till one fourth
if right side.
Based on your height and taste, leave the end portion of the saree which is
called 'pallu' and place it over your left shoulder. This upper boarder should
slant across the bust from under the right arm to over the left shoulder. After
making the pallu, a large portion of the saree is left. Turn this remaining
saree into around 7 to 10 with the equal breadth starting from your left hand
side.
Pleating needs both the hands, with the right hand holding the pleats and the
left, supporting the forefinger at one edge and thumb pinkie at the other edge
of your body. After pleating, arrange them one behind the other. The last one
should be little broader than the rest. Pull them up slightly for its smooth
look and tuck them a bit more towards left side. Make the lower end of the
saree leveled with the ground as the gracefulness of the saree depends mainly
on these pleats. Getting a fall stitched on the saree bottom ensures a better
drape.
Finally you can leave the pallu on your left hand fully without folds with
which you can exhibit the loveliness of your saree pallu. You can also
make it stand on the shoulder itself by turning it into pleats. We can make it
firm with the help of a safety pin by attaching it to your blouse
