iChhori says a Naari in Saari can break a mirror!
Indian sari never goes out of style. Be it your Fresher’s party, your graduation ceremony, your farewell, marriage function, family function or an office party a Sari suits all occasions. And if you take care of your midriff while wearing sari, you better have cardio in the vicinity!
Today we are going to give you very valuable Gyan on various ways in which you can drape a sari to look your best on various occasions. These are authentic, classic and cultural ways which have been used around India by different communities and regions. Well there are more than eighty ways (oh yes, you read it right) you can a drape a sari in India. So let me list the various traditional ways of draping an Indian sari here-
Assamese– This sari style is three-set garment known Mekhela chador. The bottom portion, draped from the waist downwards is called Mekhela and veil is known as Chadar and is worn with long sleeve choli.
Khasi – Khasi style of sari is known as Jainsem which is made up of several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape.
Gujarati/Rajasthani/even Pakistani – after tucking in the pleats similar to the nivi style, the loose end is taken from the back, draped across the right shoulder, and pulled across to be secured in the back
Himalayan – Kulluvi Pattu is traditional form of woolen sari worn in Himachal Pradesh; women in Uttarakhand also use this way of draping a sari.
Nivi– This style originally is from Deccan region; besides the modern nivi, there is kaccha nivi, where the pleats are passed through the legs and tucked into the waist at the back. This allows free movement while covering the legs.
Bengali and Odia style– This style is worn without any pleats. Traditionally the Bengali style is worn without pleats where the saree is wrapped around in an anti-clockwise direction around the waist and then a second time from the other direction. The loose end is a lot longer and that goes around the body over the left shoulder. There is enough cloth left to cover the head as well. The modern style of wearing a saree originates from the Tagore family. Jnanadanandini Devi, the wife of Rabindranath Tagore’s elder brother Satyendranath came up with a different way to wear the saree after her stay in Bombay. This required a chemise or jacket (old name for blouse) and petticoat to be worn under the saree and made it possible for women to come out of the secluded women’s quarters in this attire.
Manipuri – This sari style is also worn with three-set garment known as Innaphi viel, Phanek lower wrap and long sleeved choli.
Nepal – Our hilly neighbor Nepal also has many different ways of draping sari, the most common being the Nivi drape. The Bhojpuri and Awadhi speaking community wears the sari sedha pallu like the Gujrati drape. The Mithila community has its own traditional Maithili drapes like the madhubani and purniea drapes but today those are rare and mostly sari is worn with the pallu in the front or the nivi style. Traditionally, the women of the Rajbanshi community wear their sari without blowse/ choli. They rather tie it below the neck like a towel but these days only old women where it in that style and the nivi and the Bengali drapes are more popular today. The traditional Newari sari drape is, folding the sari till its below knee length and then wearing it like a nivi sari but the pallu is not worn across the chest and instead is tied around the wait and leaving it so it drops from wait to the knee, instead the pallu a shawl is tied across the chest, by wrapping it from the right hip and back and is thrown over the shoulders saris are worn with blouse that are thicker and are tied several times across the front. The Nivi drape was popularized in Nepal by the Shah royals and the Ranas.
Maharashtrian/Konkani/Kashta; this drape is very similar to that of the male Maharashtrian dhoti, though there are many regional and societal variations. The centre of the sari (held lengthwise) is placed at the centre back, the ends are brought forward and tied securely and two ends are wrapped around the legs. When worn as a sari, an extra-long cloth of nine yards is used and the ends are then passed over the shoulders and the upper body. The style is worn by Brahmin women differs from that of the Marathas. The style also differs from community to community. This style is popular in Maharashtra, Goa, parts of Karnataka.
Malayali style– The two-piece sari or Mundum Neryathum is worn in Kerala. Usually made of unbleached cotton and decorated with gold or colored stripes and/or borders.
Madisar– This drape is typical of Iyengar/Iyer Brahmin ladies from Tamil Nadu. Traditional Madisar is worn using 9 yards saree.
Kodagu style– This drape is confined to ladies hailing from the Kodagu district of Karnataka. In this style, the pleats are created in the rear, instead of the front. The loose end of the sari is draped back-to-front over the right shoulder, and is pinned to the rest of the sari.
Gobbe Seere– This style is worn by women in the Malnad or Sahyadri and central region of Karnataka. It is worn with 18 molas saree with three four rounds at the waist and a knot after crisscrossing over shoulders.
Tribal styles– In tribes Sari is worn by tying firmly across the chest, covering the breasts.
Pin Kosuvam – This is the traditional Tamil Nadu style
Kunbi style or denthli– Goan Gauda and Kunbis, and those of them who have migrated to other states use this way of draping Sari or Kappad, this form of draping is created by tying a knot in the fabric below the shoulder and a strip of cloth which crossed the left shoulder was fasten on the back.
So ladies you pick your style and and start the soft and loving assault on all the available guys out there. Just do not forget to wear your attitude!