I have always wondered how a piece of cloth, merely a long rectangular piece, could give gracefulness to the women who wear it. Not long ago, I was a girl who did not prioritise wearing a saree. However, my Bharatanatyam guru made me aware that a woman must have sarees in her wardrobe, know how to wear them, and present herself confidently. Ever since, I have had an admiration for sarees.
The word ‘saree’ originates from the Sanskrit word ‘śāṭikā,’ which is the attire evolved from a three-piece ensemble comprising the following:
- ‘Antarīya’ – the lower garment
- ‘Uttarīya’ – a veil worn over the shoulder or the head
- ‘Stanapatta’ – a chest band
A conventional saree is a long piece of cloth in various fabrics with many different prints, patterns, and colours worn around the entire body in a particular way. A typical saree has a length of six yards (approximately 5.5 m) to nine yards (8.2 m), depending on the body type, occasion, and how it is draped.
According to Chishti, a Sufi order, there are over 100 ways to drape a saree, and it depends on the saree’s region, fabric, length, width, and what the wearer might be doing that day.
The origin of the garment, similar to the saree, can be traced back to Indus Valley Civilisation, which came into being in northwest India. The weavers primarily used cotton cultivated in the Indian subcontinent to weave sarees, while dyes like turmeric, indigo, lac, and red madder were used to colour the seamless cotton drape to hide women’s modesty.
With time, the saree evolved with Western and other influences, incorporating various natural and chemical dyes, motifs, embroidery, stonework, and more. It is produced using hand-loomed and machine-loomed techniques, crafted from silk, cotton, linen, and other materials.
Women in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka have embraced the timeless saree in all its variations and forms. In India, women wear several types of sarees that vary from state to state. The bright red sarees weaved in Varanasi are called Banarasi. In Kerala, women wear a white ‘set mundu’ saree.
The most popular saree in Sri Lanka is called the ‘osariya,’ primarily worn by Sri Lankan Sinhalese women. The ‘osariya’ differs from the traditional saree that women in other South Asian countries wear in several ways. The most distinctive feature of the ‘osariya’ is the frill that runs across the wearer’s midriff, which exposes a part of the stomach. This frill is created by tucking the pleats of the saree over the left shoulder instead of letting them hang loose, as in the more common ‘Nivi’ style.
The ‘osariya’ reminds me of ‘Through the Ages,’ a short film conceptualised and performed by Sri Lankan-born actress and filmmaker Dinara Punchihewa and directed by Trilan Shastri, showing the evolution of the Ceylonese saree over the last 100 years, along with hairstyles and makeup trends.
“It is so elegant and never fails to impress. This piece of clothing has lived through so much history and culture. The saree remains a piece of cloth that has survived through multiple trends that have gone in and out of fashion on numerous occasions. It is timeless,” says Punchihewa in one of her interviews.
Draping a saree is an art every South Asian woman must know. Sarees are also protected and passed down through generations of women in a family. For instance, my mother has a separate wardrobe for her collection of sarees, carefully categorised and compartmented.
I have spent hours draping a saree in front of the mirror while watching YouTube tutorials, only to give up on wearing a saree and wearing another outfit instead to attend an occasion.
But slowly and patiently, I learnt the process. Now, I will choose a saree over any other outfit. There are endless videos on YouTube if you search ‘how to drape a saree’. With patience and commitment, you can master the art of wearing a saree, just as I did.