The surprising history of India’s vibrant sari tradition
South Asian women have draped themselves in colorful silks and cottons for eons. The ways they’re made and worn are
dazzling and diverse.
The word “sari” means “strip of cloth” in Sanskrit. But for the Indian women – and a few men – who have been wrapping
themselves in silk, cotton, or linen for millennia, these swaths of fabric are more than just simple garments. They’re symbols of national
pride, ambassadors for traditional (and cutting-edge) design and craftsmanship, and a prime example of the rich differences in India’s
29 states.
“The sari both as symbol and reality has filled the imagination of the subcontinent, with its appeal and its ability to conceal and
reveal the personality of the person wearing it,” says Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti, author of Saris of India: Tradition
and Beyond and co-founder of Taanbaan, a fabric company devoted to reviving and preserving traditional Indian spinning and weaving
methods.
The first mention of saris (alternately spelled sarees) is in the Rig Veda, a Hindu book of hymns dating to 3,000 B.C.; draped
garments show up on Indian sculptures from the first through sixth centuries, too. What Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti
calls the “magical unstitched garment” is ideally suited to India’s blazingly hot climate and the modest-dress customs of both Hindu
and Muslim communities. Saris also remain traditional for women in other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and
Nepal.
(Available in: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/photography/the-story-of-the-sari-in-india/.)