Light as a feather ... Kota

If there is a saree oh so suited for summer, it has to be the airy and feather light Kota saree. It's signature - the checkered weave - looks like little windows in a saree, which gives you that breezy feeling.

Just like many other sarees, this one is also named for the town which made it famous - Kota in Rajasthan.

More can be found at wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota_Doria

I fell in love with mine @ Fabindia. 

Kota Saree

Trivia: Kota is also famous for the many IIT-JEE coaching institutes!

Kalamkari

Kalamkari, as the name means is art made with - 'Kalam' or कलम - pen. This is a product of Krishna district in Andra Pradesh. Only natural dyes are used and the process involves many washes before when the final product is ready.

More can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalamkari

Kalamkari Cotton

Mine is a tie and dye with a kalamkari pallu and blouse purchased at Kalakshetra. This 'sacred region of art' houses a craft unit which patronizes Kalamkari and handloom.

They also have a craft shop which is on my list of places to check out!

Negamam Cotton

A nice and simple cotton to wear - from Negamam, near Coimbatore. It gets softer with every wash and is a pleasure to wear. Generally comes with simple thread work patterns in the body, border and pallu.

Negamam Cotton

This was a gift from my mother-in-law.

Vaira Oosi

What better than a Kancheepuram - the queen of silks - to start with?

I begin with a handwoven treasure! My mother's வைர ஊசி (literally meaning diamond needles) - every girl's pride - was gifted to her as a young bride. This is a wedding saree (the saree in which one gets married) in the Tamil Brahmin community. Well-off families buy it as a gift for the new daughter-in-law, it does cost quite some due to the amount of jari in it!

The name is given due to the shimmering effect the gold thread creates on the silk. Half a century later it is just as pretty as her with tender care and occasional use!!




This is a Kancheepuram silk, in a very traditional color (called arakku - அரக்கு - in Tamil). Arakku also stands for lacquer in Tamil and now you know why this color is given the name!!

Vaira Oosi Kancheepuram Silk

This is a 9-yard saree which is worn as a Madisar drape, which is different when compared to the regular saree (which is generally 6 yards in length) drape. Communities such as Gujarati's also wear 9-yard sarees other than the Tamil Brahmin community. But their drape is also different from that of the Madisar. Even within the Tamil Brahmin community, the Saivites and the Vaishnavites drape the Madisar differently. While the Iyengars' (Vaishnavites) drape comes over the left shoulder, the Iyers' (Saivites) drape comes over the right shoulder!

This wedding saree is worn on specific festive occasions every year like Pongal, Karadayan Nombu, and Karthigai. So, do you have any clothing so specific to your ethnicity? Would love to hear about it!!
 
 
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