Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sari


Sari features in the world's essential trivia. 5 to 9 meters of length, least tailored strip of cloth, Sari remains number one costume design to date in the world, Kimono being the immediate second. Sari's history is traced back to the Indus valley civilization and the word is derived from the prakriti (The original unchanged or natural) form of the word Sattika (a piece of information you will get on wikipedia)

What surprises me the most is that sari is a creation of late 16th century and is en vogue even today, Pierre Cardin went out of his way to design saris and newer ways to drape them... I say, nothing beats the designs of the Indian rural weavers. Sari establishes its dynamic design, as it's primary form doesn't change even though there are more than a way to drape a sari, yet it's most common way to drape is popular in the western world. I get an impression that sari defies the global impression of Indian women, as most times I receive questions like "A sari exposes so much waist is that ok?" or "How do you feel about baring your belly ? "

I'm torn between narrating a load of private stories or just sticking to the superficial interesting socially acceptable un-intimate details each time someone asks me about a sari, the occasions when we wear one in India and all the stories associated with it... But Coming back to the questions, Sari is a piece of garment that can cover a woman fully and make her look like a Goddess, or can make a man go wild with just a hint of what it reveals, making her still look like a Goddess, It is a woman's choice when she wants to reveal or conceal, both ways Sari clad woman looks elegant.

A Kimono delicately reveals the nape of a woman's neck, a sari unearths woman's beautiful curves, a western dress shows the delicate limbs...What I understand is that any garment is culturally evolved to accentuate what's socially considered sensuous. I have personally felt most sensuous and extremely elegant at the same time draped in a sari.


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