Sarees from South India: 1. Kanjeevaram Saree - No Indian bridal trousseau is...(More)

Sarees from South India: 1. Kanjeevaram Saree - No Indian bridal trousseau is complete without the 'Kanjeewaram' saree, characterised by gold-dipped silver thread that is woven onto brilliant silk. Kanchipuram is a town in Tamil Nadu with more than 150 years of weaving tradition -- completely untouched by fashion fads. - Kanjeewarams are favoured for their durability. Kanjee silk is thicker than almost all other silks, and is therefore more expensive. The heavier the silk, the better the quality. Peacock and parrot are the most common motifs. Though lightweight kanjee sarees are popular as they are easy to wear and cost very little, the traditional weavers do not like to compromise. While Korean and Chinese silk is suitable for light-weight sarees (machine woven), only mulberry silk produced in Karnataka and few parts of Tamil Nadu, is right for the classic Kanjeewaram. 2. Konrad Saree - The konrad or the temple saree is also a speciality item from Tamil Nadu. These sarees were original woven for temple deities. - They are wide bordered sarees and are characterised by wedding related motifs such as elephants and peacocks, symbolising water, fertility and fecundity. - Traditional colours for these sarees are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer. 3. Others - Pashmina silk, kota silk, Mysore crepes, pochampallis and puttapakshi sarees are also popular South Indian sarees. - Typical wedding sarees from Kerala are the nayayanpets and bavanjipets which usually have a gold border on a cream base. - Traditional colours for these sarees are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer. Sarees from East India: 1. Baluchari Sarees - This saree from Bengal is usually five yards in length and 42" wide in flame red, purple and occasionally in deep blue. The field of the saree is covered with small butis and a beautiful floral design runs across the edges. The anchal has the main decoration depicting narrative motifs. Taingals and kanthas are other speciality items from Bengal.(Less)