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This is also sometimes spelt as saree. This is a draped cloth used as woman’s garment in the Indian subcontinent.

It is an un-stitched woven fabric arranged over the body like a dress with one end attached to the waist and the other resting over the shoulder. The length of this garment can vary from 5 yards to 9 yards (4.5 metres to 8.22 metres). The breadth is 24 to 47 inches. The saree is worn with a fitted blouse (ravike) in South India and choli in North India alongwith petticoat called ul pavadai in South India and ghagra in the North. It is still considered to be the formal attire in India.

The word ‘śāṭī‘ in Sanskrit means a strip of cloth and śāṭika  was the word used for women’s attire in Sanskrit.

There are more than 80 different recorded ways to wear a saree. Some suggest that there are 108 ways to wear a saree,

Today the saree is worn over a petticoat which is like an inner skirt and a blouse as a top. First, one edge of the saree is tucked to the left side of the waist. It is then wrapped around the back after which some pleats are made in the front and tucked into the petticoat. The loose end is again wrapped around the back, taken under the right arm and draped over the left shoulder. It is accepted and stated in several old books that the form of sari being used in today’s era has probably been worn by Indian women for a long time maybe hundreds of years.

Earlier, probably it was worn as a lower garment with a stanapatta or uttarasanga covering the breast area. The uttariya would be a separate garment, used as the upper garment tucked to the left waist.

Textures

Silk and cotton sarees have always been used in India though lately many mixed varieties have been in the market. We have mixed varieties like cotton silk, tussar silk, mulberry etc.

Some of the most famous saree varieties in South India are listed below:

1. Kanchipuram silk – These saris are worn as bridal & special occasion saris by most women in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh. It has been recognized as a geographical indication by the Government of India in 2005–2006. This is from Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu India
2. Arani Silk Sarees are traditional silk sarees made in the town of Arani, located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Because these sarees are produced in Arani, the town is often referred to as the Silk City of Arani or Arani Silk City.of Tamil Nadu
3. Uppada – Uppada Pattu saris are handwoven fine silk saris created using the Jamdani weaving technique with pure zari thread incorporated into the weave. These saris are especially valued for their lightweight texture and soft feel. This is from the state of Andhra Pradesh
4. Venkatagiri of Andhra Pradesh – Venkatagiri saris are traditional cotton saris produced in Andhra Pradesh, India. These saris are usually woven in solid colors with contrasting zari borders. Small floral and bird motifs in zari thread are often scattered across the body of the sari.
5. Mysore Silk – made from mulberry silk and is produced in Mysuru in Karnataka. This is a patent registered by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited, a government of Karnataka undertaking
6. Ilkal is a town in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. It is woven with a rich history and artistic tradition. Three types of yarns are used viz., cotton and viscose for the main body of the saree and pure silk for the pallu. The speciality – the body and the pallu are intricately intertwined using a technique called Tope teni – which is a special kind of knotting method.
7. Pochampally of Telangana – is a saree made in Bhoodan Pochampally in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana in India. The key feature is the traditional geometric woven patterns in Paagadu Bandhu (Ikat) style of dyeing. Pochampally saree received Intellectual Property Rights Protection or Geographical Indication (GI) status in 2005.
8. Kasavu of Kerala – It is a technique used in handlooms of Kerala with very fine threads of gold or silver weave to make border lines and designs on silk and cotton fabrics. The fabric is typically off-white in colour. There are villages devoted to the manufacture of this cloth, the most famous being Kuthampully near Ottapalam in Kerala.
9. Mundum neriyathum – traidiotnal clothing of the women in Kerala. Mundu is the lower garment while the neriyatu is the upper garment. It can be worn with the neriyatu tucked into the blouse or worn over the left shoulder.This is normally off-white in colour.
10. Dharmavaram silk – They are textiles woven by hand with mulberry silk and zari. It is registered as one of the geographical indications of Andhra Pradesh. They are normally in muted colours with a beautiful dual tone appearance. The border and pallu are woven with contrasting solid colours with zari brocade motifs across the sari. Dharmavaram is in Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh.
11. Koorainadu silk sari is also referred to as koorai pattu, pudavai, or Koranad cloth. This is a traditional nine yeard sari from Koranad in Myiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu. It is widely recognised for its weaving patterns. It is a blend of silk and cotton cloth with wide borders and decorative pallus and multicoloured check patterns.
12. Salem silk saris are fine lustrous silk sarees from Salem in Tamil Nadu, with silk borders and satin-like finish. Salem Venpattu silk is a traditional pure white silk sari variety.
13. Sungudi sarees from Madurai in Tamil Nadu are traditional tie-dye cotton saris produced in Tamil Nadu, India, especially around Chinnalapatti. This has a GI registration tag. These saris typically feature tiny golden motifs scattered across the body along with decorative gold stripes separating the body, border, and pallu. Common Sungudi sari colors include dark green, yellow, magenta, and red.
14. Thirubhuvanam Sari – Thirubhuvanam saris are highly regarded silk saris with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in India. This is from Tanjore district in India. These saris are handwoven using pure silk and genuine zari thread, and a single sari may take around 15 days to complete.They are especially known for their elaborate wide zari borders decorated with intricate traditional motifs.
15. Balaramapuram saree of Thirvananthapuram are known for using high quality cotton yarn – traditionally hand spun with pure zari thread in border design. This has gained international recognition in recent times.
16. Chettinad sarees – also called Chettinadu kadangi sarees are cotton sarees (traditionally silk) known for bold checks, dramatic colour combinations and contrasting striped borders. Earthen colours and vegetable dyes are used. This saree is typically coarse in texture.

Varieties of draping

1. Madisar – this is the style used by Iyengar/Iyer Brahmin ladies from Tamil Nadu. This is 9 yards in length. Iyers wear the pallu on the right side while Iyengars wear it over the left shoulder. It is a kind of a combination of the veshti and the kosu (where the saree is pinned to the back)
2. Pin Kosuvam is a traditional Tamil Nadu style drape known for its back pleats. It is popular in villages and temple rituals. Often worn without the inner petticoat, this thick cotton saree was secured using knots at the hips.
3. Kodava – restricted to ladies of the Kodagu district in Karnataka. In this, the pleats are in the rear instead of in the front. The loose end of the saree is draped back to front over the right shoulder and secured with a knot at the front of the saree,
4. Gobbe Seere – worn by the women in the Malnad region of Karnataka. It is worn with 3-4 rounds at the waist and a knot after crisscrossing over the shoulders.

Traditional sarees are still cherished today because of their timeless elegance and cultural significance. It is typically handwoven and it has heirloom potential. Traditional sarees give us a sense of the cultural heritage and reflects the techniques used by artisans.

It must be stated here that the lists given above are by no means complete or exhaustive. India is a very vast country with innumerable variations across regions. An attempt has been made to highlight and appreciate the sheer variety and distinctive nature of each region’s saree. The entire focus of this article is on the South Indian States.