| Mention the word Sari and you will have all the female | | | | vegetable dyes instead of chemical ones and the |
| attention in the world directed towards you...because | | | | entire fabric for the saree as well as blouse is woven |
| no other kind of apparel brings out the quintessential | | | | on the hand loom. No power looms at all. |
| femininity as effectively and sensually as a sari does. | | | | Motifs used in these traditional sarees are mostly |
| And among the genres of sari available and known on | | | | geometrical patterns and other objects of nature such |
| the Indian Soil, Kodali karrupur form and art of saris are | | | | as leaf, tilakam, bel etc. |
| the most royal and are a sure mark of taste and | | | | Sometimes a single delicate motif is spun into the body |
| opulence. No wonder then that they were designed for | | | | of this South Indian sari at calculated distance from |
| the queens of the Maratha rulers of Tanjore. And the | | | | one another. Doing them with zari thread only adds to |
| whole process and technique of designing them is no | | | | the richness of the sari and there is no way it can |
| less lavish. These South Indian saris basically made | | | | escape the attention of anyone. |
| from cotton and silk and are a harmonious blend of the | | | | The border and excerpts from pallu pattern also find |
| two with shimmering effect of golden zari amidst prints | | | | place on the sleeves of the blouse to give an overall |
| of natural dyes. | | | | mingling effect. But sadly, this art of sari weaving has |
| Moreover, all the steps in designing and creating a | | | | been forgotten over the years due to the emergence |
| traditional sari such as a kodali karruvar sari and blouse | | | | of power looms and chemical dyes. These modern |
| are carried out manually with absolutely no intervention | | | | techniques have led to availability of cheap and easily |
| of technology. The fabric for this traditional sari is first | | | | manufactured sarees in the market, due to which |
| woven with zari intercepts. For richer appeal, brocaded | | | | demand for these traditional saris have declined. |
| cloth was used as in other South Indian sarees. After | | | | It has only been recently that the state government |
| the fabric is ready, after weaving, designing process | | | | and the Commissioner of hand loom took measures to |
| begins. The main highlight is the richly patterned pallu. | | | | revive this lost and forgotten art. In modern times, |
| Artistic border is there on both the sides of the saree | | | | getting this royal south Indian saree along with blouse |
| fabric. The design on the pallu is an enchanting | | | | would cost you somewhere around 4500-40,000 but |
| combination of block printing, painting and zari-cotton | | | | trust me it is worth the money. The shimmer of zari, |
| weaving. In places where block printing is to be done, | | | | radiance of bright natural colours and the perfect |
| cotton fabric is woven. And in rest of the area, gold | | | | harmony of natural figures are worth every cent you |
| zari is woven to give a shining appeal. | | | | spend. |
| Special emphasis is given to the use of natural | | | | |