SAREES OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Hey!!

I'm back with another blog.Let's straight away get to the point.frocks,jeans,skirts,gowns,shorts,kurtas and sarees...among these what do think enhances the beauty of a woman?i'm sure it's a saree.They are always in vogue!in Indian tradition sarees accompany a woman in different stages of her life,in motherhood,marriage etc.It also represents her mood and tells us about the occasion its worn 

for.

A sari or saree is a south asian female garment that consists of a drape varying from five to nine yards(4.57meters to 8.23meters) in length and two to four feet(60cm to 1.20m)in breadth that is typically around the waiste,with one end draped over the shoulder.It is associated with grace and regarded as a symbol of Indian , Bangladesh and Sri lankan culture.The word 'sari' is derived from sanskrit word 'sati' which means 'strip of cloth' and became 'sari' in hindi.In the history of Indian clothing the sari is traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation ,which flourished during 2800-1800 bc around the western part of the Indian subcontinenet.The earliest known depiction of the Indian subcontinenet is the statue of an Indus valley priest wearing a drape.

indus valley priest wearing a drape

from then, evolution in the making of sarees started.We have a wide range of varieties.There are 80 different styles of draping a saree .in india alone there are a number of varieties in each of the 28 ...oops! 29 states.So,let's learn  about them starting from my very own state Andhra Pradesh(both telangana and a.p).

there are mainly five varieties of sarees in Andhra Pradesh.They are:

POCHAMPALLY SAREES

Pochampally is a mandal located in the Nalgonda district.

it is famous on account of its exquisitively designed silk and cotton sarees The designs are intricate geometric designs based on ikat process of weaving.They are made using tie and dye methods of yarn.These have been popular since 1800.In 19th century popular with traders in the silk route which symbolised luxury and power.

Pochampally is a cluster of 80 villages.It has traditional looms,whose design is more than a century old Today this silk city, which is more of a cottage industry is home to more than 10000 weaving families in 100 villages. The fabric is marketed through the cooperative society and the master weavers and the business houses in design efforts are on to revive the dying art.it does more than rs 1000000 annual business in terms of yarn sales , purchase of handloom products and sales. The government in 2010 divided the belt into two clusters Pochampally 1 and Pochampally 2 and is proving common weaving centres because of its unique design efforts are on to revive  the dying art.

GADWAL SAREE

Gadwal is a municipal town in the Mahabubnagar district.These sarees are famous all over the world for its beautiful weaving.the body of the saree may be cotton or silk whereas the pallu are in silk.the cotton and silk fabrics are woven separately and attached together. Rich traditional designs adorn the pallu and the border.The mango motif is usually used in the designs.yellow,parrot green , pink and beige are the colours used most often.

MANGALAGIRI SAREES

 Mangalagiri is a mandal in the guntur district.The major occupations of Mangalagiri is an ancient institution of hand-woven fabrics.It produces the most exclusive sarees and dress-materials ,having delicate and distinctive designs .These sarees are made of pure and durable cotton are exclusively to the mangalagiri region.The fabric is woven on a pit-loom and the nizam border in the sarees.They are soft and comfortable to wear and also suites all the climates.the cotton sarees are characterised by pure durable cotton,does not contain any weave design on the body, nizam borders and does not contain any gap in weaving the fabric.the high cost of handloom fabrics is  limiting the marketability.The handloom industry is searching for a breakthrough for survival.

DHARMAVARAM SAREES

Dharmavaram is a city situated in the Anathapur district.It is a famous hub for hand made pure silk sarees.this city is the major business centre in Anathapur .Usually,these sarees have broad borders ,adorned by brocaded gold patterns.not following any colour contrast ,dharmavaram saris comprise heavy 'pallus' with exclusive designs.besides silk,dharmavaram also produces saree in different materials, like cotton, tussar silk, cotton silk,etc.There are around  one lakh weaving looms in dharmavaram.These sarees are hand woven.Each wever works from home with  his /her family helping in differnt steps of the process .The core materials used for manufacturing the saree are silk,cotton and zari.

VENKATAGIRI SAREES

Venkatagiri is a small town in the Chitoor district .These sarees have gracefull strains of gold all over and are available  in cotton and silk,with pure silver zari and brocade designs in the border.these have pleasant colours with golden dots,leaves,parrots or simple geometric designs.these are also hand woven and are soft smooth and light.

Apart from these, there are a number of varities that are quite famous.So, if at all you happen to  visit A.P do take out some time for  shopping and pick out your favourite!