Saris: The Beauty, Tradition and Practicality They Hold

Bright, vivid colors danced around the room, a rush of violet, emerald, and gold, as the volunteers for, “” hurried to prepare for the show. 

Hema Kundargi, Patch contributor, Cupertino resident and host/producer of the Cupertino local cooking show, “Indian Vegetarian Gourmet” presented the hour long at the Saratoga Library, which tells about the history, different styles, and uses of the “sari”, an Indian garment for women. 

A sari is, “An Indian woman’s statement to the world” said Kundargi.  The name, “sari” originated from the Indian word “sati”, and the origins of the sari are unknown, yet Kundargi said saris have been in style for almost 5,000 years.

The standard length of the sari is 6 yards of fabric, making the apparel according to Kundargi, a “one size fits all” item.  Because the sari has a bountiful amount of fabric, it can be manipulated into accentuating the flattering parts of the wearer’s body, and hiding the unflattering parts.

Kundargi told attendee that the beauty of the sari lies in the, “pallu”, which is the loose end of the garment.  The pallu is commonly draped loosely over the shoulder of the wearer with the end of the cloth resting easily against the hand, adding an elegant touch.

The length of the sari, its ability to transform a woman’s body, and the common wearing of it in India is where all he similarities of the sari end. 

To gasps and “ahhs” of approval from viewers 16 volunteers at the show stepped forward and modeled their saris, each unique.  Some were from different states of India and some held distinct meanings. 

One sari originated from Bengal and is unique because of the story-like design was printed on it.  The volunteer explained that in older days customers would approach a weaver that created saris and told them to “weave their story”. The result would be a sari that depicts mythical stories or stories that represented moments in a person’s life.

The wedding sari is another unique piece, because of the gold that is pounded and woven into the pallu.  Kundargi said the woven gold was added as a safety net for the woman if she were to become impoverished—if needed she could burn up her wedding sari and collect the remaining gold dust.

“Oh, Sari What a Wrap!” proved to be an informative, and inspiring program to it’s audience, displaying the beauty and practicality in the wear of saris. 

Saris are “walking works of art,” said Yvonne Mendey of Saratoga.

When asked if she would consider wearing a sari, “Absolutely. I thought in a million years I could never wear a sari. You have to see a program like this to see the value and how practical they are.”

Editor's note: Two corrections were made to this article since it first published. The word sari originated from the Indian word "sati", and a sari is made from six yards of fabric. We apologize for any confusion.