#ashokasays Did you know 134:
Saree
Nearly everyone knows about sari, the beautiful traditional garments worn by women in India. Over the past few decades, sari have become a common sight in homes around the world both as fashion accessories and as home decor. But here are a few things about saris that you probably didn't know.
1. They Were Not Originally Called Sari
"The word “Saree” is anglicized from “Sadi”, which existed in Prakrit language as “Sadia” and originated from Sanskrit “Sati”, meaning a strip of cloth.
2. They Are Centuries Old
It's hard to tell exactly how old sari are. There are not many historical records from India that predate the appearance of sari as a common garment. The methods of growing and weaving cotton into finished fabrics were known in India as many as five-thousand years ago. The first statues to depict sari-wearing women date back to 100 BC.
3. Every Color Has Meaning
White - White is a spiritually significant color often found in garments worn at religious ceremonies. Fabric dyeing of any sort is traditionally regarded as being spiritually impure. Priests are therefore often associated with this color. White is also a color of mourning and white sari are common garments for widows.
Green - The meaning of this color has changed significantly over time. Originally associated with the merchant class, green, as the official color of Islam, has become very popular in garments worn by Muslims, including saris.
In some regions of India green is also a popular color for saris worn by brides.
Black - A color thought to represent sadness and bad fortune. Understandably black is not used as a dominant color in a large number of saris.
Red - Unlike black, red has a number of positive connotations, making it a very popular color. Commonly worn by brides of all castes, red was traditionally associated with the warrior class in addition the being symbolic of sex and fertility.
Yellow - Representing religion and the ascetic practices followed by dedicated spiritual seekers, yellow (along with orange) is the color of the saints. Yellow saris are worn by Indian women for seven days following the birth of a child.
Blue - Blue was a color associated with those members of society who worked with their hands. As such, it was eschewed by those of the higher classes and reserved for artists, farmers and weavers
4.
Saris Include a Number of Symbolic Motifs
Here are just a few:
Parrot - a romantic element, the parrot was considered a symbol of passion and courting.
Elephant - A very important element directly associated with the Hindu god Ganesh, the elephant motif represents "water, fertility, royalty and regal power."
Fish - The fish is a common motif in the coastal areas of India. A symbol of plenty, it represents wealth and food in abundance as well as fertility.
Conch - In ancient India, conch shells were used as bugles in war. Each one had a unique sound and famous warriors were known by the sound of their distinctive horns. On a sari, the conch represents the gods as sound.
Rudraksha - One of the more popular sari motifs, the rudraksha symbolizes the eye of Shiva. The name of the symbol derives from a large, evergreen tree that grows in the Himalayas, and specifically the large seeds that fall from it. The seeds are used as prayer beads by Hindus, often strung together in a manner very similar to Catholic rosaries
