While Bengalis have a wide variety of fabrics to choose from, some sarees have stronger ties to Bengal than others. Below are some of the traditional favorites, and I’ve included photos so you can easily recognize these Bengali styles when you see them.
1. West Bengal’s famous white saree with the red border, Garad is made out of Tussar silk or mulberry silk that has not been dyed; the purity of the material in this saree makes it the garment of choice for religious occasions. Garad sarees can be seen decorated with floral or paisley motifs. Sarees that are plain white with bold red borders are Korial sarees and are also native to West Bengal; Korial sarees are the ones that are often worn for Durga Puja.
2. Banarasi fabric was brought to India by the Persians and flourished most prominently in Varanasi (previously named Banaras); while it’s not exactly native to Bengal, it is probably the most popular choice of saree among Bengali brides. This material was first developed for royals and features gold or silver Zari detail, often including Mughal motifs, which are woven into silk. A deep red Banarasi saree adorned in gold detail is essential to the traditional Bengali bridal look.
3. Dating back to 300 AD and perfected in Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Varanasi, Jamdani [জামদানি] sarees were originally favored by the noble women of Bengal for their lightweight comfort and display of remarkable craftsmanship. In a true Jamdani saree, designs are woven into the fabric as opposed to being printed or embroidered, creating the appearance of the designs floating within the otherwise sheer garment. Jamdani was almost exclusively made with muslin or cotton, but today it is sometimes also made with silk and Zari designs.
4. Kantha [কাঁথা] (or the “running stitch”) is the name for the embroidery used in Bengal to stitch pieces of fabric together and is popular among rural communities where fabrics are often recycled. Kantha is seeing more attention as an art form within the fashion industry as this stitching style is as decorative as it is functional. Most Kantha sarees are made of silk or cotton and are covered in beautiful natural imagery and geometric patterns.
5. Another West Bengal treasure, these regal sarees tell stories through stunning details and vivid imagery, from florals and animals to mythological and historical scenes. Baluchari [বালুচরী] sarees are mostly woven with Tussar or mulberry silk, while Swarnachari uses gold or silver threads in additional to silk for a more luxurious appearance.
6. The least expensive saree on this list, Tant [তাঁত] (“loom”) style sarees are equally liked in West Bengal and Bangladesh and are a common choice for casual occasions. Most often made of cotton, these sarees are lightweight and breathable --perfect for Bengal’s hot and humid sub-tropical climate. Tant sarees can also be made of silk for the winter time and tend to have relatively thick borders to help them survive regular wear.
Sarees pictured from left to right: silk saree in a Garad pattern, Banarasi saree, Dhakai Jamdani saree.
There are perhaps hundreds of ways to drape a saree, and different regions in South Asia have varying local styles that reflect the community. The most widely seen draping styles are found in Bollywood/Tollywood and in fashion catalogs, where sarees are wrapped low around the hip to emphasize an hourglass shape, and then finished with several pleats in the front. The pallu end (heavily decorated end) is either neatly pinned to the blouse at the left shoulder to fall down the wearer’s back, or it drapes over the wearer’s left arm for a slightly more conservative appearance. This style is used all over South Asia due to its simplicity, functionality, and figure-flattering fit.
The Bengali draping style is largely associated with elegance, grace, and tradition, and provides a more modest silhouette that offers the wearer a little more coverage than other draping styles. While most draping methods leave the pallu falling down the wearer’s back, the Bengali style drapes the pallu end over the left shoulder and back to the front on the right shoulder. From here there’s some flexibility; either the pallu can cross the chest to be brought back to the left shoulder and pinned (left photo), or it can be draped under and back over the right shoulder and pinned there (right photo), or weighed down with a large key or heavy ornament. Up until England’s Victorian era, Bengali women were bare-chested under their sarees, and therefore didn’t have a blouse to pin their sarees to. Weighing down the end of the saree was a way to ensure it stayed over the shoulder. Even after blouses have long been adopted, weighing the pallu is still a maintained tradition.
The easiest way to discern a Bengali drape is by looking at how the border falls from the left shoulder; if it falls in a straight line to the floor, it’s likely a Bengali drape, but if it’s at a diagonal across the body or the straight edge stops halfway to the floor it’s likely a different style. Overall, the pallu is usually positioned in front of the body with this draping style, allowing the wearer to show off a heavily decorated saree by showcasing more of the fabric.
I hope most of you got to learn something new, and if you guys liked this post lemme know because I’d love to do more when I have the time!
PHOTO SOURCES
The sarees pictured come from the following websites:
