Different types of Sarees from North India, South India and East India.

Sarees from North India:
1. Banaras Brocade
The Banarasi Brocade saree is a must for each bride. There is a huge variety in Banarasi Brocade sarees as the weavers create distinct products for customers across India. The Brocade came in existence during the Moghul era and most of the Brocade designs are influenced by them like intricate intertwining floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel. The signature design of Banarasi Brocade is a narrow fringe like pattern, called Jhhalar, found along the inner and outer border. This fringe resembles a string of leaves.

2. Kota Doria / Kota Jali
Kota is a place in Rajasthan and is the place famous & popular for Kota Doria Sarees. These sarees are manufactured in small villages in and around Kota City. These Kota Sarees very lightweight and transparent. The material used in created such beautiful sarees is cotton. By far these Kota sarees are the lightest cotton sarees in India. Now days these sarees are also available in Silk, but the cotton weaves are simply outstanding. The weaves consists various yarn gauges that create a graph like patterns which is known as Khats and it looks a checkered pattern. These sarees are most suitable for summers. These sarees are very airy and drape gracefully.

3. Other Sarees from this region
The northern region of India is also famous for producing ornate sarees such tanchois, amru brocades, shikargarh brocades and tissues. Abrawans, that literally meaning flowing water, Tissue sarees, usually woven with the finest silk thread are also very popular across India. The most classic design in Abrawans is tarbana which means woven water, with a fine silk warp with a zari weft giving an almost metallic sheen. The sarees look very shimmery and classy. Kincab or Kinkhwab sarees are the most popular in the brocade section and are full of zari patterns that the underlying silk cloth is barely visible. Another Popular type is the Jamavar sarees that originated in Uttar Pradesh. These sarees are embroidered with zari thread. The signature these in Jamavar sarees is the jacquard weave in bright colors like orange, red and green. These colors are also known as “meena” colors.
Another very popular variation that originated in Uttar Pradesh is Organza or Organdy. The material is very light and transparent. In Kanpur and Lucknow, you’ll find organza sarees with embroideries like chicken and Lukhnavi.

Sarees from South India:
South India is known as a Silk hub all over the world and is very popular for Kanjeevaram sarees and other exquisite silk sarees. 1. Kanjeevaram Saree
Kanjeevaram sarees are not only famous in India but across the world. A Kanjeevaram saree is a must have in every Indian woman’s closet. These sarees are characterized by gold dipped silver thread that is woven on the premium quality silk. Kanchipuram is actually a town in Tamil Nadu. The town has a fabulous weaving past of more than 150 years. The region is untouched by fashion fads and still maintains their traditional weaving style and techniques. These sarees are also known for their durability. The silk base is thicker than any other silk saree and this thickness makes it the most expensive silk sarees in India. It is believed that “The heavier is the silk, the better is the quality”. The most common motifs found in Kanjeevaram sarees are Peacock and parrot.

2. Konrad Saree
The Specialty item from Tamil Nadu is the Konard Sarees, also known as Temple sarees, these sarees were original woven for deities in the temple. These sarees have wide borders and are characterized motifs inspired by wedding. The motifs are like elephants and peacocks, symbolizing water, fertility and fecundity. More commonly these sarees are available in traditional colors like earth shades of browns, grays and off-whites buy now days brighter shades are also available for the North Indian buyers.

3. Others
Other famous types of sarees from South India are Pashmina silk, kota silk, Mysore crepes, pochampallis and puttapakshi sarees. Typical wedding sarees from Kerala are the nayayanpets and bavanjipets which usually have a golden border on a cream base. Traditional colours for these sarees are earth shades of browns, greys and off-whites. However, brighter shades have been introduced for the North Indian buyer.

Sarees from East India:
1. Baluchari Sarees
This saree from Murshidabad district of West Bengal is usually a five yards saree and is 42” wide in bright colors like flame red, purple and occasionally in deep blue. These sarees are made of silk and woven on looms. These are about 200 year old. The sarees look similar to Banarasi sarees. There is only one difference between the two sarees, Baluchari sarees use only silk threads and Banarasi sarees do use zari threads. The borders of the sarees depict stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana. The field of the saree is covered with small butis and a beautiful floral design runs across the edges.

2. Tanta/Taant Cotton
The Tant sarees are another very popular types of saree not only famous in Bengal but across India. These sarees have a very unique appearance and colors. The word Taant literally means ‘Made On The Loom’. This is a traditional saree worn by Bangali Women. Taant sarees are popularly known as Bengal cotton and is hand-woven in various districts of West Bengal. These sarees come in a huge variety of colors with simple and beautiful designs. A must have for all cotton lover women.

3. Kantha Sari
Kantha, the name is associated not with the fabric used in saree but with the embroidery. It is actually the name of the embroidery. Any saree embroidered with Kantha embroidery is a Kantha saree. The typical Kantha embroidery is the decorative motifs with running stitch. The cloth is entirely covered with running stitches and has beautiful folk, floral, animal and bird motifs. This art of Kantha is practiced by rural women in West Bengal in spare time and each Kantha sari is a result of hard work and labor.