Did you know? Fun facts about saris

Avid collectors Sarita Alurkar-Sriram and Sudha Kanago share some interesting facts about the garment:

* The sari has been continuously worn in Singapore since the first few Indian women who were seen here in the 19th century.

* The endless variations in designs and motifs continue to surprise and create a sense of awe and respect for the weaver’s skill and ingenuity. Despite the variation over 2,000 years, some motifs have remained sticky such as the swan or hansa/annapakshi motif, the rudraksha or prayer bead motif, and the paisley or mango motif, and each motif in turn has a fascinating history of its own.

* The designs of the sari are so interlinked with the history and culture of the region the weaver belongs to, that they are like a history book in themselves.

* The sari also shows global influences. For example, the Parsi Gara saris were woven and embroidered by Chinese craftsmen until they started to replicate them in India.

* The ‘Tanchoi’ in the term Tanchoi sari, refers to the weaving technique. Tanchoi is a word derived from ‘tan’ meaning three and Choi is from the Chinese master from Shanghai, who taught this art of weaving a Tanchoi to three weaver brothers from Surat who were sent to China specifically to learn this art. Original Tanchois had embossed weaves with motifs of birds, animals, pagodas, Chinese gardens, and even Chinese scriptures! It is said that when Queen Elizabeth II visited India, she was presented with a Surat Tanchoi sari.