The Sari, the traditional Indian attire, and the national dress, traces its origins 5000 years back in time, to the era of the Indus Valley civilization. The Sari has stood the test of time and still finds pride of place in the Indian woman’s wardrobe. A sari is said to suit the Indian woman like no other apparel can and make her look very sensuous and graceful. No wardrobe is complete without a set of Saris to match different occasions, be it festivals or weddings.

A sari is a long piece of cloth about 6-9 yards in length made of silk, a very expensive material, cotton, jute, georgette, chiffon, etc, embellished with beautiful designs and patterns especially along the border from end to end and on that end of the Sari which is taken over the shoulder, commonly referred to as pallu. Saris are worn by many women in varied materials evocative of the different regions. Even the style of draping the Sari is as diverse as the regions that they originate from.

Among the most coveted and desirable of all the types of silk is the Benarasi silk sari, hand-woven in Varanasi (Benaras). The origin of these saris go right back to the time when the Moghuls were in power and the motifs and patterns of flowers , temples and villages woven onto the saris with zari ,a type of gold thread, make them very eye-catching. Other saris from the northern part of India Jamavar saris, Amru saris, Kota Doria saris, etc are also very much in demand .

In the Eastern part of India, Baluchari silks are very popular. These saris are typically made using bright coloured silk threads with motifs depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana on the borders and small floral designs and buti work Unlike Benarasi saris which are also made in zari thread Baluchari saris are made using only silk threads.

Saris in the western region which are very well liked are the Paithani silks which get their name from the place that they are traditionally made in. These are handwoven saris with peacock motifs on the sari. And in the southern region the Kanjeevaram saris made in Kancheepuram rule the roost over the other silks.The Kanjeevaram saris with heavy silk, broad borders and patterns of paintings, temples and birds on contrasting colours make it the most in demand. Konrad silk saris also find a mention in this section along with Mysore crepes, Pochampallis, Nyayanpets and Bavanjipets which are favoured for weddings.

Silk saris have withstood the test of time and changing fashion tastes and are favoured attire for weddings and other auspicious occasions. But today, designer saris and embroidered saris are all the rage for the marriage season and the festive season. These saris are in vogue at present because of the embellishments, mirror work, which make them very appealing and attractive to everyone who want to buy something to keep pace with today’s fashion scene. You can get a huge variety to choose from be it silk, chiffon, crepe, georgette, etc.
Another rage in fashion saris is the embroidered sari that has been slowly paving its way into Indian marriages. It does add a lot of glamor, beauty and an airy feel to it. But you really cannot disregard the traditional silk sari.
With Indian tradition, culture and history woven into it, it is only appropriate that the traditional Silk Wedding saris are preferred by the Indian Bride.