9 Indian states & 9 unique drapes

I have been living outside of India for the past 4 years for my job and relocation post-marriage & sarees help me have constant connect with India, irrespective of where I live! But it’s difficult to sustain that interest, especially if you don’t have a support system around you that wears and encourages wearing sarees & thus was born my 100sareepact! To add a little bit of fun to it, I have started giving monthly themes, to stretch my limits and have fun, in my own way, considering I don’t have a great many number of sarees!

So last month, I tried a theme of 8 different drapes with 1 saree; this month, I am doing #9sareesinnovember, for which I am attempting 9 different tribal draping styles from 9 different states of India. If you want to try any of these drapes, you can use the draping videos of the borderandfall series.

1 – Santhal Pargana drape from North Eastern Jharkand

This drape is almost similar to the ‘Seedha Palla’ or the Gujarati drape but the pallu here is folded like a cape and tied at the back.

2 – Jhabua drape from Madhya Pradesh

This is a drape worn at calf length to facilitate the functional needs of rural communities. It's draped with a longer saree to facilitate the pallu being draped around the head.

3 – Surguja drape from North Chhattisgarh

This is a semi-tribal rural drape which is worn by the women of Chhattisgarh, who usually involve in farming and herding animals. In this drape, the shoulder pleat is folded in reverse, so the pleat stays intact during heavy winds, which I thought was so cool.

4 – Adivasi drape from Kerala

As most other tribal drapes, this one is also traditionally worn without a blouse and in-skirt. I did not venture into the no-blouse territory although I tried a no in-skirt version. I used an embroidered Sleeveless top, though for a nice look, overall. I also really loved how the border of the Kasavu drapes around the chest to give a pretty and slim look. There are no front pleats in this drape, but there is a bit of cloth tucked, as is, on the waist by the side.

5 – Dangi drape from South Eastern Gujarat

This community is famous for their love for music and dance & it shows beautifully in this 2-piece drape. The entire saree is draped like a pant and there's a second piece, more like a dupatta which is draped across to cover the chest. I did not want to steal the thunder of my saree-pant here, so I wore a top instead and ignored the dupatta; the result is this stylish outfit! 

I just wish the drape was more prominently visible in my Kadappa saree, for you to appreciate how this drape actually is. With a Zari saree, this drape will make you look like a rockstar at a party.

6 - Lapetawali drape from Uttar Pradesh

This is a wool silk weave perfect for Winter and usually worn without a blouse top. I chose a white sweater pairing and my Kasavu, since I found the drape very similar to the Adivasi drape.

Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, two states that are so different from each other in everything from language, food, culture, traditions - but the 'thread' of weave brings them together.

I found it heartwarming and sweetly coincidental. In terms of differences, you can notice that, though the chest-covering is very similar to Adivasi drape, the Lapetawali has front pleats like Nivi and it covers the stomach too, unlike how Adivasi bares it. Probably the different weather conditions in both the geographies play a role here.

7 - Halakki Vokkaliga drape of Karnataka

This is my most favorite drape so far; it's simple, pretty and the flowy, wrapped-around saree made me feel really pretty. Halaki Vokkaligas are the tribal agriculturalists of Karnataka and they are found predominantly in Uttara Kannada district. They live in the foot of Western Ghats and are known as the "Aboriginals of Uttara Kannada". The Vokkaliga women adorn themselves with beads, necklaces and heavy nose rings along with their distinctive drape.

8 – Mukkala Chira from Andhra Pradesh

This drape is worn by the Kapu agricultural community of Southern Andhra Pradesh. It has a functional short lift at the back and a front ankle length cover which can be lifted up for greater mobility. The pallu in this is usually longer, draped to the front and again rolled to the back, since it is worn with a longer saree. Since mine is a normal yardage saree, I left it with a front pallu.

9 – Kotpad drape from Orissa

This tribal drape from Southern Orissa is hands-free and often worn shorter depending on work requirements. Since this is my last and final drape, in this theme for the month, I went for a proper skirtless and blouseless look, like how these drapes have to be worn.

I want to dedicate this series to the lovely tribal communities of India, which have been silently yet amazingly contributing so much to our culture and fashion through their brilliant weaves and jewelry. Though our country has been making much progress in other fields, the plight of these tribal communities has still not improved over the last countless decades. The least we can do is support them when they make efforts to opt for a decent living.
Big or small, try to shop directly from these tribal people for the gorgeous clothing and jewelry they sell; try to treat them with respect the next time you come across them; try not to bargain for that fifty rupees when you get that lovely piece of jewelry from them the next time. These efforts might not be big for us but they do make a difference in their lives. Just some food for thought. 

Hope you enjoyed reading the article! Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts. 

Contributor:

Iyswarya
Iyswarya is a lifestyle blogger based out of Boston, USA. She writes on Fashion and Travel on her blog and Instagram with the handle @thesurrealsagittarian!