Embroidered sarees have always been associated with a gorgeous look. This is what makes women crave to buy them. India boasts a range of embroidery styles across the length and breadth of the country. There is the delicate Kashidakari of Kashmir, the heavily embellished bagh and phulkari styles of Punjab, the Mughal style gold and silver zardozi of Lucknow, the appliqué-work of Odisha, the mirror-work embroidery of Kutch, the Parsi Gara of south Gujarat, and the Kantha of Bengal for the connoisseur to choose from, depending upon the available budget.
Hand Embroidery
Hand embroidery sarees are more expensive than machine-embroidered ones. Every detail is painstakingly created on the cloth, and hence these are time-consuming to produce. But, it also yields the most creative patterns on cloth.
Machine Embroidery
Machine embroidery cannot produce patterns as intricate as hand embroidery, but the work produced is perfect and devoid of flaws. Machine embroidery saris are also much cheaper since they can be mass-produced.
Various forms of Indian Embroidery
In India, each region has a distinctive style of embroidery. Punjab specializes in phulkari, which is characterized by flower patterns on a solid deep (color) background. Bagh is another variation of Punjabi embroidery, where an entire garden or bagh is created on the cloth. Unlike Phulkari, the Bagh style has the silken embroidery thread covering up every bit of the cloth, leaving no cloth visible. Bagh also has metallic gold and silver thread interwoven with silk and is generally gifted by elders to the bride for her wedding.
1. The Kashidakari of Kashmir is traditionally done on wool or silk and shows a distinctive Persian influence.
2. The Zardozi embroidery of Lucknow uses metallic thread made of gold and silver and is opulent in style.
3. The mirror-work of the Kutch region of Gujarat traditionally uses silk threads on thick khaddar or cotton, to produce bed-covers or others. But, this embroidery is now being used to adorn cotton and silk saris.
4. The Kantha work of Bengal was traditionally used to produce soft layettes for infants. Today, Kantha is being used on silk and cotton sarees.
Variations in Thread, Background, and Embellishment
The kind of thread used for embroidery imparts a different look to the finished product. Thus, gold thread imparts richness, while silver looks stunning on party wear.
Lacework is a modern variation of the embroidered saree which has caught on of late. Lace saris look exquisite and are especially suited for parties since they are light and delicate.
One can also find lace saris that use silver and gold to create that ideal fusion which is just right for a fancy party! These along with Bandhani Sarees, Bollywood Sarees, Fancy Sarees, Kalamkari Sarees, and Partywear Sarees should be part of every wardrobe.