The significance of the sari – and the coronation

The King will be the new head of the Commonwealth – perhaps it’s time to pay homage to that aspect of this country’s history, writes Rabina Khan

An art of expression in the modern age, the sari is adorning catwalks as a fashionable but adaptable garment (Getty Images)

I was in awe when my mother gave me a beautiful sari just before she went to Bangladesh last month – a sari gifted to her by her father over 50 years ago. It is a priceless family heirloom made of a royal blue delicate net material, embedded with small hand-embroidered paisley motifs woven by village women. Growing up in the mid-seventies in England, I looked forward to opening the parcels my grandparents sent to my mother. Tearing the wrappings open, a river of lush silk would slip through my hands as I inhaled the sweet scent of sandalwood and intense camphor.

I would tuck the edges of a sari into the helm of my skirt, create pleats in the middle with my trained agile fingers, and then drape the end over my shoulder and pose in the mirror. As a Kent girl, I remember in the Eighties how excited I felt when shopping before special occasions at Titash Novelties and the Modern Saree Centre in Brick Lane, helping relatives to choose saris from an array of prints and designs.

During the early Nineties, I wore saris to work in east London, as did many other Bangladeshi and South Asian women. My sister-in-law and I often wore plain soft silk saris, with matching blouses to work in the summer, which we bought from Green Street and Ilford Lane.

The sari – once worn without a blouse on bare breasts – by South Asian women became a three-piece under the British Raj during the Victorian era. Between 1858 to 1947, the British Raj was the rule of the British crown over the South Asian countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The rule had an impact on people, transport and connectivity, thus shaping the modern-day Commonwealth – and the sari.

Its humble beginnings as a simple cloth used by women emerged from the Indus Valley Civilisation in northwest India between 2800–1800 BC. Originally made from cotton, wealthy women began to add expensive tapestry, motifs and jewellery. With the advent of India’s industrialisation under the British Raj, the importing of chemical dyes, plus new methods of dyeing and printing, led to unimaginable innovations of the sari.

It has become a thriving fashion industry, not just in South Asian countries but in the West as well. It symbolised many stages in the lives of girls and women – livelihoods, marriage, becoming widows and coming of age. I recall my older cousins in Bangladesh would begin to wear saris just before getting married. Different colours represent different occasions and situations. In South Asia white saris are often worn by widows, red saris are traditionally worn at weddings, and yellow and green saris are worn at Mehndi nights.

The sari tells the story of South Asian women, from courtesans to princesses to freedom fighters. It also tells a story of resilience. Sari in Sanskrit means a “strip of cloth”, a garment worn in India’s 29 states, an heirloom passed from generation to generation. Different regions with the designs and fabrics of the sari narrate the history of the regions they were created in.

In a little village called Baluchar in Bengal, for example, a sari called a Baluchari was created approximately 500 years ago, which contained mythological scenes. In most regions of India, the pure silk Bansaree sari is part of the wedding rituals, and is said to be descended from royalty. The Guntur sari, which originated in Guntur, southeast India, is renowned for its drapes of up to 80 counts and is made from both silk and cotton. These are just a few examples of the multitude of saris worn by South Asian women.

Starting on 19 May, a major exhibition celebrating the contemporary sari, curated by Priya Khanchandani at the Design Museum, will look at how in modern age the sari has been reinvented. The Offbeat Sari exhibition will explore how urban youth wear it with sneakers, business people wear it to work, and showcase some of the finest saris by designers, wearers, and craftspeople from India.

Saris are now embodied with exotic fragrances, which remain for up to two years even after multiple washes. Last year, the Telangana government unveiled a new range of fragrant saris containing 27 spices, including cardamom, basil and saffron. It takes approximately 15 days for the power loom weavers to make a sari, which costs around £120.

An art of expression in the modern age, the sari is adorning catwalks as a fashionable but adaptable garment. It is not just Bollywood celebrities who wear saris, but Hollywood stars too. From Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts to Madonna and Lady Gaga, the sari epitomises style and elegance. Maybe a royal may wear a sari in the lead-up to the coronation to celebrate how rich in diversity our nation has become as a result of the Commonwealth.

In a nation looking to celebrate the King’s coronation, the mighty sari has a powerful place at the event in that it personifies a strong sense of identity and an expression of endurance. The King will be the new head of the Commonwealth – perhaps it’s time to pay homage to that aspect of this country’s history.

I am still an avid sari-wearer taking any opportunity to wear one. In doing so, I celebrate the sari’s unique history which is as complex as its graceful folds.

Rabina Khan is an author and comm ambassador lead for The Girls’ Network