By Maya Palit
Did you know there are more than 84 ways to drape a sari? A project by the digital publication Border & Fall, has been trying to document all the ways the sari is worn in states across India in its short film series ‘How to Drape a Sari’. There are styles like the Madhubani drape with five pleats, the Nivi drape from Andhra Pradesh where the pallu is wrapped around the waist, and the Mekhala Chador drape commonly used in Assam, with two pieces of cloth wrapped around the upper and lower body.
With such a formidable array of styles available, the film-makers wonder why more women aren’t wearing the sari often, because there are ways of tying it that are conducive enough to work life and getting on and off buses, and you don’t have to reserve it for a formal occasion at all.
And now Border & Fall is crowdsourcing heirloom saris that it needs to borrow for the film, and their first request is for a Patan Patola sari, a double ikat weave originally from Patan, Gujarat. They need to borrow the sari from mid March to May, and will credit the owner in the film. The film begins shooting this month, so keep an eye out for it, and send along any inherited saris.