Indian Selections

Next in our series on Indian saris is the Kota sari. Let us see why this sari that comes from one of the hottest regions of India is so famous, and learn some interesting facts about it.
The kota doria is a beautiful sari, which is semi transparent and airy and is generally worn in summers, so that even in the unbearable heat a lady looks cool and chic. To make it suitable for the hot weather, the extremely light and thin muslin fabric is inter-woven with cotton and silk.
The saris are made in the villages around Kota, a major city located on the banks of the mighty river Narmada in the tradition rich desert state of Rajasthan. Though the sari itself is very light and transparent, it is given weight by heavy gauge yarns which are woven using staple cotton or a combination of cotton and silk, into ‘khats’. ‘Khats’ are graph like patterns that impart just adequate weight to the fabric to allow it to fall gracefully.
The gossamer fine kota doria saris are a prized possession of many women because they are gorgeous in design, and so light they are almost weightless. The special weave gives the gossamer finish to the fabric. The fine chequered pattern is created wrap and weft, using a combination of threads. Other designs are also made using different combinations of silk and cotton. Generally the ordinary kota doria is woven in white and dyed later in different colors with a narrow zari (golden) border. In case of saris with designs, the threads are dyed before use. Skilled artisans who take a lot of time to impart the sari its exquisite perfection do the spinning, weaving and dyeing.
So the next time you plan a visit to India, don’t forget to pick up the magnificent Kota sari. If you think that is far fetched, you can simply log onto the internet and look up Indian specialty sites like www.indianselections.com and www.indiashack.com