It is said in India that if the bride has enough Benarasis in her trousseau, she will rule like a ‘Rajrani’ in her new home or become the ‘queen of her home’. The fabric that was befitting for royalty-the fabric that was touted as one of the finest weaves from India, taken back by travelers who came here especially to trade for its exquisite looks-the Benarasi is indeed the most haloed of Indian sarees. One of the brightest beacons the huge pantheon of Indian weaves.
Its glorious history some say, dates back to the Rigveda and the mention of its beauty in the Buddhist texts, easily puts its date to not less than two and a half millennium. It was however with the influx of Persian influences that created a huge difference in the designs, motifs and the overall utilization of the weaves.
In India, a bride is ceremonially sent off in a Benarasi saree to her new home-the significance of that being –she carries the blessings from the holiest of cities, and apart from the city of sages being the USP, it has a value tag that very few can compete with. The very fact that the zari in pure Benarasi is made of pure silver and gold, gives it a price tag that is impossible to afford for many ordinary folk. And so the heavier the meena work-the larger the tag and the greater the status of the bride’s parental home and so it is the weight of the saree that would suggest a great deal more!
Firstly, here are some authenticity pointers to help you choose a genuine Benarasi:
The same goes for sarees that you need for day time events, and in this case again, green like the one above in Kora and pinks will look amazingly pretty.
Here is another gorgeous colour with large bootas for girls with paler complexion. It’s a day time saree too and would look best with a koti waistcoat kind of blouse that will help flaunt its gold richness.
Go for a flared petticoat. Especially girls who have pear shaped bodies need to go a little fitted towards their waist and let the petticoat flare out from the knees, the more flare at the base, the more the top looks tinier. This rule apples as much to sarees that you will be draping rather tightly and not loose for the wedding, the pleats will then fall more gracefully around your feet rather than sticking to the front due to the weight of the saree.
The Tanchoi almost tops the list as it has a deep gold base that is perfect for weddings.
The Jamdani that is inspired by Persian weaves and wholly responsible for its renaissance in the present time has been the usage of the same motifs in cotton-the jamdani thus is seen as much in the tissue Benarasis as in silks and look royal and very regal-an option worth trying is to have bootis all over the saree with a jamdani pallu.
The Jangla saree would be the one that will have intricate gold or zari work all over with tiny detailing.
This is a meenakari bootis saree which is most popular in blue but here’s one for the more modern bride who dares to wear black and orange for occasions other than the wedding day.
The lightweight Cutwork Kora Benarasi is ideal for summer weddings and feel wonderful on any body type- in fact a bride can opt for gold and ivory with a great deal of kundan jewelry for a reception or pre wedding occasions and team it up with a tanchoi drape over one shoulder n gold or mustard.
Remember another critical aspect about the saree you choose-the lighter the saree the shiner it will be-so go for a heavy Benarasi with an antique border, and go easy on the jewelry and makeup, and see how wonderfully balanced your bridal will turn out!
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