Bengal is a state that is well-known for its culture, heritages, history, food, and of course its versatile artisan who work day and night to make marvelous handloom sarees, and other crafts to earn their living. Though Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, and is said to be the cultural capital of India, but reality is that maximum of the “real talents” doesn’t exist in Kolkata, instead, they are hidden in tiny towns and villages of Bengal. For instance, Shantiniketan, a small town in district Birbhum, West Bengal, is famous for its awesome art and craft work ranging from handloom sarees, handmade artworks and what not? But, this town doesn’t get much exposure like Kolkata. That’s why it’s never called as Kolkata handloom or art, it’s called “Bengal handloom and art”.
Every state in India has its own or special kind of saree. For example- Banaras is famous for Banarasi, Lucknow for Lucknow-chikan, and Tamil Nadu for Kanjeevaram sarees. Similarly, Bengal is very famous for its handloom sarees. Have no idea about Bengal handloom sarees? Then here is a detailed description of every kind of Bengal handloom sarees; and whether you agree or not, after seeing these sarees you’ll surely feel that these are the prettiest ones that you must have in your wardrobe. So, here we go:
Taat- The light and airy saree
If you want to drape yourself in a saree that is light and has an airy texture, then go for taat sarees. Taat sarees usually have a broad border and a very decorative pallu that has floral and other artistic motifs on it, but a relatively plain body. This saree can be worn during any season; and in fact, it’s the perfect saree for summer, as it will make you feel comfortable all day long.
Garad- Bengal’s traditional saree
Most of the non-Bengalis think that maximum Bengali women wear off-white saree that has a red border. That’s ridiculously stereotypic! Yes, it’s true that ancient Bengali women used to wear these types of sarees, but now the scenario has changed completely, they are liberal enough to wear any saree they want to. But, do you know what are these off-white sarees with red border known as? It’s garad. Garad doesn’t just come in an off-white colour with a red border, there are many other colours too that are used in the border. Another feature that makes these sarees unique is the stripe patterns on its pallu.
Jamdani- The royal-like saree
Jamdani sarees, also known as Dhakai Jamdani have basically sprouted from Dhaka, Bangladesh, but it’s equally loved and famous in Kolkata. The saree is finely woven, which indeed is a tough job, and it’s extremely light. Earlier, Jamdanis used to be fabricated using pure cotton, but these days artisans weave it using a mix of silk and cotton. These sarees have beautiful motifs all over it, that makes it look extremely good; and thus, the price is high.
Tussar- The more textured saree
Tussar sarees are the pride of Bengal because more than forty percent of Tussar silk worms are cultivated in various districts of West Bengal. These sarees come in various shades, but some of the common shades are cream, beige, and honey; and these sarees also have a slight golden tinge. Tussar sarees are further decorated by weaving beautiful designs around its border, and gorgeous motifs over the pallu (like taat and jamdani).
If you want to purchase fashionable handloom sarees at extremely moderate rates, then check out the latest saree collection of the house Simaaya Fashions. They keep the best and the trending modish attires in their stock. You’ll certainly fall in love with their collection.