Maheswari sarees

Maharastrian women wear these saris with the flowing pleats in the front while the back is tucked into the waist.


The maheshwari saree of Madhya Pradesh has an unusual origin for it is traced to a benevolent queen who once ruled over that territory and designed the first saree.


The maheshwari saree, mostly in cotton and silk, is characterized by its simplicity. The body is plain or has stripes or checks. The plain ones are known as chandrakala (midnight blue) and baingani chandrakala, which is woven with a blackish chandratara, the moon and star design, has lengthwise stripes of two shades and the pattern is arranged with four stripes of one shade attainted by one stripe of another shade. The reversible border of the saree which can be worn either side, is a specialty. The Karnphool pattern is quite popular, it has a variety of leaves and flowers on the border. The palla of maheshwari saree is also distinctive with five stripes, three colored and two white alternating. Now-a-day these sarees are made in natural and artificial silk as well. The chanderi cotton sarees are ideal summer wear. the sarees generally have a rich gold borader and two gold bands on the pallu. The more expensive sarees have gold chicks with lotus roundels all over, known as butis.


Procedure of making Maheshwari sarees


the artisans make the cotton thread by high reeling and weave cloth. The method of dying is practiced by making vegetable dyes from the locally available plants mainly of Katha color. The border of the sarees and motifs are woven with the colorful thread which are dyed by the local method. the clothes are quite durable and the motifs are quite peculiar.