Summer, sums up –with “warm” & “humidity”, and then we can only think of “water” and “air” mostly, where water quenches our thrust and the air cools are soul. But what about our skin, which bears so much apart from pollution, we wear various types of clothes and it eventually, affects our day completely. So let our skin also breathe equally, for our pleasant day ahead in those summery days or during monsoon time. Fabrics which let our skin breath during these seasons (Summer/Monsoon) are; Cotton, Khadi, Linen. Where Cotton is the most favored one. Cotton as a fabric dates back to ancient civilization, as we know cotton was one of the first introduced fiber for mankind. There are few major important reasons to prefer cotton more: –

1. Great air circulation of cotton fiber and so our body remains cool.
2. Absorbs perspiration, which saves us from fungal infection.
3. Perfect for all skin types, even sensitive ones.
4. Easy to use and wear.
5. More times this textile is washed, more it is comfortable.

When we talk about summer, cotton comes in our mind, and so Cotton Saris grabs the first place among all sari lovers. We at zameeni, are determined to fill the gap between weavers and buyer, buy showing authenticate products and providing right value to their creators (weavers). zameeni brings less heard cotton saris, to its rescue, so that it should be noticed and get its true value. Less known exclusive Cotton saris, by zameeni are :-

1. Kalamkari Cotton Sari:

Internationally famous for its organic processing technique and successively its quality. Kalmakri is a type of hand painted or block printed cotton textile. Where Kalm, which is an Urdu, word, so this art has been migrated from Persia to India. In India, they use all Hindu mythological figurines and stories to make this type of saris. “Kalm” is the main tool to form this art and that is why the name kalamkari is derived. Where every single piece is the masterpiece. Andhra Pradesh is predominantly famous for this artwork.

2.Kota Doria Cotton Sari:

As the name signifies, it comes from Kota, Rajasthan. Kota Doria is famous for its checkered pattern, which is called as “khat”, it is very fine weave and light in weight.

3.Moga Cotton Sari:

As one walks in the tiny streets of Sualkuchi, 30 km ahead of Assam, one can hear the rhythmic sounds of looms making tana baana with flying shuttles. These rhythmic moments turn textile into the magnificent sari. Where motifs are mostly inspired by flora & fauna found abundance in the state, ranging from various flowers to animals like rhinos, deer, and birds like peacocks etc. Weaving one sari takes around 6 days, depends on the design.

4.Muga Cotton Sari:

Jamdani has the Persian influence, where “jam” means flower and “Dani” means vase. The Bengali name is dhakai Jamdhani sarees. Jamdani art has always been cherished throughout the history and till date, due to its intricate design, luster and weaving pattern. It is supposed to be a treasure to possess, as it’s a time consuming and labor intensive technique. Popular motifs are panna hajar (thousand emeralds), kalka (paisley), butidar, flowers, jals, charkona (rectangular motifs).

5.Phulia Cotton Sari:

Phulia, once the poster village of West Bengal handlooms, life for weavers here is now a constant struggle. Phulia is famous for its Tangail saris, which has a softer feel as compare to Jamdani with the motifs spaced out. The Phulia Tangail is woven in silk as well as in cotton. Cotton is fine mulmul.

6.Dongriya/tribal Sari:

A rare collector of saris/textile can only know about this form of art. This form of textile weaving is from Dongaria Kondh community, a hill tribe in Odisha. Where Dongars means hills and they make flora,fauna and hill patterns in saris. Manisha Jhamb, who has been on a quest to revive and popularize some of these rare and dying weaves of Odisha, says “I have not only interested in their tribal weaving art but the way this community is self-sustainable by themselves, gives a lot of lessons to our mechanical life today”.

Some Tips for Cotton Saris maintenance-

Although cotton saris are a favorite of many Indian women, it is often not preferred due to maintenance problems.

1. When you wash the saris for the first time, soak the saris in warm water mixed with rock salt for 10-15 minutes, which locks the sari color and will not allow the sari to fade even after subsequent washes.
2. Do not leave sari dip in detergent water for long, 5 mins will be more than enough.
3. Adding a liquid starch that is available in stores can keep your saris crisp and stain free. You can also make a homemade liquid starch.Cotton looks best when starched properly.

We at zameeni, are determined to fill the gap between weavers and buyer, buy showing authenticate products and providing right value to their creators (weavers).