UFPR 2022

The surprising history of India’s vibrant sari tradition

South Asian women have draped themselves in colorful silks and cottons for eons. The ways they’re made and worn aredazzling and diverse.

The word “sari” means “strip of cloth” in Sanskrit. But for the Indian women – and a few men – who have been wrappingthemselves in silk, cotton, or linen for millennia, these swaths of fabric are more than just simple garments. They’re symbols of nationalpride, ambassadors for traditional (and cutting-edge) design and craftsmanship, and a prime example of the rich differences in India’s29 states.

“The sari both as symbol and reality has filled the imagination of the subcontinent, with its appeal and its ability to conceal andreveal the personality of the person wearing it,” says Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti, author of Saris of India: Traditionand Beyond and co-founder of Taanbaan, a fabric company devoted to reviving and preserving traditional Indian spinning and weavingmethods.

The first mention of saris (alternately spelled sarees) is in the Rig Veda, a Hindu book of hymns dating to 3,000 B.C.; drapedgarments show up on Indian sculptures from the first through sixth centuries, too. What Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishticalls the “magical unstitched garment” is ideally suited to India’s blazingly hot climate and the modest-dress customs of both Hinduand Muslim communities. Saris also remain traditional for women in other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Sari, which in Sanskrit means “strip of cloth”, represents more than a piece of clothing in India. In relation to thedifferent meaning(s) attributed to the sari, consider the following affirmatives:

1. It stands for both up-to-date and conventional patterns.

2. People wear it in different ways.

3. Both men and women can wear it.

4. People cannot avoid an arrogant attitude when they put it on.

Mark the affirmative(s) that is/are present in the text.

The surprising history of India’s vibrant sari tradition

South Asian women have draped themselves in colorful silks and cottons for eons. The ways they’re made and worn aredazzling and diverse.

The word “sari” means “strip of cloth” in Sanskrit. But for the Indian women – and a few men – who have been wrappingthemselves in silk, cotton, or linen for millennia, these swaths of fabric are more than just simple garments. They’re symbols of nationalpride, ambassadors for traditional (and cutting-edge) design and craftsmanship, and a prime example of the rich differences in India’s29 states.

“The sari both as symbol and reality has filled the imagination of the subcontinent, with its appeal and its ability to conceal andreveal the personality of the person wearing it,” says Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti, author of Saris of India: Traditionand Beyond and co-founder of Taanbaan, a fabric company devoted to reviving and preserving traditional Indian spinning and weavingmethods.

The first mention of saris (alternately spelled sarees) is in the Rig Veda, a Hindu book of hymns dating to 3,000 B.C.; drapedgarments show up on Indian sculptures from the first through sixth centuries, too. What Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishticalls the “magical unstitched garment” is ideally suited to India’s blazingly hot climate and the modest-dress customs of both Hinduand Muslim communities. Saris also remain traditional for women in other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

In the first sentence of the text, the underlined and in bold type word “eons” means:

The surprising history of India’s vibrant sari tradition

South Asian women have draped themselves in colorful silks and cottons for eons. The ways they’re made and worn aredazzling and diverse.

The word “sari” means “strip of cloth” in Sanskrit. But for the Indian women – and a few men – who have been wrappingthemselves in silk, cotton, or linen for millennia, these swaths of fabric are more than just simple garments. They’re symbols of nationalpride, ambassadors for traditional (and cutting-edge) design and craftsmanship, and a prime example of the rich differences in India’s 29 states.

“The sari both as symbol and reality has filled the imagination of the subcontinent, with its appeal and its ability to conceal andreveal the personality of the person wearing it,” says Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti, author of Saris of India: Traditionand Beyond and co-founder of Taanbaan, a fabric company devoted to reviving and preserving traditional Indian spinning and weavingmethods.

The first mention of saris (alternately spelled sarees) is in the Rig Veda, a Hindu book of hymns dating to 3,000 B.C.; drapedgarments show up on Indian sculptures from the first through sixth centuries, too. What Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishticalls the “magical unstitched garment” is ideally suited to India’s blazingly hot climate and the modest-dress customs of both Hinduand Muslim communities. Saris also remain traditional for women in other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

In the fourth paragraph, Delhi-based textile historian Rta Kapur Chishti calls the sari the “unstitched garment”because it: