The sarees of Dharmavaram
A town in the Anantapur area of Andhra Pradesh, known for heavy silk saris and for pattu pavadas, the silk skirts worn by girls.
Motifs of Dharmavaram
Woven here
Best time: November to February.
GI: Dharmavaram handloom silk sarees and pattu pavadas are a registered Geographical Indication.
Dharmavaram is a town in Sri Sathya Sai district, in the dry Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It is known for silk saris with broad zari borders and for pattu pavadas, the silk skirts that girls wear for ceremonies.
What is woven here
Dharmavaram saris are woven in silk with wide, richly woven borders and a strong pallu. The cloth is heavy and has a firm feel, and the colours are often bold. A speciality of the town is the pattu pavada, a silk skirt with a zari border that is worn by young girls at festivals and at coming-of-age ceremonies in the south.
The craft and its people
Many weaving families work on handlooms in the town and neighbouring villages. Cooperative societies and private traders handle the supply of yarn and sale of cloth. Weddings in Andhra Pradesh and in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are a main source of demand.
Seeing it
Dharmavaram is a trading town, and the weaving lanes and cooperative sales points can be visited. The temple town of Puttaparthi is not far away, and many visitors combine the two. Ask locally to be taken to weavers who welcome guests.
A trail idea for Dharmavaram
- Weaving lanes of the town Walk the streets where handlooms are set in front rooms and workshops.
- Silk sari and pavada shops See the broad borders and the girls' silk skirts that the town is known for.
- Puttaparthi A short drive away, for a second-day visit if you are in the area.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Dharmavaram" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dharmavaram silk sari: Ch Maheswara Raju, CC BY-SA 4.0, source