Occasions
Why a saree is worn: a wedding, a festival, a day at work, a puja, an evening out, a stage.
Wedding sareesFor the bride, the families and the guests: the heavy silks, gold borders and auspicious reds.50Festival wearWorn for Diwali, Pongal, Onam, Durga Puja and the other days of the calendar.30Everyday wearThe cottons and light weaves women wear to work, to market and at home.53Formal and office wearPlain, crisp and quiet: for the workplace, the courtroom and the classroom.30Worship and ritualWorn for pujas, vratas, rites of passage and temple visits, often in a prescribed colour.53Party and evening wearSheer, sequinned and embroidered: made for an evening out.1Mourning and remembranceThe white and plain cloths worn at funerals and in mourning in some communities.6Dance and stageDancers and actors drape and sew sarees in particular ways for the stage.15Heirloom sareesWoven to be kept: passed from mother to daughter, rewoven at the borders.4Uniform and institutionSarees worn as dress code: airlines, banks, schools, nurses and others.6