JOIN USKasauvu sarees gaining popularity
Remember the song Gal Mitthi Mitthi Bol of the movie Aisha in which actress Sonam Kapoor was seen grooving with Abhay Deol in a plain white colour saree with a golden border.
It was not only her perfect figure, make-up or jewellery that added charm but the credit for the overall beautiful look also goes to the traditional Kerala saree Kasauvu which she draped around.
These sarees have become quite popular. A lot of Bollywood celebrities have donned Kasauvu sarees at various occasions and they have also made their way to the ramp. Recently, Bollywood actress like Rani Mukherjee , Aishwarya Rai and Asin have been seen flaunting Kasauvu off screen.
The typical Kerala saree is hand woven. It is known for its fineness of count in weaving. “Kasauvus, being the traditional saree of Kerala is highly popular across the country especially in the City,” says Helen, manager, Kerala Emporium at Babha Kharak Singh Marg.
“The sarees are in cotton and have golden zari work at the border. The original zari work raises the cost of the saree to Rs 50,000 and above, whereas the one with artificial work can cost you Rs 2,000 to 3,000,” she says.
Interestingly, all the Kasauvu sarees for sale at the emporium looked the same. What attracted the eyeballs were the sarees which had colourful border on both the sides of the zari. “These are designer’s collection. Colours have been added to the traditional wear,” says Helen. The designer Kasauvu sarees had blue, green and red border as well as floral print border.
Despite being simple and elegant, a glamour quotient can also be added to the traditional South Indian saree by pairing it with designer and colourful blouses. Kasauvu
saree with blue border can be teamed with blue blouse or the plain saree with only golden zari border can be worn with multi-coloured blouse, white colour frill blouse, golden blouse or a long sleeveless matching blouse.
Another tradition weave of Kerala is the Mundum Neryathu, which is like Kasauvu but it is a two piece cloth, worn as everyday costume by young girls in Kerala.