A woman of any age group can’t ignore the beauty, elegance and the magnificence of the Maheshwari sarees. Its unique feature of being reversibly worn makes it a saree that deserves the attention. But where did it come from? Who designed it? Why the name Maheshwari? Let’s find answers to all these questions.

History

Maheshwar, an ancient town on the banks of the river Narmada is where the Saree gets its name. The saree is a gift from the queen of Malwa, named Ahilyabai in the 18^th century. Maheshwar is a destination of religious importance but has also gained its popularity because of this timeless fabric. It is said that the queen Ahilyabai, designed a saree representing the royalty by importing weaver from Surat.

The saree is reversible with a pallav with five stripes. The motifs are representation of the local architecture. The saree gains its sophisticated allure from the motifs and the cotton yarns in its weft and the lustrous silk in the warp. The production of this saree is the occupation of the entire town. From generation to generation this art is passed on and remains native to Maheshwar.

Originally, the zari was made of pure gold wires, however, with time, the zari has been replaced with copper wires.

Initially the colours used were, maroon, red, purple, green, with the changing trends and demands lighter colours are also introduced in the saree. Another unique feature of the saree is its light weightiness. It’s a perfect saree for casual wear because of being light, and gracious because of the zari and its intricate design.  

The various patterns in Maheshwari sarees are bugdi kinar, zari patti, rui phool kinar, phool kinar, chatai kinar, bajuband kinar, Chandrakala, Chandratara, Karnaphool etc. With the passing time, the craft is also adapted to make salwar kameez and furnishing fabrics. The saree has also gained great demand in a number of foreign countries.

Maheshwari still remains the pride of the Indian craft of fabric and the choice of many saree lovers.

How to take care of your Maheshwari Saree:

• Wash the saree in cool water.
• Hand wash is suggested for the first wash
• Dry clean for Zari works. 
• Do not screw or rub during wash.
• Dry in shade, and always do wrong side up.

We shall share some more information on Maheshwari Saree and a lot of other saree. Keep reading.