Why Madras Sarees are so special: A Guide to Madras Sarees

There is something about Madras sarees, be it their silky gloss, unique borders, or relation to festivity or culture. Madras sarees resemble the cotton sarees available in Bangladesh, which raises the question of what we are doing with Indian sarees without even knowing. Madras might sound very familiar. Yes, it is the former name of Chennai, the Tamil Nadu capital. 

Madras sarees contain base clothing of different types, such as Korvai Silk Cotton, typically found in South Indian clothing items, or the festive Karthigai Silk Cotton, reminiscent of the Karthika Deepam festival celebrated widely in Southern India. The festival corresponds to the celebration of the birth of God Kartikeya, God of War. 

Festivity is a natural element in Madras sarees. The capital of a region traditionally links itself with all the other subdivisions of an area, Madras being no different, often samples sarees like Chettinad cotton, a fabric produced in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu with Korvai being a prominent weaving process of this subdivision.

In the South Indian Handloom saree range, the latter rules the saree shops in Chennai or other parts of Tamil Nadu, as there are wide varieties of cotton silk South Indian sarees available in the Korvai style. The Korvai weaving technique comes in various zari works, checked patterns, and buttas or miniature designs. 

Thanks to Facebook and Instagram's algorithms, everyone knows about the festive or party-standard elegance exuded by Gadwal sarees.

Then there is Mookuthi Amman's saree. In Tamil culture and tradition, Mookuthi Amman represents a divine form of the goddess Parvati (Shakti), embodying strength, purity, and protection.

Like the Karthigai Silk Cotton saree, the Kallyani Silk cotton saree or the Nayantara silk cotton saree is available in Velachery, T Nagar, Anna Nagar, Kodungaiyur, and other prominent neighbourhoods in Madras and, more concurrently, Chennai. 

Besides silk cotton, Linen varieties like Kannamma Ballbutta and Nayantara Linen are popular in India. They look vibrant yet regular, similar to saree varieties, but differ from silk cotton options.  

This is to point out the border more distinctly than the body part. Any saree wearer would notice that the body part's work differs from the borders.

The pallu or alcohol tends to be distinctive in Bangladeshi sarees. Likewise, the different parts of the saree carry various patterns or shades in Madras sarees.

Paalum Pazhamum silk cotton or Paalum Palamum silk cotton are two gorgeous varieties available. Paalum and Palamum or Paalum Pazhamum is a milk and fruit design done on the shared border. The Korvai weaving involves making the border of the sarees separately. The border contains heavier and more intricate work, typically woven with a different type of yarn than the body, and has richer, contrasting colours.

Print silks with unique antique and retro-style borders are among the sarees considered more glamorous than the rest. 

Khadi varieties, such as the Paavi Khadi Sharees with eye-catching spaced borders, look very festive and comfortable. The simpler-looking Kotravai Khadi sarees are classic Madras wardrobe elements. 

Check prints, buttas or dot-like designs, florals, and silk prints are elements robustly ruling the shared adornment in Madras sarees. Bhandani Butta, used to bring circular patterns on a silk georgette Madras, Mukkonam Buttas on a Khadi saree, or weaving buttas in Silk sarees, all look no less elegant than the other if appropriately styled. 

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