The word ‘sari’ evolved from the Prakrit ‘sattika’ as mentioned in older Jain Buddhist literature. The history of Indian clothing traces the sari back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in 2800-1800 BC. The earliest known depiction of the sari on the Indian subcontinent is the statue of an Indus Valley priest wearing a drape. It is usually the traditional female garment in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. A sari is a very long strip of unstitched cloth, four to nine meters long, which can be draped in various styles.

The most common style is for the saree to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then over the shoulder revealing the midriff. The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (pavada/pavadai) in southern India and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is particularly suitable for wearing in muggy South Asian summers. Cholis can be “backless” or halter neck. They are usually fancier with lots of embellishments like mirrors or embroidery and can be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, wear a half-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist.

India can boast of producing multiple varieties of sarees from each of its states. Each region of the Indian subcontinent has, over the centuries, developed its own unique style of saree. The following are the most popular varieties, different depending on the fabric, style of weaving or pattern.

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