14 Famous Cotton Sarees In India

Monday, March 18, 2013, 14:25 [IST]

Cotton saree makes really comfortable clothing for summers. As summer in India is famous for being brutally hot, there are many varieties of Indian cotton sarees to combat the heat. Almost every state in India has its own variety of traditional cotton sarees. Some of these cotton sarees like the Bengali Tant sarees are famous for their fabric quality. Others are famous for the thread work like Zamdani.

The most famous India sarees using cotton is the khadi. Khadi was originally a kind of home-spun cloth that is rough in texture. Mahatma Gandhi started spinning khadi to stop the import of British textiles during the independence struggle. Khadi that was once a symbol of the national freedom movement is a style statement now. Other famous Indian sarees include the Pochampalli cotton sarees and also the Sambalpuri sarees from Odisha.

There are several types of embroidery, handloom styles and patterns that define the various Indian cotton sarees. We have listed some of the best known Indian cotton sarees for you here. As a tribute to Indian handloom weaves, you can certainly stock up these sarees.

Tant

Tant is a Bengali saree that is known by its crisp texture. There are various designs available in a tant sarees. But the beauty of a tant saree is in its starched crispness.

Khadi

Sarees made of the coarse khadi material are a big style statement now. Khadi in white and a slightly brownish colour looks stylish.

Dhakai

Dhakai sarees are originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh. But the amazing embroidery is now very widely replicated in Kolkata as well. You have the normal Dhakai sarees that have plain thread work and the Zamdani Dhakai sarees that have golden thread work.

Lucknowi Chikan

Chikan is special kind of perforated embroidery that comes from Lucknow. The work on these sarees is usually done with contrasting colours of threads.

Sambalpuri

Sambalpuri is the most famous saree from Odisha. This saree has vibrant colours and the main feature of the saree is its pallu. The pallu has intricate embroidery that makes this saree very special.

Kanjeevaram

Kajeevaram sarees come from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Although the Kanjeevaram silks are more popular, there are a few varieties of cotton sarees as well.

Kotki

Kotki is a Bengali design that is distinguished by its temple borders. This saree comes mostly in muted shades of colours and is great for day wear.

Bomkai

Bomkai is another variety of saree that is woven in the district of Sambalpur in Odisha. Bomkai sarees have a typical pallu of the saree. Apart from that, the entire saree has small dots of embroidery and a slim border.

Pochampally

Pochampally cotton sarees are ikat sarees from Southern India. They are popular for their patterns and colourful designs.

Zamdani

Zamdani is a special kind of embroidery or thread work that is done on cotton sarees. Most often, golden threads are used for Zamdani embroidery. But plain threads can also be used for these weaves.

Pasapalli

Pasapalli is a saree from the Bargarh district in Odisha. Pasapalli sarees are known by their squared patterns, especially in the pallu. This saree is completely hand woven and it takes months to produce one saree.

Chanderi

Chanderi is saree from the central parts of India. This saree is distinct due to its semi-transparent texture. Chanderi cottons are light and have a bright sheen on them.

Supernet

Supernet sarees are a type of semi-transparent sarees that are very popular these days. These sarees are not traditional and therefore do not belong to any particular state.