Block Print Maheshwari Saree

The unique designs and patterns of Maheshwari saris

Earlier, the Maheshwari saris were made of finest cotton yarns with motifs inspired from the intricacies engraved on the Maheshwar fort and temples. Today, the fabric used in the sari is weaved using a blend of Coimbatore cotton and Bangalore silk yarns with some new-fangled and more graceful motifs such as rui phool (cotton flower), chameli (jasmine), hans (swan) and heera (diamond) embossed on it. The sari comes with a reversible border and the unique five stripes on pallu or aanchal. Nevertheless, the border is usually made with zari thread which is sourced from Surat. Some of the colours used in weaving are tapkeer (deep brown), aamras (golden yellow) and angoori (grape green).

A sari takes 3-10 days to complete, depending on the design. The most time-consuming part of weaving is the making of pallu or aanchal which can take 3-4 days because it entails more detailed designs.

Regardless of its simple style, today, many popular designers and fashion houses are incorporating Maheshwari fabric and sari to their collection.