Kerala Piravi: History of the simple yet rich Kerala kasavu sari

It is believed to have been introduced in Kerala under the rule of His Highness Maharaja Balaramavarma and his chief minister Ummini Thampi in the early 19th century. According to ‘Study and Documentation of Balaramapuram Sarees & Fine Cotton fabrics’, a research paper, the leaders brought about a revolution in the handloom industry by inviting members of the ‘Shaaliyar’ weavers’ community from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu and offering them a place of respect and pride within the state. The weavers reciprocated by showing their gratitude by successfully using the cotton available in the market to make hand-woven cotton garments for the royals of Travancore. The sudden rise in demand for hand-woven saris caught the attention of the Dutch and Portuguese exporters as well.

A portrait of Mahaprabha Thampuratti of Mavelikkara, Raja Ravi Varma’s daughter holding her son Marthanda Varma (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Interestingly, the barter system, which became common after Vasco da gama reached Kerala, involved the exchange of gold for spices in return. The upper class women and the royals saw this as an opportunity to make use of the gold by weaving it into the hand-woven saris. Also known as Kerala kasavu, the origin of the traditional sari has also been traced to ancient Buddhist literature.

While the kasavu sari is a one-piece cloth, the mundu-neriyathu which it closely resembles and takes after, has references in Buddhist literature, wherein it is known as ‘Sattika’.

The mundu is referred to as antariya in the Buddhist context and the neriyathu (the cloth covering the upper part of the body) is referred to as uttariya in the ancient Buddhist-Jain texts. The gold rimmed borders of the sari has long been speculated to be inspired by the Graeco-Roman costume called ‘palmyrene’ — an attire that consists of a piece of long unstitched cloth called ‘palla’ that had a coloured or designed border, which was worn over a long, flowy garment.

Explaining how a traditional wear is highly influenced by the colours and vibrancy of the region, Aswathi Thirunal Gauri Lakshmi Bhai, the current princess of the Travancore royal family, compared Kerala’s kasavu with the traditional wear of Rajasthan.

“For example, the clothes worn in Rajasthan are very colourful and vibrant. Because there are deserts in that region, the women wear jewel-toned, vibrant hued-clothes. On the other hand, Kerala is brimming with colours, especially green. So it is okay if the clothes aren’t colourful enough. This is why the colour of the kodi (the kasavu mundu) is very dear to us,” she told iemalayalam.com.

The Kerala kasavu sari now ceases to be just identified as the simple traditional wear of women in the region. With more and more actors warming up to the cream and golden elegance, it has now become more of a fashion statement, even in all its simplicity.