No. 12 Purnia Drape - Bihar, India

This drape from northeastern Bihar is similar to the No. 82 Nadia Bengal as it is worn without front pleats. However, the pallu is tucked in at left waist instead of draped over the shoulder.

How-to Drape Instructions

1. Double knot sari at left waist with inner end in front.
2. Bring outer end of sari clockwise and tuck in at center back waist.
3. Bring remaining outer end of sari anticlockwise and drape over right shoulder from back to front covering head.
4. Bring pallu around body and tuck in at left waist.

The sari's design is universal and limitless, referenced around the world for its drape, textile and history. It is versatile and adaptable to context, environment and culture, with its making directly tied to the livelihoods of millions of karigars (craftspeople).

Traditionally, it is a single piece of unstitched fabric with variable densities in its parts - with heavier weights allowing for it to drape correctly. Today, its definition includes textiles woven by mill or by hand, often with one density.

Border&Fall’s project is a non-profit cultural documentation of an incredible textile and garment contribution from India, intended to address a perception shift of the sari, which is often seen as staid, traditional and increasingly worn only on formal occasions, particularly in urban India. Each of these films features a drape from a particular region in India, represented through fifteen states. Every drape stays true to its region, whereas the textiles and blouse pairings have been styled to represent a vision of the sari's changing presence.

This project was created by Border&Fall and its team includes Malika Verma Kashyap, Rta Kapur Chishti, Deep Kailey, Rashmi Varma, Sanjay Garg, Sunitha Kumar Emmart, Julia FG Smith, Suniti Rao, Rhea Subramanian, Pallavi Verma, Sharanya Aggarwal, Mehak Kapur Chishti, Carol Humtsoe and TJ Bhanu.