No. 19 Chhattisgarh Central 3 Drape - Chhattisgarh, India

This drape is worn by the Lodhi community. It is draped between the legs for greater mobility and can be worn formally as well.

How-to Drape Instructions

1. Double knot sari at center front waist with inner end in front.
2. Make about 6 pleats with outer end and tuck in at left waist.
3. Bring lower edge of outer end between legs and tuck in at center back waist.
4. Bring remainder of sari back between legs.
5. Bring outer end anticlockwise, measure out waist length and tuck both ends in at center back waist.
6. Bring pallu over right shoulder from back to front and tuck in edge at center back waist.
7. Drape remaining pallu over head.

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.