The etymology of the word sari or saree is from the Sanskrit word ‘sati’, which means strip of cloth. This evolved into the Prakrit ‘sadi’ and was later anglicised into sari (often spelled as saree).

Indian civilization has always placed a tremendous importance on unstitched Indian fabric like the sari and dhoti, which are given sacred overtones. The belief was that such a fabric was pure; perhaps because in the distant past needles of bone were used for stitching. While attending most sacred ceremonies, the men dress up in dhotis while women wear the sari.

The Indian Sari, like so many other textiles, gives the lie to the hierarchical distinction made between fine arts and crafts. The approximate size of a sari is 47 by 216 inches. Although it is an untailored length of cloth, the Indian fabric is highly structured and its design is very sophisticated. The main area of the sari is framed on three sides by a decorative frieze of flowering plants, figurative images, paisleys, or abstract symbols. Visit http://www.indianfabric.org/sari-indian-fabric/ to see more beautiful styles of Indian Fabric.