By Lucknow Bioscope

Sārī

A garment of timeless grace

Mohini Manglik (2022) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

Mrs. Mohini Manglik: a connoisseur of fine saris

by Ruth Chakravarty

Kota sari with chikan embroidery (1950/1975) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

The sārī is a unique unstitched six-yard garment that lends itself to different shapes and sizes and suits all occasions. As in many parts of India, it has been the garment of choice for working women and homemakers in Lucknow. From the early 20th century, Lucknow women have donned fine mulmul, cotton, chiffon/georgette, silk and khadi sārīs. These were simply designed or finely embroidered as in cikan sārīs or sārīs with velvet/silk embroidered borders. Exquisitely woven Banārsī sārīs or those with mukaish and zardōzī work were worn on festive occasions.

Mohini Manglik (2022) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

The sārī is tied around the waist and pleated in the front. One end of the saree is draped over the left shoulder, or fans out from back to front over the right shoulder.

On Mrs. Mohini Manglik - the educationist and teacher par excellence at Lucknow University, the sārī attained a level of elegance which is not easily matched. Mrs. Manglik was an academic and a consummate aesthete. She loved the principle of “beauty in all things” which was richly reflected in her personal style and exquisite collection of sārīs which she wore with panache and timeless grace.

Cotton organdy sari with chikan embroidery in murri and jaal work (1950/1975) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

Mrs. Manglik was passionate about cikankārī and it adorned her person and her home. She was open to experiment in form, fabric and style. She was equally interested in the lives of the cikankārs, who are mostly women, and believed that they should be given a better deal in life.

Cotton sari with cross-stitch embroidery (2022) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

Mrs. Manglik was a member of the Lucknow Crafts Council and worked with Ms. Sarla Sahani at the grassroot level to create space and opportunities of the cikankārs. She spent a lot of time with the craftswomen conceptualizing designs and styles and worked to provide the women kārigars with a sustainable income. As the secretary of The Craft Council, Lucknow chapter, Mrs. Manglik helped to provide space, opportunity, finance and creative impulse to a large number of women kārigars.

Through the ages: Lucknow women in saris

Deepa Kaul reading a newspaper, Unknown, 1950/1959, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Begum Akhtar, Unknown, 1960, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Shrimati Sushila (aka Brijkishori) Tikku 'Sushila' Kashmiri, Unknown, 1920/1929, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

A Lucknow begum in a lace-edged chiffon sari, Unknown, 1930, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Archival photographs showing sārī-clad women from Lucknow through 1920 to 1970.

A young family from Lucknow, Unknown, 1930/1939, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

A Kashmiri Pandit couple from Lucknow, Unknown, 1900/1945, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

A Kashmiri Pandit lady from Lucknow wearing a sari, Unknown, 1913, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

A Kashmiri Pandit lady from Lucknow in a sari, Unknown, 1910, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Archival photographs showing women in saris with diverse weaves and embroidered borders

Banarasi fine kora silk sari with paisley buṭis all over (1920) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope

Banarasi fine kora silk sārī with paisley buṭis all over, from 1920.

Fine silk banarasi sari with traditional border and pallu with paisleys and a classic paisley koni, Unknown, 1920, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Banarasi silk sari worn in the seedha-palla style., Unknown, 1950, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Banarsi saris worn in two draping styles.

Shruti Singh in a banarasi fine kora silk sari with large flower butis, Unknown, 1900, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Sisters-in-law wear chiffon saris with heavy zardozi work, Unknown, 1900/1945, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Zardozi work on a sari from the early-mid 20th century transferred onto new fabric, Unknown, 1920s, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Banarasi floral border on organza silk sari, Unknown, 1930, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Sari with mukaish work, Unknown, 1950/1975, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Pallu of fine banarasi kora silk sari with Sun motifs, Unknown, 1920, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Banarsi sari pallu from the early 20th century transferred onto new silk fabric in the 1970s, Unknown, 1900/1935, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Detail of banarasi fine kora silk sari with large flower butis, Unknown, 1900, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Banarsi silk sari pallu with peaock motifs, Unknown, 1950, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Chiffon sari with heavy zardozi work, Unknown, 1900, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Chiffon sari embellished with a border made of coloured sitaras, Unknown, 1900/1975, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Banarsi silk sari with border and large butis with betel leaf and paisley motif, Unknown, 1950/1975, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Zardozi embroidery on a chiffon sari, Unknown, 1940/1949, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Scroll down to see some blouses...

Silk blouse with collar and intricate zardozi work, Unknown, 1900/1935, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

Embroidered cotton organdy blouse with puffed sleeves, Unknown, 1950/1975, From the collection of: Lucknow Bioscope

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Sārīs in cotton, chiffon and silk worked with cikan and mukaish work from Lucknow are admired all over India.

In this video, Purva Naresh, a playwright, film and theatre producer from Lucknow talks about her maternal grand-mother's collection of old sarees.

Credits: Story

Curation: Noor Khan & Saman Habib
Photography: Ayan Bose, Tasveer Hasan
Team: Nagma Ehtesham, Nasreen Khan, Nimra Rizvi, Mariyam Imran, Saman Habib, Noor Khan
Text, Editing and Translation: Saman Habib, Noor Khan, Isha Priya Singh, Waseem Ahmed, Ruth Chakravarty, Stuti Mishra, Divya Joshi
Video: Aisha Khatoon
Gracious Contribution by:
Bhavna Singh & Digvijay N Singh
Bina Agarwal
Mamta Verma
Mukul Manglik
Purva Naresh
Ragini Pandey Misra
Shruti Singh
Vaibhav and Vandita Kaul
Valentina Trivedi
Vasundhara Singh

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

Lucknow Bioscope