Kodagu style of draping the saree

Kodagu style of draping the saree It was my first day at the beautiful Amritara Ambatty Greens Resort, Coorg. I got escorted to my room by a young female receptionist. She showed me my spacious room for two nights, thanked me, and turned back to go to the reception. As soon as she turned back,
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Kodagu style of draping the saree

It was my first day at the beautiful Amritara Ambatty Greens Resort, Coorg. I got escorted to my room by a young female receptionist. She showed me my spacious room for two nights, thanked me, and turned back to go to the reception.

As soon as she turned back, my eyes went to her saree. She had tucked the pleats of her saree at the back of the waist instead of the front.

“Hey, what is with the style of your saree?”, I stopped the young lady and asked her.

“Oh, that is the Kodagu style of draping a saree.”

“I see. But, is there any reason why you have tucked the pleats at the back of your waist?” I asked curiously.

“Well, draping the saree this way helps us to lead an active life while climbing up and down slopes in our mountainous homeland in the Western Ghats.”

Okay. That made sense. I thought it was a great idea. It must have made the daily grind so much easier for the women.

“Madam”, I came back out of my thoughts as she called me, “There is also a mythological reason why we wear saree this way.”

“Is it so? What is that?”, Mythology always interests me.

“The origin of the Kodagu style sari is associated with a mythological tale of the great sage, Agasthya, and his wife, Cauvery. The legend has it that Cauvery transformed herself in a river to serve people. The sage Agasthya tried his best to curb his wife from transforming herself into a river, and in that process, her sari pleats got pushed back. It was from that time that the women from Coorg wear their sarees in the same manner.”

The fable of sage Agasthya and his consort Cauvery is an inspiration for the women in Coorg to drape their saris in Kodagu style.

Interesting facts about Kodagu style saree

The Kodagu style of draping the sari is unique and not imitated anywhere else.
The fabrics used in stitching the saris have changed drastically from cotton to luxurious brocade and silk.
The Kodagu women usually accessorize their saree with shoes and socks.
Saris have been a part of the rich tradition of Karnatka for a very long time, and the style of draping has not changed since the time of its origin.

Interestingly, Talakaveri or Talacauvery is considered the river Cauvery source and is a holy place for many Hindus. It is located on Brahmagiri hills near Bhagamandala in Coorg.

Being a traveler, I often wonder how such mythological stories play an important role in laying the foundation of a state’s/ country’s culture and religious practices. Listening to these stories only makes our travel horizon broader.

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