Collection: Parsi Gara Sarees

The beauty of Parsi Gara hand embroidered sarees is hard to miss. Our beautiful sarees are such designer pieces that will leave you absolutely besotted with the intricacy and visual appeal. Gara is the Gujarati word for "sari "and the embroidery was inspired by Parsi art, hence the name Parsi Gara. The motifs are influenced by the flora, fauna and sometimes human figures too. Parsi embroidery is a unique part of India’s diverse textile heritage. This heritage artistic tradition has its roots in Iran during the Bronze Age but with time it has drew influences from European, Chinese, Persian and Indian culture.

Parsi Gara Embroidery which was earlier done mostly on Silk fabric is now being done now on varied fabrics like pure crepe silk, Pure georgette and Organza. They come in many colors and are beautifully adorned with delicate embroidery in pastel shades and pale white. They for sure bear testimony to the superior craftsmanship of the Parsi embroiderers.

Sarees that were embroidered with chinese motives and imported from china are reminder of the enormous trade between India and China in the 19th centuries which was spearheaded by the Parsis. 

When these garas were born in the 19th century and made a statement by this time the parsis were very successful not only as professionals as lawyers and doctors but as entrepreneurs and businessmen with steel and cotton factories. 

They and their wives were present at public meetings and so on and while the men wore western dress. the Parsee women still wore saris but they were saris which were totally different from anything that had been seen in india. These saris with their exotic motives suggested wealth and sophistication.

The introduction of these saris into India in the 19th century are of course a by-product of the China trade and this trade was just quite fascinating because it was a three corner trade and it involved things as the front as tea and cotton in the beginning.

These sarees are indeed worth a treasure taking more than 6 months to complete, as the embroidery work is crafted on all the four sides of the saree, making it truly tedious and intricate. The khaka stitch is so fine that women who do the needlework start suffering from failing eyesight, which has given it the name of the forbidden stitch.

There are basically three patterns in any Parsi Gara Saree. First is jaal work embroidery done all over the saree. Second pattern is motifs (butis) and border done on saree. Lastly there can be a parsi embroidered border which can be put in any saree. Mostly the threads used for embroidery are violet and pink combination. Parsi sarees are quite costly, but their appeal and style are so immensely enchanting that it becomes difficult for avid buyers to avoid buying.

Types of Motifs on a Parsi Gara Saree:

- Lily Symbolises Health

- Crysanthemum Flower symbolises Long Life

- 100 petalled rose is for spirituality

- The mango an Indian embroidery pattern is widely used  in various other types of Embroideries too.

- Crane Bird is widely used in Parsi Gara ensembles.

- India Peacock - The Persian Bird of Paradise.

The traditional Parsi Gara Embroidery is done by hands. But in recent times people have started imitating the patterns and and doing it with machines. Machine embroidered saree and dupattas would be less time consuming and cheaper compared to the hand embroidered ones.

How to Differentiate between Machine Embroidery with the Authentic Parsi Gara Embroidery:

It is very important for the end customer to understand the difference between machine and hand embroidery. Any type of hand embroidery will have loose threads at the back while machine work will have plain finish with exact patterns. The irregularities in hand embroidery are not considered a defect but signifies the amount of hard work and craftsmanship to make such magnificent pieces.

Cost is another factor which easily differentiates between the two. Machine Parsi Gara will be very cheap compared to the hand embroidered sarees.

The rich Parsi Gara embroidery, originally considered a Parsi family’s heirloom, is slowly becoming rare, and more of a collector’s item because of the intricate work and beauty, which is tedious and time-consuming, leaving few practitioners to uphold the tradition.