The Gara saree saga

One of the most prized possessions of Parsi families (read women) is their Gara saree or sarees! Not only are they possessions of pride and boy, these beautifully embroidered sarees are often worth more the rest of the entire family wardrobe put together!

Here’s a great article on Garas (as they’re popularly called) from The Heritage Institute.

A gara is a sari traditionally worn on special occasions by the Zoroastrian Parsi and Irani women from India. While some garas may be valued at US$15,000 a piece, they carry with them a priceless heritage which is their worth in these pages.

Surviving garas often become a part of a family’s heirloom – passed down from one generation to the next. At one time, a gara was a regular part of a bride’s trousseau. We hope this tradition can be restored for in doing so it will revive and give new life to a dying craft in the age-old tradition of the village artisans of Yazd and Kerman who produced priceless pieces of silk embroidery including the Kermani pateh-duzi embroidery (see our page on termeh). The craft is well suited to a cottage or home industry… click here to read the entire article