The sarees of Colombo
Sri Lanka's commercial capital, where sarees of every kind, handloom, batik and Indian imports, are sold and worn.
Motifs of Colombo
Woven here
Best time: December to March, and in April before the New Year.
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka and the main market for sarees on the island. Sinhala and Tamil women both wear the saree, in everyday and formal settings. The city sells sarees from Sri Lankan handloom and batik makers as well as imports from India.
What is sold here
Cloth markets and shops in the city sell cotton and silk sarees, Sri Lankan handloom and batik, and sarees imported from India. Batik is a speciality of the island, with wax-resist painted patterns on cotton and silk, and appears on sarees, shawls and dresses. State handicrafts outlets also sell handloom and craft cloth.
The craft and its people
The saree is worn in Sri Lanka by Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim women in different ways. It is common as office and school-teacher dress, as formal wear and as bridal dress. The Sinhala Kandyan style comes from the hills and the Colombo style, with the end draped over the left shoulder in the same way as in India, is common in the city.
Seeing it
The Colombo National Museum has displays on the island's costume and crafts. The old trading district of Pettah has markets with cloth shops in its lanes, and batik studios in and around the city welcome visitors. April is the busiest season, before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, when families buy new clothes.
A trail idea for Colombo
- Colombo National Museum See the costume and craft displays that explain the island's textile history.
- Pettah markets Walk the old trading district's lanes of cloth shops and see imports and local weaves side by side.
- A batik studio Watch wax applied to cotton or silk before dyeing, and see how it is made into sarees.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Colombo" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new sarees are written every day.