Regional drapes
The Nauvari
Maharashtra's nine yard saree, passed between the legs and tucked at the back, giving a free and trouser-like drape.
Nauvari means nine yards in Marathi. This long saree is wrapped so that part of the cloth passes between the legs and is tucked at the back, which gives the freedom of a dhoti. It is the traditional saree of Maharashtra, worn at festivals, in folk dance and by many women for weddings and processions.
Wrapped step by step
Each drawing shows the cloth so far, with the newest step outlined in gold. The figure is a front view; the wearer's left is on your right.
Step 1 Tuck one end into the petticoat or a waist cord at the right hip. Step 2 Wrap the cloth round the waist. Step 3 Gather the long length of cloth into broad pleats at the front. Step 4 Pass the pleats between the legs, from the front to the back. Step 5 Tuck the pleats at the back of the waist, so that the cloth sits like a dhoti. Step 6 Bring the pallu across the chest and over the left shoulder. Step 7 Tuck the end of the pallu at the waist so that it stays out of the way. Finished The Nauvari, seen from the front.
Where it comes from
The style is old in the Deccan and in the Konkan coast. It was the usual drape for working women and fisher communities, who needed to climb, fish and farm. The saree is also called kashta or kachha, which refer to the tucked back. It was long worn by Marathi women of many communities, with differences in the shape of the pallu and the height of the hem.
How it looks
The saree is wrapped, then the pleats are drawn back between the legs and tucked at the waist behind. The hem rises to about the ankle and is free enough to walk fast. The pallu is brought across the chest and tucked at the waist. Paithani and other silks are made in nine yard lengths for this drape.
Who wears it and when
Many Maharashtrian women wear the nauvari for Gudi Padwa, Ganesh Chaturthi, weddings and processions, often as a statement of heritage. The lavani dancers of the state wear it, and so do women who ride in processions on festival days. Ready-stitched versions exist for those who find the draping hard.
Sarees worn this way
More on EveryPallu
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryPallu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The drawings are simplified diagrams of the order of wrapping, not a lesson: how a drape is worn differs from family to family. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Kasta sari: Dakutaa at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paithani: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source