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'''Kasavu''' is a soft, white or off-white, [[Loom|handloom]] cotton cloth with gold-threaded borders that originated in the South Indian state of [[Kerala]].<br />
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== Origins ==<br />
[[File:Scene from Gajendra Moksha Mural in Krishnapuram, 1730 CE.jpg|thumb| Women dressed in two-piece Kasavu sari, scene from Kerala Mural, 1730 CE.]]<br />
The original ''kasavu'' cloth was made by hand from cotton yarn and the borders from golden threads. It is believed to date back to the Buddhist era<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.utsavpedia.com/motifs-embroideries/simple-and-gorgeous-kerela-kasavu/|title=All About Kerela Kasavu Saree - Its Varieties And More|date=2017-02-27|website=Utsavpedia|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref> and continues to be worn by [[Malayali]]s, the residents of Kerala. It is worn by both women and men, especially during festivals, dances, and special occasions such as weddings and ''piranna naal'' (birthdays according to the local calendar.) During the ''[[Vishu]]'' festival, it is customary to place a brand new ''kasavu'' cloth near the traditional ''Vishukkani'' (lamp) as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. During dance performances such as the [[Mohiniyattam]] (dance of [[Vishnu]] in female form), only ''kasavu'' garments are worn by participants. Dances such as ''Kaikottikali'' or ''Thiruvathirakali'' <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onamfestival.org/kaikotti-kali.html|title=Kaikotti Kali,Thiruvathirakali,Folk Dance,Kaikotti kali Dance of Kerala|website=www.onamfestival.org|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref> (dance of clapping) also have women performers wearing ''kasavu'' [[Sari|sarees]] and traditional red blouses. Generally Kaikottikali is performed by 8–10 women, but can include more participants; the world record for the largest number of ''Kaikottikali'' performers is 2643 women at a time!<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai/2-643-kaikottikali-dancers-create-world-record-in-dombivli/story-Qz5vrUm1aiOaPEUjM8Y5WL.html|title=2,643 Kaikottikali dancers create world record in Dombivli|date=2012-11-11|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=2019-07-30}}</ref><br />
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== Styles ==<br />
Garments made with ''kasavu'' are long, rectangular pieces cloth called the ''[[mundu]],'' wrapped around the lower body, and the ''[[veshti]],'' wrapped around the upper body. Women typically wear a red, green or gold traditional blouse under the ''veshti'' while men sometimes wear a formal shirt.<br />
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The cost of a "''kasavu'' set" or "''kasavu settu''" comprising the ''mundu'' and ''veshti'' varies according to the width of the gold borders. Borders can range from 3/4" or less, to 6" or more in width.<br />
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== Location ==<br />
Though originally from Kerala, over time ''kasavu'' has spread across India, especially to the adjoining south Indian states of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], and [[Telangana]]. In Kerala, there are villages devoted entirely to the manufacture of ''kasavu'' cloth. Notable among them is the village of [https://www.keralatourism.org/destination/kuthampully-handloom-village/584 Kuthampully] near [[Ottapalam]], which lies between [[Thrissur]] and [[Palakkad]]. The [[Devanga]] chettiar community of weavers in Kuthampully were brought from Karnataka by the Maharaja of Kochin 500 years back.<ref>{{cite news |last=George |first=Anubha |date=6 October 2018|title=For 500 years, a Kannadiga community of weavers has produced Kerala’s iconic white and gold saree|url=https://scroll.in/magazine/881619/for-500-years-a-kannadiga-community-of-weavers-has-produced-keralas-iconic-white-and-gold-saree|url-status=live|work=Scroll.in|location= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701100352/https://scroll.in/magazine/881619/for-500-years-a-kannadiga-community-of-weavers-has-produced-keralas-iconic-white-and-gold-saree|archive-date=1 July 2021|access-date=1 July 2021}}</ref> The entire village population create ''kasavu'' cloth, pool their produce together, and sell it through a centralized, [[collective]] market.<br />
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== Modern ''kasavu'' ==<br />
The traditional ''mundu-veshti'' <ref>{{cite web<br />
|url=https://ikasavu.com/kerala_women_ethnic_collection/kerala_set_mundu/handloom_set_mundu<br />
|title=Kerala Kasavu|publisher=external}}</ref> has evolved over time and women prefer to wear a single-piece saree rather than the original two-piece garment. Also, the original garments had pure gold borders, whereas the newer versions have red, green, orange etc. colors along with gold, to make them look more attractive. [[Power loom|Powerlooms]] are also replacing handlooms but the machine-made fabric differs in texture from the original, though they are cheaper to produce on a mass scale.<br />
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== References ==<br />
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[[Category:Woven fabrics]]<br />
[[Category:Cotton]]</div>2402:8100:3023:BD4F:AA34:50DF:8AD5:FF9