Mangalgiri Wine Red Silk Cotton Saree Temple Zari Border

A lustrous wine red Mangalgiri saree with a bold silver zari temple border and a striped pallu a handloom that reads festive without weighing you down Handwoven on pit looms in the Mangalgiri Pedana cluster of Andhra Pradesh this saree pairs a deep wine red silk cotton body with a striking gopuram temple step zari border finished by an asymmetrically striped pallu in gold and dark bands Mangalgiri cloth carries a Geographical Indication GI No 180 and a 500 year weaving lineage the tightly packed pit loom weave is what gives it that quiet sheen A silk warp over a mercerized cotton weft makes the drape lustrous yet easy to carry all evening How to spot the real handloom The gopuram zari border is interlocked into the weave the temple triangles and fine checks sit clean on both sides where a powerloom or printed border looks one sided and flat The pallu stripes are woven bands not surface print the colour changes go right through the cloth and the stripe edges stay crisp from the reverse A plain lustrous body with a slightly crisp dry hand and small weft irregularities is the pit loom signature unlike a uniform slippery powerloom finish Wear it for Festive evenings receptions and Diwali gatherings style with the matching blouse temple jewellery and a maroon bindi