Three conventionalised modes of clothing - one, for the divine female representing fertility, abundance and beauty; two, for an ecclesiastical being; and three, for an entertainer....defined his distinction, rank and role in society. Manu prescribes...

...each and every part of the feminine physique... have consistently been used to support ornaments... the simple appearance without ornament is "not enough"... Hence the stress on adornment of the women, who are but the poetry of nature...

The Sari, it is said, was born on the loom of a fanciful weaver. He dreamt of a Woman. The shimmer of her tears. The drape of her tumbling hair. The colors of her many moods. The softness of her touch. All these he wove together. He couldn't stop....