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Frills That Add Flair: How The ‘Osariya’ Came To Be-by Shannine Daniel Source:Roar.media The saree is one of the oldest forms of women’s clothing, which is believed to date back to 5,000 years ago, when cotton was first cultivated and used to produce cloth. It is also one of the most common and most popular forms of women’s attire in the South Asian region, with different styles in various regions of the Indian subcontinent. While styles of saree draping introduced from India are quite popular in Sri Lanka, the osariya – also known as the Kandyan saree – is our own unique style of saree draping, and it is often considered to be the national dress of the Sinhalese women of Sri Lanka. While it is different from the nivi style that is popular in India, the origins of the osariya comes from trends in South India, and may have been introduced to Kandyan culture through the influence ...