The Madisar or Nine Yards Saree

The nine yard sari or "madisar" is traditional dress for South Indian women. A few decades ago this was a standard wear for all married women. Now a days nine yards saree is worn only on special occasions like weddings, death ceremonies, religious functions and festivals like Diwali.
A Tamil Brahmin girl customarily wears Red Koorai (9 yards silk saree) for the first time during her marriage -with the help of her sister in law just before the Kanya Dhanam( or the father giving away the bride.)
The madisar is complex to tie and even more complex to maintain due to its length.These factors have contributed to the madisar's steep decline in recent times. See below a recent picture of ladies wearing madisars at a religious function.