Kasavu

Kasavu is a soft, white or off-white, handloom cotton cloth with gold-threaded borders that originated in the South Indian state of Kerala.
Origins.
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 and continues to be worn by Malayalis, the residents of Kerala. It is worn by both women and men, especially during festivals, dance programs, 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" (dance of clapping) also have women performers wearing "kasavu" 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!
Styles.
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.
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.
Location.
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 Kuthampully near Ottapalam, which lies between Thrissur and Palakkad. The entire village population create "kasavu" cloth, pool their produce together, and sell it through a centralized, collective market.
Modern "kasavu".
The traditional "mundu-veshti" 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. 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.