Thursday 31 May 2012

New industry metrics to help publishers make the most from the web

Over 2 million AdSense publishers like you create the unique and diverse content that we all love - whether it’s finding reviews for a new restaurant, or do-it-yourself furniture makeovers. Online advertising helps fuel this creativity, and we’ve been improving our products to help you make the most of every opportunity - from making it easier to earn revenue from the mobile web, or welcoming Indonesian publishers to the AdSense community.  One of the ways we can continue to support you is by giving access to new sources of industry knowledge to enable you to make the most from display advertising. With this is mind, today we’re introducing a new report, “Display Business Trends: Publisher Edition”.

What’s inside for AdSense publishers? Well for starters, there are answers to questions like:
  • Which  ad sizes are rising in popularity? You control the ad experience on your site by choosing ad sizes that fit the design of your pages. But with such a flexible selection, which ad sizes should you pick? We found that 80% of all ads served tend to be the three best performing ad units for AdSense publishers: the medium rectangle, leaderboard, and skyscraper. We’re also seeing fewer publishers use smaller ad units, like the 468x60 banner.
  • Is the mobile web really a big deal? We think so! We saw a 250% increase in mobile web impressions over the last three months of 2011. Growth in mobile usage has exploded, and there’s never been a better time for your site to go mobile. Check out resources for publishers on our GoMo site and Mobile Mondays blogposts.
  • Which sites are showing strong impression growth? In 2011, we found that Shopping, Sports, and Auto & Vehicle sites were some of the fastest year-on-year growth verticals on the Ad Exchange and AdSense. We saw impressive figures across the board, with 15 out of 25 publisher verticals displaying double-digit growth.
  • Where in the world are you? All over, as it turns out. Of a possible estimated 245 different countries and territories, we saw publisher ad impressions from 235 of them. These included the island country of Palau - one of the world’s newest sovereign states - and the middle-African nation of Equatorial Guinea, with astounding growth rates of 1106% and 4635% respectively. And while the United States still accounts for the highest percentage of impressions overall, we’re seeing a significant representation from China and Japan, coming in at 11% and 6% respectively.


The Publisher Edition will be the first in a series of publications looking at aggregated global data from across Google’s display advertising solutions, so stay tuned for more industry metrics to come. In the meantime, join the conversation and tell us what you think is behind these trends on our AdSense +Page.

Sphere of Influence

Sphere of Influence... San Francisco, CA
During the photowalk along the Embarcadero, we ventured through the uber target-rich Hyatt Regency Hotel. This big old ribby sphere looked all light up from above, below and within... and it seemed like no matter which angle you took it from there were such interesting lines and colors everywhere that you almost couldn't go wrong!


Clicksor Newsletter


New Feature Publisher Site
New Feature Publisher Site
New Clicksor Publisher Site
Launch Your Landing Page the Right Way.

First off, we want to give a shout – out to all our visitors who read our blog as we have reached over 10,000 unique visitors last month from all around the world.  This week’s theme revolves around the importance of a landing page and how a proper layout will lead to a higher conversion rate.  You will now learn to master designing a landing page by using the following four advices. Read more
How to Distinguish Different Targeting in the Keywords/Channel Report

Clicksor has just recently released its new ISP Targeting for Advertisers so they could create more effective campaigns than ever before. ISPs that you have targeted will be shown on the Keywords/Channel Report of your Advertiser Area, along with any keywords, channels, and sites that you’ve targeted as well. This tutorial will briefly help you distinguish all of your results from each other (your keywords, ISPs, etc.) within the report.Read more
What is the difference between CPC vs CPM?
Choosing the right cost metrics can help you increase your conversions and ROI, while saving you money at the same time. Whether it’s creating an interaction with your audience or just mostly for brand awareness, you might just be suitable for one type of metric over the other. Here, I’m going to break down the difference between CPC and CPM, both metrics for banners, so you can better decide which one is right for you.
CPC: Cost per click (CPC) cost metric charges you based on whether a visitor has clicked on your ad or not. One one hand, CPC guarantees that you only pay for a person that is interested in clicking on your product. On the other hand, you’ll be paying 10 times as much or more for every click compared to impressions due to the highly competitive bidding involved. Make sure that you have a button or a call to action that indicates they should click here. The key is quick interaction, since you only have a limited space to catch a person’s attention.
CPM: Cost per thousand views (CPM) cost metric will charge you based on whether the number of visitors that have seen your ad. Since it is only based on views instead of clicks, the interaction itself with the ad is mainly optional. Mostly, due to the lower bid price per view, you would want to use the CPM metric to have as many views of your ads as possible at a lower price. If you’re aiming for brand awareness campaigns, this one’s right for you due to the low price for high traffic volume return compared to CPC.
Whether it is interaction or awareness that you’re aiming for can determine which cost metric is suitable for you, and ultimately save you money in the end. Which cost metric do you plan on using for your next campaign?
Top 10 Best Sales Countries In August
United States Germany India Brazil
Italy United Kingdom Indonesia Pakistan
France Russia Philippines Saudi Arabia

Discover better stories by Tweets blog

The Discover tab makes it easy to discover information that matters to you without having to follow additional accounts. Starting today, the Discover tab will begin to surface content that is even more personalized and meaningful to you. We’ve incorporated additional personalization signals to select Discover stories, including Tweets that are popular among the people you follow and the folks they follow.

The Discover tab’s new design shows who tweeted about particular stories. You can click “View Tweets" on any story to see popular Tweets from your network or recent, relevant Tweets directly below the story summary. This social context helps you understand why each story matters to you and makes it easier to join the conversation. You can reply, retweet or favorite these Tweets, or you can “Tweet this story” to share your own perspective.



Over the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out this redesigned and more personalized Discover experience on Twitter.com, iPhone and Android. This update is part of our ongoing development of Discover; we will continue to work to make discovery on Twitter a magical experience that brings you instantly closer to the information that matters most to you at the right time, any time.

Twitter Privacy Policy

Twitter instantly connects people everywhere to what’s most meaningful to them. Any registered user can send a Tweet, which is a message of 140 characters or less that is public by default and can include other content like photos, videos, and links to other websites.
Tip What you say on Twitter may be viewed all around the world instantly.
This Privacy Policy describes how and when Twitter collects, uses and shares your information when you use our Services. Twitter receives your information through our various websites, SMS, APIs, email notifications, applications, buttons, and widgets (the "Services" or "Twitter"). For example, you send us information when you use Twitter from our website, post or receive Tweets via SMS, or access Twitter from an application such as Twitter for Mac, Twitter for Android or TweetDeck. When using any of our Services you consent to the collection, transfer, manipulation, storage, disclosure and other uses of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. Irrespective of which country you reside in or supply information from, you authorize Twitter to use your information in the United States and any other country where Twitter operates.
If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at privacy@twitter.com or here.

Information Collection and Use

Tip We collect and use your information below to provide our Services and to measure and improve them over time.
Information Collected Upon Registration: When you create or reconfigure a Twitter account, you provide some personal information, such as your name, username, password, and email address. Some of this information, for example, your name and username, is listed publicly on our Services, including on your profile page and in search results. Some Services, such as search, public user profiles and viewing lists, do not require registration.
Additional Information: You may provide us with profile information to make public, such as a short biography, your location, your website, or a picture. You may provide information to customize your account, such as a cell phone number for the delivery of SMS messages. We may use your contact information to send you information about our Services or to market to you. You may use your account settings to unsubscribe from notifications from Twitter. You may also unsubscribe by following the instructions contained within the notification or the instructions on our website. We may use your contact information to help others find your Twitter account, including through third-party services and client applications. Your account settings control whether others can find you by your email address or cell phone number. You may choose to upload your address book so that we can help you find Twitter users you know. We may later suggest people to follow on Twitter based on your imported address book contacts, which you can delete from Twitter at any time. If you email us, we may keep your message, email address and contact information to respond to your request. If you connect your Twitter account to your account on another service in order to cross-post between Twitter and that service, the other service may send us your registration or profile information on that service and other information that you authorize. This information enables cross-posting, helps us improve the Services, and is deleted from Twitter within a few weeks of your disconnecting from Twitter your account on the other service. Learn more here. Providing the additional information described in this section is entirely optional.
Tweets, Following, Lists and other Public Information: Our Services are primarily designed to help you share information with the world. Most of the information you provide us is information you are asking us to make public. This includes not only the messages you Tweet and the metadata provided with Tweets, such as when you Tweeted, but also the lists you create, the people you follow, the Tweets you mark as favorites or Retweet, and many other bits of information that result from your use of the Services. Our default is almost always to make the information you provide public for as long as you do not delete it from Twitter, but we generally give you settings to make the information more private if you want. Your public information is broadly and instantly disseminated. For instance, your public user profile information and public Tweets may be searchable by search engines and are immediately delivered via SMS and our APIs to a wide range of users and services, with one example being the United States Library of Congress, which archives Tweets for historical purposes. When you share information or content like photos, videos, and links via the Services, you should think carefully about what you are making public.
Location Information: You may choose to publish your location in your Tweets and in your Twitter profile. You may also tell us your location when you set your trend location on Twitter.com or enable your computer or mobile device to send us location information. You can set your Tweet location preferences in your account settings and learn more about this feature here. Learn how to set your mobile location preferences here. We may use and store information about your location to provide features of our Services, such as Tweeting with your location, and to improve and customize the Services, for example, with more relevant content like local trends, stories, ads, and suggestions for people to follow.
Links: Twitter may keep track of how you interact with links across our Services, including our email notifications, third-party services, and client applications, by redirecting clicks or through other means. We do this to help improve our Services, to provide more relevant advertising, and to be able to share aggregate click statistics such as how many times a particular link was clicked on.
Cookies: Like many websites, we use "cookie" technology to collect additional website usage data and to improve our Services, but we do not require cookies for many parts of our Services such as searching and looking at public user profiles or lists. A cookie is a small data file that is transferred to your computer's hard disk. Twitter may use both session cookies and persistent cookies to better understand how you interact with our Services, to monitor aggregate usage by our users and web traffic routing on our Services, and to customize and improve our Services. Most Internet browsers automatically accept cookies. You can instruct your browser, by changing its settings, to stop accepting cookies or to prompt you before accepting a cookie from the websites you visit. However, some Services may not function properly if you disable cookies.
Log Data: Our servers automatically record information ("Log Data") created by your use of the Services. Log Data may include information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, the referring web page, pages visited, location, your mobile carrier, device and application IDs, search terms, and cookie information. We receive Log Data when you interact with our Services, for example, when you visit our websites, sign into our Services, interact with our email notifications, use your Twitter account to authenticate to a third-party website or application, or visit a third-party website that includes a Twitter button or widget. Twitter uses Log Data to provide our Services and to measure, customize, and improve them. If not already done earlier, for example, as provided below for Widget Data, we will either delete Log Data or remove any common account identifiers, such as your username, full IP address, or email address, after 18 months.
Widget Data: We may tailor content for you based on your visits to third-party websites that integrate Twitter buttons or widgets. When these websites first load our buttons or widgets for display, we receive Log Data, including the web page you visited and a cookie that identifies your browser ("Widget Data"). After a maximum of 10 days, we start the process of deleting or aggregating Widget Data, which is usually instantaneous but in some cases may take up to a week. While we have the Widget Data, we may use it to tailor content for you, such as suggestions for people to follow on Twitter. Tailored content is stored with only your browser cookie ID and is separated from other Widget Data such as page-visit information. This feature is optional and not yet available to all users. If you want, you can suspend it or turn it off, which removes from your browser the unique cookie that enables the feature. Learn more about the feature here. For Tweets, Log Data, and other information that we receive from interactions with Twitter buttons or widgets, please see the other sections of this Privacy Policy.
Third-Party Service Providers: Twitter uses a variety of third-party services to help provide our Services, such as hosting our various blogs and wikis, and to help us understand the use of our Services, such as Google Analytics. These third-party service providers may collect information sent by your browser as part of a web page request, such as cookies or your IP address.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

TipWe do not disclose your private personal information except in the limited circumstances described here.
Your Consent: We may share or disclose your information at your direction, such as when you authorize a third-party web client or application to access your Twitter account.
Service Providers: We engage service providers to perform functions and provide services to us in the United States and abroad. We may share your private personal information with such service providers subject to confidentiality obligations consistent with this Privacy Policy, and on the condition that the third parties use your private personal data only on our behalf and pursuant to our instructions.
Law and Harm: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Policy, we may preserve or disclose your information if we believe that it is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation or legal request; to protect the safety of any person; to address fraud, security or technical issues; or to protect Twitter's rights or property. However, nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit any legal defenses or objections that you may have to a third party’s, including a government’s, request to disclose your information.
Business Transfers: In the event that Twitter is involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, your information may be sold or transferred as part of that transaction. The promises in this Privacy Policy will apply to your information as transferred to the new entity.
Non-Private or Non-Personal Information: We may share or disclose your non-private, aggregated or otherwise non-personal information, such as your public user profile information, public Tweets, the people you follow or that follow you, or the number of users who clicked on a particular link (even if only one did).

Modifying Your Personal Information

If you are a registered user of our Services, we provide you with tools and account settings to access or modify the personal information you provided to us and associated with your account.
You can also permanently delete your Twitter account. If you follow the instructions here, your account will be deactivated and then deleted. When your account is deactivated, it is not viewable on Twitter.com. For up to 30 days after deactivation it is still possible to restore your account if it was accidentally or wrongfully deactivated. After 30 days, we begin the process of deleting your account from our systems, which can take up to a week.

Our Policy Towards Children

Our Services are not directed to persons under 13. If you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at privacy@twitter.com. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we take steps to remove such information and terminate the child's account. You can find additional resources for parents and teens here.

EU Safe Harbor Framework

Twitter complies with the U.S.-E.U. and U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of notice, choice, onward transfer, security, data integrity, access, and enforcement. To learn more about the Safe Harbor program, and to view our certification, please visit the U.S. Department of Commerce website.

Changes to this Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version of the policy will govern our use of your information and will always be at https://twitter.com/privacy. If we make a change to this policy that, in our sole discretion, is material, we will notify you via an @Twitter update or email to the email address associated with your account. By continuing to access or use the Services after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy

Inside AdSense Mark your calendars for DoubleClick Insights

As the digital media world continues to grow and diversify, we see unprecedented opportunity for both publishers and advertisers. AdSense publishers are an integral part of the display industry community -- so what does this mean for the future of buying and selling ads?

Tune in and watch Google's Neal Mohan, VP of Display Advertising, sit down with industry leaders to explore the digital ecosystem's swift evolution, and how publishers and advertisers can work better together to chart a path to make the most of every opportunity, while simultaneously addressing the challenges both face.

The live stream will start on June 5th, 2012, at 9:00am PDT, and you’ll be able to watch from your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

Please register for this virtual event by visiting the DoubleClick Insights Live Stream page.


DoubleClick Insights
Tuesday, June 5th 2012
9:00am - 1:00pm PST

Following us on Google+ or Twitter? Use the #dclkinsights as you're watching the event.
Posted by Stephen Kliff, DoubleClick Marketing

Unable to view the links or images in the message above? Want to comment on this post? Visit http://adsense.blogspot.com/ .

Bollywood Hot Actress Dia Mirza


Dia Mirza
Born Dia Handrich
(1981-12-09) 9 December 1981 (age 30)
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names Diya Mirza
Diya
Dee
Occupation Actress, model, Film Producer
Years active 2001-present



Dia Mirza, (Bengali: দিয়া মির্জা; born on December 9, 1981) Dia Mirza Handrich nicknamed Dee is a Indian model and actress who appears in Bollywood films. The actress along with her boyfriend Sahil Sangha and good friend Zayed Khan has started her own production house, Born Free Entertainment,
their first film Love Breakups Zindagi made under the banner was released on 7 October 2011.

  Personal life and education

Dia Mirza was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Frank Handrich, was a German graphic and industrial fair designer, architect, artist and interior designer from Munich and her mother, Deepa is a Bengali Hindu who is an interior designer, landscaper and currently does social work as a volunteer to help alcoholics and addicts. They separated when she was six years old. Her father died when she was nine and her mother married Ahmed Mirza, who died in 2004. She adopted her steppfather's surname and has recently adopted the last name of her birth-father, becoming Dia Mirza Handrich.
When living in Khairatabad, Hyderabad district, she attended Vidyaranya High School for Boys And Girls, a school based on the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, and later Nasr School, in Khairtabad. She attended Stanley Junior College and completed her graduation in Bachelors of Arts from Andhra Pradesh Open University, Hyderabad.

Career

Diya Mirza started working at the age of 16 years while continuing her college education. She worked as a marketing executive in a multi-media firm called Dr. Neeraj’s Multi media studio. She simultaneously modelled for the print and television advertisement campaigns of various brands such as Walls, Lipton, Emami etc. Mirza wanted to complete her graduation in Arts by correspondence, but decided to postpone it as it was becoming difficult to juggle between the Miss Asia Pacific competition, modeling assignments, travelling and training.

  Miss Asia Pacific

Diya Mirza was a second runner up at Femina Miss India, 2000 and was subsequently sent to Miss Asia Pacific, where she won. When she won the Miss Asia Pacific title on 3 December 2000 in Manila, Philippines, she became the first Indian contestant to win this title in 29 years. She completed the hat-trick of India winning international pageants in the year 2000; Lara Dutta won the Miss Universe title and Priyanka Chopra won the Miss World title in the same year.

  Film career

Diya Mirza made her cinematic debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein opposite R. Madhavan. Although the film was not a box office success, she appeared in Parineeta, a Vidhu Vinod Chopra production. She also starred in the music video, Kajara Mohabbat Wala alongside Sonu Nigam from his album Kajara Nite. The album contained multiple remixes, but was mainly advertised with the title song, sung by Sonu Nigam and Alisha Chinai.
She also appeared in the films Dus and Fight Club. She was the only female actor among the six key characters in the film, Acid Factory in which she played a femme fatale who is also a gangster.

  Community Services

Diya Mirza has been involved with Cancer Patients Aid Association, Spastics Society of India, and has worked extensively with government of Andhra Pradesh to spread HIV awareness, prevention of female foeticide, PETA, CRY and most recently the NDTV Greenathon – an effort to find tangible solutions against pollution and book, "Deke Dheko" by Radio Mirchi (a campaign initiated to collect books for underprivileged children). Her other hobbies include writing, reading, painting, pottery, horse riding and theater. She has written several articles for The Hindustan Times and various other publications as a guest writer. She is on the board of the Coca Cola foundation that works towards development in rural India.
She recently adopted 2 cheetah cubs at the Prince of Wales zoological park in Lucknow.

Controversies

Diya Mirza and fellow-actor Aamir Khan publicly expressed support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan, a group protesting the building of a dam. This aroused the ire of political activists from the Bharatiya Janata Party, who led a protest march against the actress. Pakistani and Indian news media spread that Shoaib Akhtar was going to marry Mirza, which she denied.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2001 Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein Reena Malhotra
Deewaanapan Kiran Choudhary
2002 Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge Muskaan
2003 Tehzeeb Nazneen Jamal
Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye Saundarya
Dum Kaveri
2004 Stop! Shama
Tumsa Nahin Dekha Jia Khan
Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na Preeti Special appearance
2005 Naam Gum Jaayega Natasha/Gitanjali
My Brother… Nikhil
Special appearance
Blackmail (2005 film) Mrs. Rathod
Parineeta

Dus Anu Dheer
Koi Mera Dil Mein Hain Simran
2006 Fight Club - Members Only Anu Chopra
Phir Hera Pheri
Item number (song)
Alag Purva Rana
Lage Raho Munna Bhai Simran
Prateeksha Reena Brown TV release
2007 Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. Shilpa
Shootout at Lokhandwala Mita Matu
Cash Aditi
Heyy Babyy Herself Special appearance in a song
Om Shanti Om Herself Special appearance
Dus Kahaniyaan Sia
2008 Krazzy 4 Shikha
Kaho Naa Yaar Hai Herself A reality based game show TV, Appeared with her best friends
Syed Kafait Ali and Amna humdani along with Sajid Khan and
his friends as competitors on 1 March 2008 aired on Star Plus.
2009 Kissan Priya
Jai Veeru Anna
Acid Factory Max
Fruit and Nut Monica Gokhale
Kurbaan Rehana (WIACB reporter) Special Appearance
Luck By Chance Herself Special Appearance
2010 Hum Tum Aur Ghost Gehna
Shoebite

2011 Love Breakups Zindagi Naina
Johnny Mastana
Filming
Alibaug
Filming

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Bollywood Hot Actress Vishakha Singh

Vishakha Singh

Vishakha Singh

 

 

 





Born Vishakha Singh
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Other names Vishaka
Occupation Film actress, model











Vishakha Singh is an Indian film actress and model. She appeared in South Indian language films, before starring in noted Bollywood projects, the most prominently being Ashutosh Gowariker's 2010 period piece Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.

Filmography

Year Film Role Language Notes
2007 Gnaapakam Sarangi Telugu
2008 Pidichirukku Manju Mariyadas Tamil
Humsey Hai Jahaan Esha Singh Hindi
2009 Housefull Aishwarya Kannada
2010 Antharathma Mahi Shyam Kannada
The Genius of Beauty
English
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Pritilata Waddedar Hindi Nominated, Stardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female
2011 Do Aur Do Paanch
Hindi

History of the Indian




Woman wearing a sari
A sari or saree is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine yards in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma, Malaysia, and Singapore. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff.
The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (लहंगा lahaṅgā or lehenga) in the north, langa, pavada, or pavadai in the south, chaniyo, parkar, ghaghra, or ghagaro in the west, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The blouse has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped at the midriff, and as such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cholis may be backless or of a halter neck style. These are usually more dressy, with plenty of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery, and may be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a short-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist. The sari developed as a garment of its own in both South and North India at around the same time, and is in popular culture an epitome of Indian culture. The sari signified the grace of Indian women adequately displaying the curves at the right places.

    Origins and history



    Noblewoman in Mysore Sari
    The word sari is derived from Sanskrit शाटी śāṭī which means 'strip of cloth' and शाडी śāḍī or साडी sāḍī in Prakrit, and which was corrupted to sāṛī in Hindi.
    In the history of Indian clothing the sari is traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which flourished during 2800–1800 BC around the western part of the Indian subcontinent. The earliest known depiction of the sari in the Indian subcontinent is the statue of an Indus Valley priest wearing a drape.
    Ancient Tamil poetry, such as the Silappadhikaram and the Sanskrit work, Kadambari by Banabhatta, describes women in exquisite drapery or sari. In ancient Indian tradition and the Natya Shastra (an ancient Indian treatise describing ancient dance and costumes), the navel of the Supreme Being is considered to be the source of life and creativity, hence the midriff is to be left bare by the sari.
    Sculptures from the Gandhara, Mathura and Gupta schools (1st–6th century AD) show goddesses and dancers wearing what appears to be a dhoti wrap, in the "fishtail" version which covers the legs loosely and then flows into a long, decorative drape in front of the legs. No bodices are shown.
    Other sources say that everyday costume consisted of a dhoti or lungi (sarong), combined with a breast band and a veil or wrap that could be used to cover the upper body or head. The two-piece Kerala mundum neryathum (mundu, a dhoti or sarong, neryath, a shawl, in Malayalam) is a survival of ancient Indian clothing styles. The one-piece sari is a modern innovation, created by combining the two pieces of the mundum neryathum.
    It is generally accepted that wrapped sari-like garments, shawls, and veils have been worn by Indian women for a long time, and that they have been worn in their current form for hundreds of years.




    Woman wearing a Choli
    The tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a sari is a choli. Choli evolved as a form of clothing in the 10th century AD, and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare but covered with end of saris pallu or veil. Bodices of this type are still common in the state of Rajasthan.
    In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it is indeed documented that women from many communities wore only the sari and exposed the upper part of the body till the 20th century. Poetic references from works like Silappadikaram indicate that during the Sangam period in ancient Tamil Nadu, a single piece of clothing served as both lower garment and head covering, leaving the breasts and midriff completely uncovered. In Kerala there are many references to women being bare-breasted, including many paintings by Raja Ravi Varma.
    In ancient India, although women wore saris that bared the midriff, the Dharmasastra writers stated that women should be dressed such that the navel would never become visible. By which for some time the navel exposure became a taboo and the navel was concealed.

      Styles of draping



    Illustration of different styles of Sari & clothing worn by women in South Asia
    There are more than 80 recorded ways to wear a sari. Fashion designer Shaina NC declared,"I can drape a sari in 54 different styles".
    The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with the loose end of the drape to be worn over the shoulder, baring the midriff. However, the sari can be draped in several different styles, though some styles do require a sari of a particular length or form. The French cultural anthropologist and sari researcher Chantal Boulanger categorized sari drapes in the following families:
    • Nivi – styles originally worn in Andhra Pradesh; besides the modern nivi, there is also the kaccha nivi, where the pleats are passed through the legs and tucked into the waist at the back. This allows free movement while covering the legs.
    • Bengali and Oriya style.
    • Gujarati – after tucking in the pleats similar to the Nivi style, the loose end is taken from the back, draped across the right shoulder, and pulled across to be secured in the back
    • Maharashtrian/Konkani/Kashta; this drape is very similar to that of the male Maharashtrian dhoti. The center of the sari (held lengthwise) is placed at the center back, the ends are brought forward and tied securely, then the two ends are wrapped around the legs. When worn as a sari, an extra-long cloth of nine yards is used and the ends are then passed up over the shoulders and the upper body. They are primarily worn by Brahmin women of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
    • Dravidian – sari drapes worn in Tamil Nadu; many feature a pinkosu, or pleated rosette, at the waist.
    • Madisar – this drape is typical of Iyengar/Iyer Brahmin ladies from Tamil Nadu.
    • Kodagu style – this drape is confined to ladies hailing from the Kodagu district of Karnataka. In this style, the pleats are created in the rear, instead of the front. The loose end of the sari is draped back-to-front over the right shoulder, and is pinned to the rest of the sari.
    • Gobbe Seere – This style is worn by women in the Malnad or Sahyadri and central region of Karnataka. It is worn with 18 molas saree with three four rounds at the waist and a knot after crisscrossing over shoulders.
    • Gond – sari styles found in many parts of Central India. The cloth is first draped over the left shoulder, then arranged to cover the body.
    • Malayali style – the two-piece sari, or Mundum Neryathum, worn in Kerala. Usually made of unbleached cotton and decorated with gold or colored stripes and/or borders. Also the Set-saree, a sort of mundum neryathum.
    • Tribal styles – often secured by tying them firmly across the chest, covering the breasts.
    • Kunbi style or denthli:Goan Gauda and Kunbis,and those of them who have migrated to other states use this way of draping Sari or Kappad,this form of draping is created by tying a knot in the fabric below the shoulder and a strip of cloth which crossed the left shoulder was fasten on the back.

      Nivi style



    Maharani Ourmilla Devi in Nivi Style Chiffon sari.
    The nivi is today's most popular sari style.
    The nivi drape starts with one end of the sari tucked into the waistband of the petticoat, usually a plain skirt. The cloth is wrapped around the lower body once, then hand-gathered into even pleats below the navel. The pleats are tucked into the waistband of the petticoat. They create a graceful, decorative effect which poets have likened to the petals of a flower.
    After one more turn around the waist, the loose end is draped over the shoulder. The loose end is called the pallu, pallav, seragu, or paita depending on the language. It is draped diagonally in front of the torso. It is worn across the right hip to over the left shoulder, partly baring the midriff. The navel can be revealed or concealed by the wearer by adjusting the pallu, depending on the social setting. The long end of the pallu hanging from the back of the shoulder is often intricately decorated. The pallu may be hanging freely, tucked in at the waist, used to cover the head, or used to cover the neck, by draping it across the right shoulder as well. Some nivi styles are worn with the pallu draped from the back towards the front, coming from the back over the right shoulder with one corner tucked by the left hip, covering the torso/waist. The nivi sari was popularised through the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. In one of his paintings, the Indian subcontinent was shown as a mother wearing a flowing nivi sari. Also, partly due to Bollywood actresses wearing it this way in 1920s and 1930s.
    The ornaments generally accepted by the Hindu culture that can be worn in the midriff region are the waist chains. They are considered to be a part of bridal jewellery.

    Modern style of draping

    The increased interaction with the British saw most women from royal families come out of purdah in the 1900s. This necessitated a change of dress. Maharani Indira Devi of Cooch Behar popularised the chiffon sari. She was widowed early in life and followed the convention of abandoning her richly woven Baroda shalus in favour of the traditional unadorned white. Characteristically, she transformed her ‘mourning’ clothes into high fashion. She had saris woven in France to her personal specifications, in white chiffon, and introduced the silk chiffon sari to the royal fashion repertoire. The chiffon sari did what years of fashion interaction had not done in India. It homogenised fashion across this land. Its softness, lightness and beautiful, elegant, caressing drape was ideally suited to the Indian climate.
    Different courts adopted their own styles of draping and indigenizing the sari. In most of the courts the sari was embellished with stitching hand-woven borders in goldfrom Varanasi, delicate zardozi work, gota, makaish and tilla work that embellished the plain fabric, sumiltaneously satisfying both traditional demands and ingrained love for ornamentation. Some images of maharanis in the Deccan show the women wearing a sleeveless, richly embellished waistcoat over their blouses. The Begum of Savanur remembers how sumptuous the chiffon sari became at their gatherings. At some courts it was worn with jaali, or net kurtas and embossed silk waist length sadris or jackets. Some of them were so rich that the entire ground was embroidered over with pearls and zardozi.


    Anangsha Biswas in a modern low-rise Transparent sari with a sleeveless choli.
    Due to migration to Western countries like South Africa, many Indian women began to wear the normal sari below the waistline exposing the navel, known as low-rise sari or low hip sari. Thus, the space between the bottom of the sari blouse and the top of the petticoat began to expand to expose the navel or a healthy roll of fat instead of only a couple of inches of skin. Also due to liberalization and changing global fashion trends, saris are reemerging as a dress which can expose as much as it conceals. As a result, saris began to be designed in many innovative ways and materials. Transparent and semi-transparent saris made of sheer fabrics like chiffon are an example.Heavily embroidered saris gave way to printed nylons and polyesters.
    These saris are draped in different ways such as petticoat being tied at about 4–6 inches below the navel  or where the blouse is small and ends just below the breasts and the pallu is thin, thereby exposing the some part of the blouse and almost the entire midriff. Fashion designer Suneet Varma once commentd,"The saree is the most versatile garment in the world. It can, with a sweep of the head, be conservative or with a flash of the navel, trendy. If you are going for a prayer meeting, all you need to do is to place the pallu over the shoulders or cover your head with it. The same saree, worn a little low to show off the navel, and teamed up with a backless choli, and show a bit of cleavage, can make you the most elegant woman at a cocktail party." Designer Shaina NC once commented,“There’s no reason why saris must be worn over a petticoat — I’m wearing mine over trousers.There’s no set rules — take your pleats to the side or over the hip, wear the pallav like a dupatta or try a double or triple sari." Some even wear navel jewels or navel piercings to draw attention to the navel.
    This were made popular by the celebrities of Bollywood industry and other popular regional film industries like Kannada, Tamil and Telugu cinemas. For example,in the 1968 Bollywood film Brahmachari, Actress Mumtaz was seen in a Sharara sari flaunting her navel for a song and dance number ("Aaj kal tere mere"). Sharara is a long flowing pant like a divided skirt at bottom with a long blouse. The unique feature of the Sharara is the skirt which has less flow than lehenga. It is like a loose pant fitted till the knee, with a big flare from the knee onwards. Different types of fabrics are used for sharara like rich tissue materials such as Crape, Satin, Chiffon, Georgette and Silk. It later became so popular that till date this type of saris is known to be Mumtaz Saris.  Recently in 2009, actress Priyanka Chopra appeared in a similar type "Mumtaz Sari" and showed off her navel jewellery when she attended the premiere of her film What's Your Raashee at the Toronto International Film Festival.
    Above mentioned modern saris are mainly worn by rich and educated upper-class women. Wearing the sari below the navel doesn't always lead to exposing it, as the navel is covered with the pallu in a low-rise non-transparent sari. This style can be helpful for tall women for whom tying the sari above the navel might not be possible. The pallu helps in covering the navel.In Indian corporate culture, saris are required to be worn in an elegant manner avoiding navel exposure. Anita Gupta, Senior Vice-President at JWT Chennai commented,"Formal wear for women definitely covers saris without plunging necklines or glimpses of the belly button."

    Professional Style of Draping



    Sonia Gandhi in a sari.
    Because of the harsh extremes in temperature on the Indian Subcontinent, the sari fills a practical role as well as a decorative one. It is not only warming in winter and cooling in summer, but its loose-fitting tailoring is preferred by women who must be free to move as their duties require. For this reason, it is the costume of choice of air hostesses on Air India. This led to a professional style of draping a sari which is referred to Air-Hostess style sari. An air hostess style sari is tied in just the same way as a normal sari except that the pleats are held together quite nicely with the help of pins. A bordered sari will be just perfect for an Air-Hostess style drape where the pallu is heavily pleated and pinned on the shoulder. Even the vertical pleats that are tucked at the navel are severely pleated and pressed. Same goes for the pallu pleats that are pinned at the shoulder. To get the perfect ‘Air-hostess’ a complimentary U-shaped blouse that covers the upper body completely is worn which gives a very elegant and formal look. Mastering the ‘Air-hostess’ style drape helps to create the desired impact in a formal setting like an interview or a conference.
    Saris are worn as uniforms by the female hotel staff of many five star luxury hotels in India as symbol of culture. Recently in a makeover design, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, decided the welcoming staff at the group's Luxury Hotels would be draped in the rich colours and designs of the Banarasi six yards. The new saris were unveiled at the Taj property in Mumbai. It will be subsequently replicated at all 10 Luxury Hotels of the group across the country for duty managers and front office staff. Taj had adopted three villages in Varanasi and employed 25 master weavers there for the project. The vision finally took shape after 14 months, once the weavers had a good work environment, understood the designs and fine-tuned the motifs.  

    Similarly, the female politicians of India wear the sari in a professional manner. The women of Nehru–Gandhi family like Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi wear the special blouse for the campaign trail which is longer than usually and is tucked in to prevent any midriff show while waving to the crowds.Stylist Prasad Bidapa has to say, “I think Sonia Gandhi is the country's most stylish politician. But that's because she's inherited the best collection of saris from her mother-in-law. I'm also happy that she supports the Indian handloom industry with her selection.” BJP politician Sushma Swaraj maintains her prim housewife look with a pinned-up pallu while general secretary of AIADMK Jayalalithaa wears her saris like a suit of armour.

      Bangladesh

    The shari is worn by women throughout Bangladesh. Sari is the most popular dress for women in Bangladesh, both for casual and formal occasion. There are many regional variations of them in both silk and cotton. But the Jamdani Tanta/Tant cotton, Dhakai Benaroshi, Rajshahi silk, Tangail Tanter shari, Tash-Har silk, and Katan shari are the most popular in Bangladesh.

      Pakistan

    In Pakistan, saris are less commonly worn than the Shalwar kameez which is worn throughout the country. Because of its long association with the Hindu culture and it exposing the midriff and navel, sari are considered to be against the injunctions of Islam and as a 'Hindu dress'. Even though the sari has been worn by people living in the region that is now Pakistan since ancient times, it has lost popularity since 1947. Many Islamic right-wing elements have pressed on a move to ban saris. However, the sari remains a popular garment among the upper class for many formal functions. The sari is worn as daily wear by Pakistani Hindus, by elderly Muslim women who were used to wearing it in pre-partition India and by some of the new generation who have reintroduced the interest in saris. The growing popularity of the sari among Pakistan's fashion-conscious elite is due to another bete noire of conservatives - Bollywood movies and television serials. The Nation, an English-language newspaper published from Lahore reported, "The Indian electronic media have played an important role in promoting the sari culture in Pakistan. Now Pakistani actresses on TV channels are being seen wearing saris, especially young women."

    Sri Lanka



    Traditional Sinhalese Sari
    Sri Lankan women wear saris in many styles. Two ways of draping the sari are popular and tend to dominate: the Indian style (classic nivi drape) and the Kandyan style (or osaria in Sinhalese). The Kandyan style is generally more popular in the hill country region of Kandy from which the style gets its name. Though local preferences play a role, most women decide on style depending on personal preference or what is perceived to be most flattering for their figure.
    The traditional Kandyan (osaria) style consists of a full blouse which covers the midriff completely and is partially tucked in at the front as is seen in this 19th-century portrait. However, modern intermingling of styles has led to most wearers baring the midriff. The final tail of the sari is neatly pleated rather than free-flowing. This is rather similar to the pleated rosette used in the Dravidian style noted earlier in the article.
    The Kandyan style is considered the national dress of Sinhalese women. It is the uniform of the air hostesses of SriLankan Airlines.
    During 1960s, the mini sari known as 'hipster' sari created a wrinkle in Sri Lankan fashion, since it was worn below the navel and barely above the line of prosecution for indecent exposure. The conservative people described the 'hipster' as "an absolute travesty of a beautiful costume almost a desecration" and "a hideous and purposeless garment".

      Nepal

    Saree is the most commonly worn women uniform in Nepal. Since the time immemorial saree is worn by Nepalese women. It is more importantly worn in religious activities. A woman wearing a saree is regarded as sober lady. A lady with sari seems elegant, gorgeous and sensuous. However, nowadays, modern women prefer a uniform other than a saree for their convenience.
    In Nepal, a special style of draping is used in a sari called haku patasihh. The sari is draped around the waist and a shawl is worn covering the upper half of the sari, which is used in place of a pallu.

    Cloth



    Silk sari weaving at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
    Saris are woven with one plain end (the end that is concealed inside the wrap), two long decorative borders running the length of the sari, and a one to three foot section at the other end which continues and elaborates the length-wise decoration. This end is called the pallu; it is the part thrown over the shoulder in the Nivi style of draping.
    In past times, saris were woven of silk or cotton. The rich could afford finely-woven, diaphanous silk saris that, according to folklore, could be passed through a finger ring. The poor wore coarsely woven cotton saris. All saris were handwoven and represented a considerable investment of time or money.
    Simple hand-woven villagers' saris are often decorated with checks or stripes woven into the cloth. Inexpensive saris were also decorated with block printing using carved wooden blocks and vegetable dyes, or tie-dyeing, known in India as bhandani work.
    More expensive saris had elaborate geometric, floral, or figurative ornaments or brocades created on the loom, as part of the fabric. Sometimes warp and weft threads were tie-dyed and then woven, creating ikat patterns. Sometimes threads of different colors were woven into the base fabric in patterns; an ornamented border, an elaborate pallu, and often, small repeated accents in the cloth itself. These accents are called buttis or bhuttis (spellings vary). For fancy saris, these patterns could be woven with gold or silver thread, which is called zari work.
    Sometimes the saris were further decorated, after weaving, with various sorts of embroidery. Resham work is embroidery done with colored silk thread. Zardozi embroidery uses gold and silver thread, and sometimes pearls and precious stones. Cheap modern versions of zardozi use synthetic metallic thread and imitation stones, such as fake pearls and Swarovski crystals.
    In modern times, saris are increasingly woven on mechanical looms and made of artificial fibers, such as polyester, nylon, or rayon, which do not require starching or ironing. They are printed by machine, or woven in simple patterns made with floats across the back of the sari. This can create an elaborate appearance on the front, while looking ugly on the back. The punchra work is imitated with inexpensive machine-made tassel trim.
    Hand-woven, hand-decorated saris are naturally much more expensive than the machine imitations. While the overall market for handweaving has plummeted (leading to much distress among Indian handweavers), hand-woven saris are still popular for weddings and other grand social occasions.

      The sari goes International



    Aishwarya Rai in a sari at the London premiere of Raavan.
    The traditional sari made an impact in the United States during the 1970s. Eugene Novack who ran the New York store, Royal Saree House told that he had been selling it mainly to the Indian women in New York area but later many American business women and housewives became his customers who preferred their saris to resemble the full gown of the western world. He also said that men appeared intrigued by the fragility and the femininity it confers on the wearer. Newcomers to the sari report that it is comfortable to wear, requiring no girdles or stockings and that the flowing garb feels so feminine with unusual grace.
    As a nod to the fashion-forward philosophy established by the designs of Emilio Pucci, the now-defunct Braniff International Airways envisioned their air hostesses wearing a more revealing version of a sari on a proposed Dallas-Bombay (conceivably via London) service in the late 1970s. However this was never realized due to Halston's resistance to working with a palette outside of his comfort zone. The former Eagan, Minnesota–based Northwest Airlines considered issuing saris to flight attendants working the Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Delhi route that began in the 1990s. This never occurred largely due to a union dispute.
    The sari has gained its popularity internationally due to the growth of Indian fashion trends globally. Many Bollywood celebrities, like Aishwarya Rai, have worn it at international events representing the Indian culture. In 2010, Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone wanted to represent her country at an international event, wearing the national costume. On her very first red carpet appearance at the Cannes International Film Festival, she stepped out on the red carpet in a Rohit Bal sari.
    Even popular Hollywood celebrities have worn this traditional attire. Pamela Anderson made a surprise guest appearance on Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother, dressed in a sari that was specially designed for her by Mumbai-based fashion designer Ashley Rebello.Ashley Judd donned a purple sari at the YouthAIDS Benefit Gala in November 2007 at the Ritz Carlton in Mclean, Virginia. There was an Indian flavour to the red carpet at the annual Fashion Rocks concert in New York, with designer Rocky S walking the ramp along with Jessica, Ashley, Nicole, Kimberly and Melody – the Pussycat Dolls – dressed in saris.

    Types

    While an international image of the modern style sari may have been popularised by airline stewardesses, each region in the Indian subcontinent has developed, over the centuries, its own unique sari style. Following are other well-known varieties, distinct on the basis of fabric, weaving style, or motif, in South Asia:


    Sambalpuri Saree

    Central styles

    • Chanderi – Madhya Pradesh
    • Maheshwari – Madhya Pradesh
    • Kosa silk – Chattisgarh

      Eastern styles



    Bomkai Saree of Orissa
    • Sambalpuri Saree silk & Cotton – Sambalpur, Orissa
    • Ikkat Silk & Cotton – Bargarh, Orissa
    • Tangail cotton – Bangladesh
    • Jamdani – Bangladesh
    • Muslin – Bangladesh
    • Rajshahi Silk – Bangladesh
    • Tussar Silk – Bihar
    • Mooga silk – Assam
    • Tant famous Bengali cotton – Shantipur, West Bengal
    • Dhaniakhali cotton – West Bengal
    • Murshidabad silk – West Bengal
    • Baluchari silk – West Bengal
    • Kantha Silk & Cotton Saris - West Bengal
    • Khandua Silk & Cotton –Cuttack, Orissa
    • Bomkai/Sonepuri Sari Silk & Cotton – Subarnapur, Orissa
    • Berhampuri Silk – Bramhapur, Orissa
    • Mattha or Tussar Silk –Mayurbhanj, Orissa
    • Bapta Silk & Cotton –Koraput, Orissa
    • Tanta Cotton –Balasore, Orissa
    • Shantipur Cotton – West Bengal
    • Phulia Cotton – West Bengal

    Western styles



    Kota sari
    • Paithani – Maharashtra
    • Bandhani – Gujarat and Rajasthan
    • Kota doria Rajasthan
    • Lugade – Maharashtra
    • Patola – Gujarat

    Southern styles



    Mysore silk saree with golden zari.
    • Mysore Silk saree Karnataka
    • Kanchipuram Sari (locally called Kanjivaram pattu) – Tamil Nadu
    • Kumbakonam – Tamil Nadu
    • Mundum Neriyathum - Kerala
    • Half saree of entire South India
    • Thirubuvanam – Tamil Nadu
    • Thanjavur – Tamil Nadu
    • Madurai – Tamil Nadu
    • Coimbatore cotton Tamilnadu
    • Arani pattu – Tamil Nadu
    • Chinnalapattu Tamilnadu
    • Kandangi Seelai Tamilnadu
    • Sungudi Seelai Tamilnadu
    • Chettinadu Cotton Tamilnadu
    • Pochampally – Andhra Pradesh (GI rights applied)


    Banarasi sari
    • Venkatagiri – Andhra Pradesh
    • Gadwal – Andhra Pradesh
    • Guntur – Andhra Pradesh
    • Narayanpet – Andhra Pradesh
    • Mangalagiri – Andhra Pradesh
    • Balarampuram – Kerala
    • Mysore silk – Karnataka
    • Ilkal – Karnataka

    Northern styles

    • Banarasi – Uttar Pradesh
    • Shalu – Uttar Pradesh
    • Tanchoi – Uttar Pradesh

    Disadvantages

    George Polk Award winner columnist Rangaswamy Satakopan wrote the following as the problems of the sari in an article for Associated Press,
    • There is no more impractical dress in the world than the sari.
    • In summer, the folds stick unpleasantly around the legs.
    • In winter, it has no protection against cold.
    • In the rains, it collects mud and filth at the hem.
    • One hand is tied up to the sari, leaving only hand free to use.
    • It has no buttons. When the hem is stepped upon while walking, it might fully slip down.
    • It is not suitable to wear during sports.
    One of the oldest Indian sari brands, Nalli, which started as an exclusive sari shop in 1928, today stocks dress materials and readymade garments besides saris.Bala Murukesan, vice-president, Nalli told,"The number of women wearing saris as regular wear is declining, especially in metros. The work culture has changed, both partners are working". Designer Ritu Kumar told,"Women have been wearing saris and working in the fields. But the young career-minded women are always up, about and moving. They find saris to be something which restricts their mobility." Menaka Rai, 21 commented,"Now saris are associated more with sensuousness than grace, but you are at the risk of being branded a ‘behenji’ too." Neela Shinde, managing committee member of Paramparik Karigar, an organisation that works with Indian artisans, craftsmen and weavers, puts the time required to drape a sari an issue.She commented,"A woman needs to get used to wearing a sari and it needs to be draped in a certain way. There is a certain degree of time management to the garment as against slipping into a trouser or salwar kurta."

    Images