The garment, which is 700-ft long, is grabbing eyeballs at the Bangalore Silk Utsav 2010

Saree that can drape Statue of Liberty!

The garment, which is 700-ft long, is grabbing eyeballs at the Bangalore Silk Utsav 2010

Long, longer, longest? The exhibition where the 700 ft long saree is put on display.u00a0Pics/Nicholas Stone

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the exhibition is the 700-ft long silk saree, which is twice as high as New York's Statue of Liberty, and longer than Brigade Road. The monster masterpiece took six master weavers and 16 craftsmen, and a total of 10,000 man-hours to finish. It portrays the Mahabalipuram Temple being lashed by waves, and images of monkeys, elephants and lions from the bas-relief 'Arjuna's Penance'.

The exhibition and sale also has a wide variety of sarees, coming from 11 states around the country. Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who attended the opening, remarked that she wanted to see Bangalore become "famous" for its silk, and that there was a real desire for the people of the state to see this through.

"Bangalore should be a fashion and silk city," she said. TH Somashekar, chief advisor, Silk Utsav, said that the event will help promote and popularise silk in the state. "It is from these modest beginnings that we need to develop. This city should hold regular fashion shows. We need to get on the world stage like Paris or Milan, but with silk."

The Silk Utsav runs until the October 26 at Palace Grounds in Gayatri Vihare.

Things to look for

> Of the 200-plus stores in the exhibition area of 60,000sq ft, the highlights are sure to be local favourites Mysore Silk as well as RMK Vishwanath's store, which feature the record breaking saree and other innovations in saree design, such as the reversible saree.
> If you go to the Utsav be sure to look out for celebrities and fashion designers, who are expected to be chekcing out many fashion parades and displays on show.
> If sarees aren't for you, then never fear. The exhibition is also showcasing designer kurtas, scarves, interior furnishings, and a range of bags. There will also be printing demonstrations and a variety of fashion parades to tickle your fancy.