Archive of A Print: Making Devi Sarees
DEVI is an homage to the divine feminine. The collection comprises chiffon sarees digitally printed with watercolour florals and handworked by master artisans in Lucknow.
“DEVI is more than a garment—it is a wearable painting, a sacred balance of soft art and intricate handcraft.”
The First Nine Devi Sarees
I am delighted to share the first nine sarees that I designed for DEVI. The collection has expanded, but the ethos has remained the same: to celebrate the divine feminine. Each piece in this debut line tells a story of strength, grace, and heritage—crafted with meticulous attention to detail, rich textures, and color palettes that bring out the quiet confidence within every woman.
Whether you are looking to mark a special occasion or bring an everyday touch of elegance into your wardrobe, these first nine designs lay the foundation for everything DEVI stands for.
The Inspiration: Nine Devis
Originally DEVI was going to be a limited collection of nine sarees. I wanted to create a collection that took its inspiration from the nine forms of Goddess Durga worshipped during the Navratri. Each of the nine forms is a different manifestation of Durga during the nine-day long war with the demon-king Mahishasura.
Collectively these goddesses are called the Navadurga: Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katayani, Kalaratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. The tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami, or victory day.
We can conceptualise the divine feminine in diverse ways. Our friend, the art historian Rajeshwari Shah has published an adjacent series on our blog about the Dasa Mahavidhya Pantheon. The Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses is a group of ten interconnected Hindu Tantric manifestations of the Primordial Mother Goddess, Adi Parashakti or Parvati
Canvas and Medium: Digitally Printed Watercolour Florals on Silk-Chiffon
Every DEVI saree begins on paper. Using soft watercolours, water-soluble crayons, and fine-line brushwork, I paint floral motifs, and then work on translating those drawings to digital prints. The unpredictable nature of watercolours mirrors the essence of DEVI: organic, uncontrolled, and effortlessly beautiful. The choice of material, pure silk-chiffon, is deliberate. digital printed Silk-chiffon captures the ethereal nature of the print, the brush-strokes and the layers of opacity to be translated on fabric.
The Details: Handcrafted by Master Artisans in Lucknow
Once I have made the prints, I send the chiffon sarees to Lucknow. They are then worked on by master artisans, whose handwork adds depth and texture. Each saree is individually handworked with delicate embroidery, subtle sequin accents, and fine beadwork following the contours of the painted petals. This bridge between modern digital print technology and timeless heritage craftsmanship creates a tactile, luminous finish—bringing the divine feminine into full, shimmering reality.
Slow Fashion: Good Things are Worth Waiting For
In a world driven by mass production, every DEVI saree is individually handcrafted to order. This bespoke approach is a core element of the Sonya Sapru Designs narrative. Honouring slow craft means respecting the time, dedication, and mastery required by the artisans. It ensures that no two pieces are quite the same, and that when your saree arrives, it carries the quiet confidence and care of the hands that made it. Because true luxury isn't rushed—and good things are always worth waiting for.
