Was Rashmika Mandanna’s reception saree truly Mysore silk? The internet has doubts

When Rashmika Mandanna stepped into her Hyderabad wedding with Vijay Deverakonda, the internet paused, looking at her stunning Mysore silk drape, complemented by stunning temple-style gold jewellery. Her fashion stylist, though, described the drape as a stunning Mysore silk purchase, but the internet has high doubts.

It is because the process of crafting pure Mysore silk drape remains carefully controlled by KSIC, which uses natural cocoons to build these drapes. The cocoons are sourced from Ramanargara, which is Asia’s largest silk cocoon market. The officials working at KSIC personally go ahead and select the cocoons via government auctions, which are then reeled in at T Narasipura, and the weaving takes place in Mysore.

(Image Credits: Instagram)

Harshavardhan Rai, who is a saree enthusiast on Instagram, explained the whole process and the reason behind Mysore silk getting the GI tag. According to a report in News18, he said, "The iconic fabric carries a geographical indication tag, and the rights to manufacture and sell sarees under the name "Mysore silk" belong exclusively to the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation, or KSIC.' No other manufacturer can legally produce or sell a saree as Mysore silk."

(Image Credits: Pinterest)

Rashmika Mandanna, who hails from Kodagu in Coorg, is from a place that is not far from Mysore. She chose a red silk drape, which felt inevitable, but many fashion detectives online indicated that the drape worn by her is not pure Mysore silk, as it is not purchased from KSIC but is from a different designer and is a pure crepe silk, which is also known as Mysore crepe silk.

(Image Credits: Pinterest)

The story of Mysore silk goes back centuries and is tied closely with Karnataka’s history. The silhouette is made from mulberry silk, where the state of Andhra Pradesh produces around 45% of India’s mulberry silk, which started during the Vijayanagara Empire’s reign. It was revived in the 18th century under Tipu Sultan’s reign, and since then, it has thrived in the market. Well, the authenticity remains a big question, but no doubt about how graceful and absolutely iconic Rashmika looked in it.