Sari - Saree

The sari is an attire that is embraced by Indian women across the country. On entering womanhood, be it the kanchipuram silk from the South, or the nauvari sari from the West, the attire beautifies them, instilling a feeling of respect and awe in whosoever looks at them in the same. It comes in 6 yards, and when draped becomes the best outfit for women of all sizes - which is the reason why it is evergreen - never fading with time as fashion comes and goes. It comes in all types of fabrics - silk, cotton, and polyester. The type of fabric mostly depends on the place where the sari is originally woven. I felt like writing a small piece on this topic, as it was just yesterday that I was in a dilemma deciding on a sari for my college fest. Sitting in confusion, I was thinking how I grew up from disliking saris to loving them, how I grew up to be proud of and own my culture.

My love for saris started to grow cautiously since childhood. Watching my mother deciding on what sari to wear was my favorite past time hobby. She had a huge collection of all types of saris - starting from those gifted during her marriage, to those she casually buys from time to time. I remember wanting to grow up and drape saris like her - wishing for time to pass by quickly so that I can enjoy such grace later. I didn’t have any impression on saris during my initial teenage years, but that changed. There was always a story behind every sari in her wardrobe, she used to narrate them with a smile on her face. My first sari experience was ironically and funnily not as memorable as I expected it to be. I was 15. It was during my 10th farewell - I wore one of my mother's navy blue silk sari. It took me more than three weeks to find a matching blouse, and when the actual day came, I thought I could actually learn how to drape a sari, but was totally confused within no time when my mother did it for me. What I imagined and what I felt were on completely different accepting levels - after getting ready, I couldn't move freely. It felt a bit uncomfortable. I immediately started nagging my mother, asking her if the sari will come off (we still to this day laugh while recounting that). The question on the back of my mind was how does she manage wearing such an attire since years, that too with a smile? I realized the answer to this question with time - there is a way in tying a sari, you have to pin it up properly, own it, and feel the grace within - then only you can enjoy wearing such a beautiful attire. What you feel inside matters, and you can elegantly handle it with no pressure. Being in a sari is still cumbersome, but the realization I had is comforting. I never realized that anything as simple as a sari had made me making memories while I was growing up into an adult - a beautiful part of a mother-daughter relationship. From deciding on twinning to complaining and wishing to change out of a sari among best friends, we all grew up. I am at that stage now where for any occasion, I would explore various styles for dresses, but somehow or the other would end up near my mother’s cupboard, scouring for a sari - a place where I would start hovering in front of for days. The struggle for a sari is real, and after days of scouring through saris would we find The One. It’s totally worth it - it’s 6 yards of pure grace.