Saree state of mind
March 21, 2015Are you ever going to forget buying a saree that no one liked but you still bought only because that was the only one that your husband smiled at out of the 20 different ones spread in front of you?
And is the memory ever going to fade even when the saree is 20 years old or when you pass it on to your daughter or a niece to wear?
Such memories had never been in my conscious thought until I got married. Hailing from a Punjabi family where ladies wear sarees only on weddings and cannot wait to change back into a salwaar suit as soon as possible, I initially found the saree almost a burden and a fearful thing. I was fearful because, in my husband’s family it is mandatory to wear saree for every occasion and reason. In fact the first time I went to the village, wearing saree everyday weighed down on me a lot. The compliments I got kept me happy though. And I gradually found even my side of relatives loved me more in a saree than any other dress. Learning to drape it myself was a challenge that I overcame soon but the results are still not consistent and time effective. Sometimes the lack of enough time makes me skip the saree unless mother-in-law volunteers to help.
The more I wore sarees, the more I enjoyed wearing them and I decided to wear them more often this year. Little did I know that two ladies would actually hear this silent wish of mine and come up with the unique and awesome campaign on Facebook dedicated to the saree. #100SareePact is a promise between Ally Matthan and Anju Kadam to wear 100 sarees this year. Oh, that does not mean they would be wearing 100 different sarees! (that was very important to clarify to my husband who was suddenly worried about the shopping bills)
Within a week, I see ladies of all age and communities post their pictures in sarees, in their own style and doing what they do best. Be it parties or office or even the morning cooking at home, ladies have come up with most unique stories associated with this 6 yard wonder. Stories about sarees that are wedding gifts, sarees passed from one generation to other, anniversary gifts from husband, first salary buy, borrowed sarees just to be a part of the campaign and so many more.
Not just the ladies, I see many men happy and amazed too with their wives deciding to look pretty and re claim the elegance and power that only a Saree can impart to you.
These are few of the reason that #100SareePact became such a huge hit in such a short span. Not because women need a reason to dress up and get clicked but because this one gave voice to so many stories and memories that we thought are lost. Hear hear! Hats off to this 6 yard wonder. Hear how much love and tales and traditions they hold in their folds.
And join in this amazing wave of beauty and strength on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag.
Go the Saree way ladies and if you are still not convinced check this ( image attached )
Regards,
Pratibha Sofat
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