That one week, the moment I opened the door to enter the MetroPlus department, I felt like I was reaching Everest Base Camp. Cheers, chuckles and compliments greeted me. “Oh, I love this brown,” said a 20-something colleague on Day One. On Day Three, one of them hollered excitedly near the lift, “This is such an interesting assignment. Wish I could do it.” On Day Four, they began asking me about what they endearingly termed ‘my shopping soirees’. By the weekend though, some of them had begun to empathise — “Must be tiring and cumbersome” or “You must be glad it’s finally coming to an end.” But the one who came up with this story idea looked at me reassuringly and said, “I am telling you it will work.” The responses nevertheless kept me going. On Day Seven, as I stepped into the car with the satisfaction of having risen to a challenge, my phone rang. It was my mother and I told her I had been wearing a sari to work the entire week. “Really” she said, the joy palpable in her voice. “I knew at some point you would listen to me. Did you realise how elegant one can look in a sari,” she asked. “No ma, it was just part of an assignment,” I interrupted. “What kind of assignment,” she shot back. “I wanted to experience how it feels to be part of the globally-trending ‘100 saree pact’ campaign before I could write about it,” I clarified. “What’s that,” she quizzed me, as she leads a life untouched by the Internet.
In March, two friends in Bangalore, Anju Maudgal Kadam and Ally Matthan formed the 100SareePact while lamenting one evening how their saris had been lying unused in a corner of their wardrobe. They decided to turn the sari from a ‘special occasion’ to an ‘everyday’ attire and wear it a hundred times this year and post updates on social media, along with little stories of how it brought alive memories. The pact that has gone viral now has lakhs of women rediscovering the splendour of the six yards and posting their pictures accompanied by interesting anecdotes, relating the sari to family occasions and bonding.
“This project sounds wonderful. I am always for anything that celebrates the sari,” said Rta Kapur Chishti, whose passion for the unstitched garment comes through in her exhaustive research into traditional weaves and drapes, informative books and her Delhi-based The Sari School.
“Once I begin to talk about the immense possibilities the garment offers, young women, especially, show more interest,” pointed out Chishti, who can drape the sari in 108 ways, a skill she picked up during her travels to nooks and corners of the country.
“I do not promote it just as a cultural symbol but as contemporary and practical wear. It can lend itself beautifully to any situation. History is proof of how women rode horses, swam and learnt warfare techniques in a sari.” Right now, she is anxious about the changes being contemplated in the Handloom Reservation Act that will make looms fall silent and ruin a rich part of India’s heritage.
Chishti’s commitment to the weavers’ cause is what drew dancer Daksha Sheth, who looked beyond Kathak and gained expertise in Mayurbhanj Chaau, Mallakhamb and Kalaripayattu, to come up with her unique production ‘Sari’. “Through movements and mime I traced the journey of the sari — from the loom to the body of the wearer. To me, the sari reflects my vision of dance that combines time-tested aesthetics with modern sensibilities. The beauty of colour, pattern, drape and fabric comes through seamlessly in a sari. You have to wear it to experience it,” said Sheth, who is happy that the sari is taking more and more women into its fold through the pact.
What can be more exciting for a designer, who romances the sari and has made it a style statement, than to see women sharing their pictures and sari stories on social media. “The growing awareness about textures and the understanding of region-specific weaves have made it easier for me to reach out to a wider customer base,” said Gaurang Shah, known for reviving Indian hand-weaves such as Patan Patola, Kanjeevaram, Uppada, Paithani, Kota and Benarasi, using the jamdani technique. “I enjoy giving a modern spin to these heritage weaves and that’s where the appeal lies. The new-age woman is discerning. She knows what looks best on her. She can appear fashionable in a sari too with the right accessories, hairstyle and, of course, oodles of confidence. The trail of tweets and Facebook updates shows that 100 (saree pact) is just a small number.”
Another interesting fallout of the pact is Sari Day. Organised in different cities in India and abroad by women who have entered the pact, it has emerged as a forum for both men and women to exchange ideas, experiences, anecdotes and discuss the textile history and the future of the Indian weaving industry. According to Sumita, who participated in one such event held in the city recently, “It’s amazing to see how women have been motivated by Ally and Anju’s one simple decision to not just enjoy wearing a sari but also do some soul-searching.”
Bangalore-based Sujatha Raju, who’s also entered the pact, said, “It allows you to be who you are. There are no set rules. It’s not necessary to wear a sari every day or wear it compulsorily 100 times through the year or go on a shopping spree to add to your collection. More importantly, it lets you think and explore. For instance, I tried wearing it by tucking the pleats on the side and draping the remaining yardage around my neck like a dupatta. And I thought it looked wonderful. The pact seems to be bringing the designer in individuals to the fore.”
“There are women who are teaming it up with tank tops, T-shirts, crisp white shirts and jackets instead of the conventional blouse. That is what inspired me though I am really not a sari person,” added Sumita, who has taken to the pact wholeheartedly since there is no commercial motive or personal agenda. “It’s just an expression of our emotional connect with the traditional attire and the many memories it holds in its folds.”
