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My thoughts on the #saree. This is a rambling collection of thoughts. Please read the whole thread. Even though I always liked Sarees, I started wearing them regularly only when I turned 30
Before that, I gave myself many excuses, the saree was cumbersome, it took too long to wear, it was too much trouble to arrange for blouse, matching underskirt, the works. But as I started dealing it, realised how easy and comfy the garment was.
Today, I understand when younger women and girls tell me that they would like to wear a saree, but it takes too long. Yes, initially it does, but within a few months you will master the art of draping a saree in under seven minutes, and nothing looks more graceful on a woman.
I feel bad when young, working women say ‘handwoven sarees are so expensive’, coz often these are the same women who go to Zara and spend 3,500 rupees on tattered jeans, the same amount you pay for a good handwoven saree.
The handloom sector in India today employs the second largest number of people after agriculture. It is an ecofriendly craft that gives hundreds of thousands of people employment. Entire households are engaged in the weaving of a hand-woven garment.
Women in the handloom sector can work from home, at their convenience, managing both home and work effectively. Weaving a garment involves long hours on the loom, with perfect mind-body concentration. A saree is not just a garment, it is a labour of love.
Handloom garments including sarees are the original #MakeInIndia product. Today, when the whole world is moving towards sustainable production, why are we abandoning a craft that has sustained itself for over 5000 years in this country?
My family makes fun of my #saree obsession, but have visited weaving clusters in WB, Andhra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, UP, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. When you see the weavers at work and understand the efforts involved in making a saree, how can you not support by buying?
