Saree-logy in my Life....
I am proud to drape saree around me as it is my traditional wear. I just love sarees, the vibrant colours, designs and different feel of textures. Did you know, the Saree carry their own tales since they were weaved and designed. If only Sarees can talk obviously they could tell their stories and the richness that is held in them.
There is an art to wear saree and also there is an art to carry yourself while wearing a saree. The Saree doesn't choose the size of your body, but has it's draped around your body that is what makes the Saree to stand out. Draping the 6 yard length material around you with some pleats here and there itself is a ancient old profound design. A 6 yard that is not stitched, no zips , nor buttons or hook but just a long cloths full of richness of itself.
My grandmother wore saree on her whole life. I remember seeing my grandmother emerging after her bath having already changed into her inner long skirt known as "pavadai" and wears a random blouse to match any of her cotton sarees, when she throw opens her cupboard which has stacks of sarees folded neatly, and as her hands would go through the stacks mulling over which one she would chose matching to her blouse. Once her fingers finds a choice, she'd pull out the saree from the pile, make a knot at one of the end and unfurl the entire yards of the material around her. In within 5 minutes, she would fold, have some pleats and tuck every part as where it should be tucked away. There you go, she is completely draped in a Saree so elegantly.
Lastly, she would see herself in the mirror and adjust the saree here and there to make sure she has pleated and tucked them correctly. Then she would place her kajal eye liner with her fingers on her eyes and finally at the end of her finale, making a circle on her forehead by placing the "kum-kum pottu".
These were the time, I would admire my grandmother's reflection in the mirror, and she was the most beautiful woman I could ever find in this Universe. I thought at times am seeing the Goddess herself right in front of me.
My grandmother had a wide collections of "Kanji Pattu" pure silk Sarees, I guess this is how, I as her eldest grand-daughter got addicted only to pure silks. She does wear cottons only at home, in which she feels so comfortable and some Georgette, Chiffon or Mysor Silk for some functions but mainly she would wear pattu sarees for all the main festive important functions.
My grandmother had a wide collections of "Kanji Pattu" pure silk Sarees, I guess this is how, I as her eldest grand-daughter got addicted only to pure silks. She does wear cottons only at home, in which she feels so comfortable and some Georgette, Chiffon or Mysor Silk for some functions but mainly she would wear pattu sarees for all the main festive important functions.
She had a wide collection of pure silk saree and the colours were unique, I would say very unique indeed as her choices of colours to the borders of gold silk thread works were beautiful. My grandmother has a fond to the "Talam Poo" design borders.
As my grandmother was a fair person, like me ( eventually I inherited the fair skin colour from my mother and grandmother ), so imagine how would have my grandmother looked in her young age.
I have heard people would admire her beauty those days when she goes to temples, beautifully draped in a pattu saree, a huge pottu on her forehead and flowers on her head, it was like seeing the Goddess herself.
The only think that is important for my grandmother was her collection of Sarees, she would sit for hours to fold them neatly, not only that she will also count them. Yeah! she did that as she doesn't trust her maids eventually. She even thought me how to fold the saree, where she would hold one and I at the other end. I would move forward each time to give her the end and hold them in place till the last fold.
Sometimes, I would use her method but that needs two people to do it though that is the best way to fold the saree super neatly.
The day when she passed away, at her final rights we as the family covered her with all her pattu sarees, some were still new that she got for Deepavali a month before. Every Saree of hers were covered all over her and also on her coffin till her final sent off. Even at her last sent off, she looked so divined as a Goddess, we didnt send her off as a widow but as a Goddess.
Though, I have few of my grandmother saree as her memory which are too precious for me even to wear them.
The 2nd woman who I know is also was a saree freak before she change into suits a decade ago is my mother. She wore Saree everyday to work though. People who have known her for all these years have not seen her in any other than Saree. They use to tell me how she will look in s saree at work. My mother also has a huge collection of cotton and georgette saree that she uses for her work daily. My mother rarely wore pattu saree unless any functions.
She inherited my grandmother's beauty in saree. I have seen my mother when she was young how beautifully she was and furthermore in Saree. As a teacher and wearing Saree for work, she had her own self reputation for that. People would respect her for whom she was and the pride she carried in wearing a saree.
My mother had and has a wardrobe of sarees, just like my grandmother she hungs them neatly and makes sure all of them are folded and kept uniformly. Most of my mother's sarees were gifted from my grandmother or her siblings. She would have bought some of those working sarees though for herself.
I wore my very first saree on the day I attained age (got my period), it's a believe in Hindu culture that the girl is a lady now. Indian girls between the age of 1 -12 years old would wear, a blouse and Pavadai as the traditional wear till they attain age, we have the semi-saree attire for the teenage years. Once, as a young adult we would wear Saree till we grow old.
My first saree was a yellow with red bordered pattu saree worn on the day I hit puberty, and my grandparents gifted me a green with red border saree. I had few pattu semi-saree but only worn few times for my uncle's wedding.
The first time, I wore a saree for an occasion as a teenager was on my 16th birthday, my mom borrow her blouse and saree in the perception of going to temple on my birthday, I was insisted I must and I rejected because I was too young to wear them for temple, and my mother had to let the cat out of the bag to let me know that we were going for my surprise birthday at my grandparents house.
After all these hype, I did wear a saree on my 18th birthday and also on my 21th respectively I got gifted with saree for every Deepavali from all my uncles and aunties as its a tradition too.
This is how I started to fall in love with sarees, even though am on the bigger size still draping a saree never fails me. My collections are always unique in either the colour choice or design. I love pure silk and also silk cottons. I can't resisted myself from getting any saree when I step into a saree shops but my mind will go bonkers when I see a beautiful collection, I will end up adding my collections and never would get a proper chance to wear to parade myself in a saree. My mother always says, " buy if you are going to wear them or not by just stocking them".
I have my own wardrobe and also my mothers wide range collections. I have told her not to discard any without my knowledge especially her pure silks and silk cottons that I have gifted her. I have taken the sole ownership of all the sarees...either I wear or not, Saree is my favourite attire, am not to shy to say I can't wear them on my own still.....that is my rights, you heard me! I still can't drape my saree right, I am still getting it right and I have ready made saree as my backup though.
It's not the matter of if I knew how to drape but as an Indian I just love my traditional wear SAREE..!! I feel connected with my ancient old heritage as that too reflects how proud I am to be an Indian and Saree is mine.
I will talk generally about Saree in my next post and will share another blog who just tells stories about Sarees that will truly make you fall in love with Sarees eventually.
I have heard people would admire her beauty those days when she goes to temples, beautifully draped in a pattu saree, a huge pottu on her forehead and flowers on her head, it was like seeing the Goddess herself.
The only think that is important for my grandmother was her collection of Sarees, she would sit for hours to fold them neatly, not only that she will also count them. Yeah! she did that as she doesn't trust her maids eventually. She even thought me how to fold the saree, where she would hold one and I at the other end. I would move forward each time to give her the end and hold them in place till the last fold.
Sometimes, I would use her method but that needs two people to do it though that is the best way to fold the saree super neatly.
The day when she passed away, at her final rights we as the family covered her with all her pattu sarees, some were still new that she got for Deepavali a month before. Every Saree of hers were covered all over her and also on her coffin till her final sent off. Even at her last sent off, she looked so divined as a Goddess, we didnt send her off as a widow but as a Goddess.
Though, I have few of my grandmother saree as her memory which are too precious for me even to wear them.
The 2nd woman who I know is also was a saree freak before she change into suits a decade ago is my mother. She wore Saree everyday to work though. People who have known her for all these years have not seen her in any other than Saree. They use to tell me how she will look in s saree at work. My mother also has a huge collection of cotton and georgette saree that she uses for her work daily. My mother rarely wore pattu saree unless any functions.
She inherited my grandmother's beauty in saree. I have seen my mother when she was young how beautifully she was and furthermore in Saree. As a teacher and wearing Saree for work, she had her own self reputation for that. People would respect her for whom she was and the pride she carried in wearing a saree.
My mother had and has a wardrobe of sarees, just like my grandmother she hungs them neatly and makes sure all of them are folded and kept uniformly. Most of my mother's sarees were gifted from my grandmother or her siblings. She would have bought some of those working sarees though for herself.
I wore my very first saree on the day I attained age (got my period), it's a believe in Hindu culture that the girl is a lady now. Indian girls between the age of 1 -12 years old would wear, a blouse and Pavadai as the traditional wear till they attain age, we have the semi-saree attire for the teenage years. Once, as a young adult we would wear Saree till we grow old.
My first saree was a yellow with red bordered pattu saree worn on the day I hit puberty, and my grandparents gifted me a green with red border saree. I had few pattu semi-saree but only worn few times for my uncle's wedding.
The first time, I wore a saree for an occasion as a teenager was on my 16th birthday, my mom borrow her blouse and saree in the perception of going to temple on my birthday, I was insisted I must and I rejected because I was too young to wear them for temple, and my mother had to let the cat out of the bag to let me know that we were going for my surprise birthday at my grandparents house.
After all these hype, I did wear a saree on my 18th birthday and also on my 21th respectively I got gifted with saree for every Deepavali from all my uncles and aunties as its a tradition too.
This is how I started to fall in love with sarees, even though am on the bigger size still draping a saree never fails me. My collections are always unique in either the colour choice or design. I love pure silk and also silk cottons. I can't resisted myself from getting any saree when I step into a saree shops but my mind will go bonkers when I see a beautiful collection, I will end up adding my collections and never would get a proper chance to wear to parade myself in a saree. My mother always says, " buy if you are going to wear them or not by just stocking them".
I have my own wardrobe and also my mothers wide range collections. I have told her not to discard any without my knowledge especially her pure silks and silk cottons that I have gifted her. I have taken the sole ownership of all the sarees...either I wear or not, Saree is my favourite attire, am not to shy to say I can't wear them on my own still.....that is my rights, you heard me! I still can't drape my saree right, I am still getting it right and I have ready made saree as my backup though.
It's not the matter of if I knew how to drape but as an Indian I just love my traditional wear SAREE..!! I feel connected with my ancient old heritage as that too reflects how proud I am to be an Indian and Saree is mine.
I will talk generally about Saree in my next post and will share another blog who just tells stories about Sarees that will truly make you fall in love with Sarees eventually.
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