The Telia Rumali.

Look at the intricate art that goes into every saree that is woven. The focus is on precision in the geometric designs. I was told this design is more than 200 years old. The ikat is warp-based unlike most other ikats designed predominantly on weft. The labour-intensive double ikat – warp and weft – is the strength of the weavers from Puttapaka, in Nalgonda district, part of Telangana now.

So many techniques of Tie and Dye throughout the country, each one different, each one claims a part in the history of weaving.

For all the ( justified ) furore about national awards being bought or being given to a favoured few, did you know that the Government of India conferred Gajam Anjaiah, the Padma Shri award, in 2013, in the Art Category ?

He has spent years working on reviving and innovating the Telia Rumali, double ikkat, technique and bettering the lives of his weaving community.

Today is my #90 and I opened my cupboard wondering what story I should tell today. The last post was about a person most special in my life, my mother.

The last quarter of the year always brings nostalgia, and what a year this has been for us. So I have decided that the next ten posts are going to be about the sarees gifted by people who have become special to me or a saree that has a strong association with a person. Most of my sarees are gifts and I am fortunate to have many special people in my life, so that shouldn’t be difficult at all. I’ve often told you about my family right through the pact. My mother, my other mother – Brijbala Sharma, who is my eldest sister, my mother in law Vijaya Kadam. Even my brother and sister in law have figured on the pact as have my nieces also.

But this run up to #100sareepact finale is going to be about you.The pact family. I’ve made many new friendships that I hope I will carry with me into the future.

I’ve said this before, I am saying it again. The pact has shown me how rich we all are for the memories, relationships, milestones and celebrations in our lives.

After my Mother’s post last week, here I am in saree #90, a gift by a woman we all know as Amma.

Viji Venkatesh completed her #100sareepact, in style yesterday, and has inspired each one on the pact to be more by showing us how. She packs a zillion things in a day, has made it her life’s mission to help people battle the dreaded C and it’s related stigmas. She is a live wire, a 440 watt ka jhatka as we say in our Bambaiya bhasha.

It is her hope that some day medicine will give a chance to everyone battling cancer to fight it and emerge victorious. Survivor is not a word she likes to use. Victor is more befitting.

Until then, and inspired by every patient she counsels, she has learned to live each moment of life to the fullest. And gosh ! she does !

#100sareepact