Having been born in a Bengali household is reason enough to appreciate, own and wear Sarees. My case was strengthened by my Mom, maternal Grand-Mom and Aunts having fantastic taste in Sarees.

The Saree here has a very special story. This was gifted by my maternal Grand-Mom to my Mom sometime in the autumn of 1981 as a part of the gifts for her shaadh (Baby-Shower or God-Bharai) when I was about to be born. While my Mom has worn the Saree many a times and I always thought it was a beautiful Saree I never borrowed it from my Mom to wear it myself.

Two years ago, I myself acquired a nice range of Sarees as part of my wedding trousseau. Even after my wedding, my Mom kept giving me numerous Sarees which she no longer likes to wear, because she feels she is past the age to carry them off. The availability of lovely Sarees, complete with stitched blouses and accessories to go with each, combined with being married into a family where women still wear Sarees everyday, got me addicted to wearing them myself. Since I have only recently begun, I still have a little difficulty in wearing Sarees to work, but I jump at any other formal or informal occasion to don one.

My Mom gave me this particular Saree few weeks before my first birthday after my wedding. So, I wore it for my birthday 32 years after my Grand-Mom gave it to my Mom on the occasion of my birth! If not able to pass down heirloom Sarees, in the future, I would at least like to pass down the tradition of wearing sarees to my children!