Finally… I join sareepact !!
Its my sister-in-laws birthday and we both decided to get our sarees out – and nothing could be more apt than starting with the Baluchari, the queen of Bengal weaves.

The Baluchari, as most of the Indian sarees, has had an interesting history – originated in the small hamlet of Baluchar in Murshidabad (yes, of the Plassey fame), flourished in neighbouring Bishnupur under the patronage of the Malla rulers, ignored disdainfully by the Britishers and resurrected almost from oblivion, thanks to painstaking efforts of noted saree revivalists, towards the beginning of the last century.
The saree, commonly referred to as the Ramayana saree outside Bengal, is a story in weave, as if the weavers had a tale to narrate and they lovingly chose the 6 yard mulberry silk as their canvas. The embellishments tell the stories of day-to-day life and the occasional Nawabi luxuries – horses and elephants, marriages, processions and palanquins. Or scenes of the Ramayana – Ram and Sitas marriage, the deer hunt, the homecoming post the Lanka war. Or tales from Krishnas life – a cherubic Krishna relishing his bowl of butter, his serenades with Radha or even the Gita sermon.

So happy to have joined the pact !!!