And the Pact prevails !
\nMy first saree of 2016 .
\nLast year , thanks to what Anju Maudgal Kadam and Ally Matthan began as a commitment to wearing a Saree at least twice a week and calling it the Hundred Saree Pact , I, like so many other woman were hooked to something that took over my life completely .
\nAnd as with anything that I put my mind to , the Saree Pact too got a hundred percent from me.
\nI loved wearing my Saree and showcasing it and sharing stories associated with it. I began recreating and reliving my life through the medium of the pact . I found a platform , no – a stage; to perform , pirouette and pose in ; all the while loving the freedom I suddenly discovered . A sense of liberation . Not that I was never free . This was a liberation that gave me a different set of wings . That let me share my life with hundreds of hitherto unknown women . Women like me , women not like me but women who were all alike in their passion for their saree and for wearing it like a badge of honour and pride . Honouring our lives and proud of ourselves .
\nAnd then these women became best friends and soul sisters and then we stepped out from the virtual platform one day and met face to face ; to hug and shake hands and pose for audacious photographs !!!
\nAnd then the year ended and we had all worn our sarees , a hundred and maybe more , maybe less . And worn our hearts on them too.
\nNow what ?!
\nNow , I cannot wear a saree and not share it so here I go again . No number no tags but the #100sareepact will continue to be a part of my life as will the hundreds of kindred souls who people that life now !
\nSo here’s my saree of the day . An unusual shade of turquoise woven with beaten gold Zari work with the deftness and crafty skill that can only be found in a Maheshwari silk . I had picked this up at the annual exhibition at the Coomaraswamy Hall handloom exhibition a couple of years ago . Ranjona remember ? My mother had given me money for a wedding anniversary gift and I knew immediately this was it!
\nWore it this morning to attend my young colleague’s wedding.
\nThis young woman deserves the best in life . Brought up by her grandparents in Bombay , while her parents continued to live in their native village , she grew up to become the mainstay of the elderly couple’s lives. As she grew older , they did too and the roles changed with the little granddaughter becoming caregiver to them .
\nNot just that , this lovely girl has made a life for herself too,making her professional self quite indispensable at her work place , working hard on the way up to where she is now. Despite the demands made on her time and emotions .
\nIt has been a lesson in dedication , perseverance and utmost respect of family values seeing her go about working and planning for her wedding . To her boyfriend of many years . Amazing character . Wishing her all the best .
\nThe wedding was held in the heart of the old neighborhood of Matunga . Somehow time has stood still here and yet the winds of change are slowly but surely swirling around the old , beautiful homes and Chawls , slowly bringing them down ; replacing them with modern monstrosities . Wish they showed the same kind of character as the new generation represented by the Bride I introduced to you all today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And the Pact prevails ! My first saree of 2016 . Last year , thanks to what Anju Maudgal Kadam and Ally Matthan began as a commitment to wearing a Saree at least twice a week and calling it the Hundred Saree Pact , I, like so many other woman were hooked to something that…<\/p>\n