As part of our school's India Week, female teachers were asked to wear a sari. Made of a silk-cotton combination, my hand-woven sari was made in the Tamil Nadu city of Kanchipuram, known for its silk saris. About 6 1/2 meters long, such saris take at least 1 week to weave. From one end of the material my choli (blouse) was made. The tailor made the back quite low so as to accentuate my height. I was glad that the choli was a bit longer than average, showing less of my white midriff. Before school, my neighbor came and helped pleat and then carefully tuck parts of the sari into a matching color pavada (petticoat) and drape the ornate end over my shoulder. Two safety pins helped secure the two pleated parts. Surprisingly the sari felt quite secure. Considering the amount of cloth, it was loose and cool. Over the course of the day, I received many compliments, including the stamp of approval of my apartment guard.
Pictured along with me is my colleague Priya, whose embroidered silk sari is from Karnataka. At the craft exposition, I had eyed that sari multiple times but could not justify its cost as I knew I'd only be wearing it a few times. A work of art and a dying craft, this sari took over a month just to embroider.
1 comment:
Hey---there you are. I missed this post; was really busy on the weekend. The sari and its lovely purple color suit you!
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