The saree stories

It seems only fair that New Delhi's 'saree man', Himanshu Verma, is the brains behind the Saree Festival. Verma, who has a particular penchant for sarees, including those he wears, and Red Earth, an independent arts organisation, are bringing the third edition of the festival to the city this year. Besides his personal choice and interest in sarees, Verma says that a single saree can be indicative of India's classical heritage.

But what does a festival for sarees entail? Various sarees up for grabs, one would presume. The Saree Festival, though, goes beyond an exhibition of sarees and into a theoretical, artistic conversation around it. This year, the focus has been on how sarees are used as a leitmotif in performance arts. For example, theatre artiste Anuja Ghosalkar presented the story of her great-grandfather, a female impersonator on the Marathi theatre scene in the late 18th- and early 19th century, through the common motif of a saree. "Just as I struggle to look 'ladylike', my great-grandfather struggled to play a woman's role on stage. A saree became the first symbol of becoming a woman," she says. Ghosalkar's first memory of her great-grandfather, she says, is from a family album, where he is wearing a bright red saree for one of his performances. A discourse around the saree can never be dissociated from the gender conversation.

Taking this conversation forward through classical dance are Mrinalini Msriin and Ranjini Nair of Rasa Theory. Msriin explains how a saree can become an entire character, and not just in the scene where Draupadi is disrobed in The Mahabharata. For instance, in the folklore of Nal-Damyanti, Damyanti offers her saree as a piece of clothing to restore the dignity of her husband, the king. "A saree is not just for a woman's shringaar," says Msriin.

But there's plenty on the shringaar front at the festival, too. The Saree Mela features designer sarees, especially those made in traditional weaves of the country. The focus this year seems to be eastward, with designers from West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. Pariah by Pranami Kalita will exhibit traditional sarees and blouses from Assam, including the quintessential mekhla chador. Svang from Kolkata presents sarees in bright hues on light cotton. Designer Neha Panda of Svang explains that most of her collection at the Saree Mela has been curated keeping the Delhi weather in mind. "Besides, if we want young women to wear sarees, we have to make them comfortable, with contemporary twists that reflect their personality."

Svang's collection also features sarees with checks, inspired by gamchhas, which seem to make a comeback on the fashion scene every few years. "For a piece of clothing as versatile as the saree, we need to constantly reinvent designs, fabric and even the drape to make sarees keep up with the times," adds Panda. For a more traditional appeal, though, Roliana Banaras Splendour looks like a designer to watch out for, particularly for its rich, resplendent Banarsi weaves that are ever so timeless.

The Saree Festival will be on till April 17, 11 am to 8 pm, at Alliance Francaise de Delhi, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

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The saree stories