Sunday, September 14, 2008

in praise of the sari

sep 14th, 2008

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/14/saris-reflect-hindu-values/

alas, it is indeed disappearing. gujarat's mills have reported a 60% decline in sari material manufacturing.

there has been a deliberate attempt to position the salvar-kameez as the traditional clothing of india, whereas it is only traditional for punjabis on both sides of the border, and is more or less identical to men's clothing there.

even though versions of the sari have been around for millennia, the standard modern sari became really standardized relatively recently, thanks in part to raja ravi varma.

in my (admittedly biased) opinion, the most beautiful (and figure-flattering) saris as the simple two-piece off-white-and-gold kerala set-mundu (aka mundum neriyathum). less material, tighter, and in its subdued, chaste colors, understated and elegant, particularly against the brilliant greens of the kerala countryside. this is also dying, now that all the young women in kerala -- for reasons known only to themselves -- choose to make themselves unattractive by wearing utterly ghastly off-the-shelf potato-sack-like salvar-kameez. (and yes, i do often wear a gold-bordered mundu when in kerala, so i am not demanding others do what i don't do myself.)

4 comments:

Tranquil said...

I have a suggestion.

Make people like Meryl Streep , Goldie Hawn, Kate Winslet,Angelina Jolie etc wear saree(the saree proper not what indian fashion designers make models wear, where the so called saree stands in sharp relief from the body)Also make them speak passionately about the beauty of it.More important make men like Al Pacino , Tom Hanks , Jack Nicholson , Jackie Chan etc assert that *saree is the best* whatever.

If possible try telling all the Navagrahams are favourably disposed towards a saree;))

Would work wonders !

Eternalsoul said...

The sari is such an elegant attire and flatters the female form. In contrast, the salwar kameez looks so shapeless.I do hope we can continue to keep the tradition of wearing the sari and not let it die out.

Julian said...

one can only hope the tamils shall conserve it whether it maybe in eelam or TN and show some resolve as they did on the issue of sinhala imposition, its only in TN i see many men proudly wear veshti in towns like Madurai, and i am not being biased, i am from AP not TN.

Tranquil said...

harish,

Even in interior villages,you would find many wearing salwar kameez. Before going abroad, my friends & relatives advised me never to wear sarees as quote "you would be considered a maid".Unquote.

A French once asked:
" Why is it I find a lot of saree clad women (international flights)take them off once the flight is in midair to sport the jeans underneath?"

In Kolkata, I find a lot more women sticking to sarees.

Bengali women, be they maids,rich or poor do groom themselves well and carry even their simplest sarees with a lot of grace.

Despite living there for many years I have not been able to imitate them.In Kerala too, I have found women wearing elegant,simple clothes with not much jewellery.

For many tamilians, lack of diamond & silks would give insomnia.By default I owe my lack of it to poverty in my youth.And the chain snatchers of Kolkata:)
In the seventies & eighties , a lot of madrassis were mugged & robbed of their Mangalsutras.