Unquenchable love for handlooms – Sudha’s Journals

There are several situations in which a kid is inspired by their surroundings and wants to imitate what piques their attention; such was the case with me, but little did I realize that the love I was about to feel for this clothing would last a lifetime and would only become stronger with time.
When I was a youngster, I used to enjoy seeing my mother, grandmothers, and other elders drape a saree. I used to dress up in a towel as a saree and pretend to be a teacher when I was little. I initially wore a Kanjeevaram saree at a function when I was 13 years old. I used to think of myself as the queen of my domain. My love for 6-yards began when I was six years old. Even though I’m 45 years old, I still like sarees. I’ve never felt self-conscious about wearing a saree. The love becomes stronger with each passing day. The collection I’m creating I would like to pass to my little angel. Although I will not force her to like it, I am interested in seeing it through the eyes of an adult and seeing whether she feels the same way I do.

Even though I’m doing domestic chores, business work, traveling, or Yoga, I enjoy draping a saree. I’m now riding my bike while wearing a saree. When a woman wears a saree, she is inundated with queries and comments such as “You look lovely.” “Are you able to put on a saree?” “How long did it take you to drape this saree?” and so on. As a result, sarees are excellent conversation starters. So, if you want to strengthen your bonds with like-minded people, nothing beats a saree. Likewise, I learned a lot from my Saree Sakhis (friends).

I learned about handlooms and other types of sarees from my interactions with like-minded people who shared my enthusiasm for sarees, and it quickly became my ambition to have my own collection. Because they each have their own niche, I can’t tell them apart. When I initially joined Instagram, I learned about different weaves and crafts. In my area, I used to only see georgette, chiffon, Crape, Kanjivaram, and Bengali cotton sarees.

When I witness weavers’ work, I am filled with adoration and reverence. When you purchase a handloom saree, you are assisting a small group of weavers who are fighting to keep their craft alive in the face of the industry loom and people’s aversion to tradition. I’m not sure how to convey it to them, so as a token of gratitude I purchase their weavings and handicrafts. A handloom saree is made entirely by hand. It’s distinct because of the personal touch. Of course, they require a little more attention than an industrial loom, but after you’ve followed the cleaning and maintenance instructions to the letter, you’ll have it for years to come. As a result, it is a prudent investment that will pay off in the long run.
My enthusiasm for this has only risen with time, and I want to disseminate it as much as possible.
I want everyone to see how beautiful these handloom sarees are.

https://www.instagram.com/sudha_journals/




Celebrating pride month with the proudest woman | Sneha Malik

Saree is a feeling not a fabric and this is what I’ve loved and learned over the years.
Being born in a different body and then self realising that I’m a woman and a beautiful Transwoman. Since it’s a pride month and I’m accepting the way I’m.
We all are beautiful and we all women have this quality of accepting everything and everyone equally.

My first experience with saree was at the age of 25 when I was in a different land and then I realised it’s super hard to carry.
But over the years I realised that it’s one of the purest form of being feminine feelings within you. It’s a fabric of love , acceptance and greatness we women carry along. I wish I could wear it each and everyday in my life. And things are changing and I’m that part of a change as well. Thanks for always loving this beautiful “Naari” among you. Trust me, transwoman are woman too. And they’re equally gorgeous as you’re seeing in these pictures of mine.

Let me share my few experiences here. I went out for the first time in Saree in city where no one knew me actually.
I shared my feelings with one of my female friend and she was lucky to be the part of this beautiful outing. She told me I’ll wear the suit but you should wear the saree. I luckily found a make up artist in my city and then we both went to get ready from her. It took us a while in getting ready and I realised that day that why women take too long to get ready. It was just insane and approximately took me 4 hours to get ready and go out.

We went to a restaurant where LGBTQ people are accepted and everyone welcomed us so nicely. We had great talks and great food with lots of pictures got clicked together. It was such a perfect day of my life and I felt this is me and this is what I always wanted to be.

Why transwoman are not treated well in our country ? When the society’s will realise we are also normal people ? Why there is such taboo created among the societies ?

We can change it if we all are together in this but need support of each of you. I’ve done multiple outings later on with the same feeling and enthusiasm and they all are reflected here in the pics I’m sharing. Everyone is unique and everyone has their struggles so just respect and love everyone in this life.

Happy Sareeing…!!!

– Sneha Malik




Storyteller draped in a Saree | Sogasari

Storyteller draped in a Saree
Storytellers have such a prominent role in our lives through different aspects such as pictures, words, videos, and so on. It offers up different realms of possibilities and by this, we learn more about the world we live in. It is an art that can not be easily acquired as it perfectly balances our imaginations to explore and aids in the creation of different images of the world. It is through proper communication that we comprehend the beliefs and thoughts shared with us.
In a recent decade where the use of social media platforms has increased a lot and almost all information is available and so are the tales expressing the views, illustrating their views, and activities to engage their audience. With strokes of their fingertips, many share their stories and link the world.
Such is the story of Hema Pallavi who is a social media influencer and expresses her love for writing through her social media handle on Instagram Sogasari. Her art to express her thoughts through storytelling while also appreciating her love for Sarees is what separates her from the crowd. As she states in her bio that she is a saree enthusiast it is just justified after analyzing and scrolling through her beautiful posts.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hema Pallavi (@sogasari)

I want to soar high in the sky,
wanting to touch and feel its buttery texture..
I wish to swoop down and experience the adrenaline rush..
What is it to fly freely and not worried of getting wings clipped
and threatening the sole purpose of living??
What is to experience life without a thought of reaching pinnacle or touching the ground??
Each day, I get intimidated by my life as I imagine it questioning me about my purpose..
Each day , I sit down with all the thoughts that sprout from my core for this very inquest .

The picture above is from one of her recent posts where she shared one of her beautiful creations. What captured our eyes apart from the quotes is her choice of saree and appearance which sits so well with her writing. She wore this beautiful floral saree which beautifully represents the love she expressed by personifying nature and its elements. Accessorized with a choker, and wearing a sleeveless spaghetti-style blue-colored blouse, her appearance looks serene as she appreciates the beauty of nature.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hema Pallavi (@sogasari)

I want to fall in Love again .
I Want to feel special again..
I want to touch sky again..
I want to celebrate romance again..
But I wish to do everything only with you again .
There is no one else and cant be anyone else other than you .

The picture is also from her collection of posts where she through her art of writing expressed the beauty of falling in love and the joys of romance. She justified her statements by her appearance by wearing a polka-dotted saree. This purple-colored saree with a pink tint has quite an elegant vibe to it. She paired her saree with a blouse of the same color having intricate detailings on the end. It is indeed an art to portray the colors of your writing through your outfits and if it is appreciating your cultural roots, it is like a cherry on top.

 

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A post shared by Hema Pallavi (@sogasari)

We are tenacious till the very last microsecond.
We split into irreparable and uncountable bits once we reach that breaking point.
The majority of the time, we receive void.
Even tears and grief can't fill that void, no matter how hard we try.
Rarely does a person, a phrase, or a gesture come along that may steadily make its mark on our desolate country.
A vacuum will be our constant till then.

Such are words of her and to match the vibe of her writing she chose to wear a soothing white and vibrant yellow-colored saree. She paired it up with accessories that give off a boho look to her appearance. The richness of the color reflects the hope she wants to emanate to her audience through her work. It is indeed an astonishing art to pair up your words with your love for clothing.
Apart from her posts, there are a few images that we are grateful she shared with us. The photos that follow show how she is not just a talented writer but also a saree aficionado.

She was dressed in a saree with a variety of colors, including black, gray, and several shades of orange, as seen in the photo above. She wore it with an amazing blouse with intricate motifs depicting varying shades of orange on each line. Her entrancing look was completed by her open locks, a black bindi that matched her saree’s hue, gold stud earrings, bangles, and pendant.

In the image displayed above, she is wearing an orange-dominated saree with pink borders having black and white striped designs. To keep the whole color scheme in check, she wore it with a pink sleeveless blouse. Finally, she added an oxidized choker, golden bangles, and a gold pendant to complete the ensemble.

She wore a bright orange saree with delicate patterns and combined it with a brilliant blue-colored golden polka-dotted full-sleeve shirt in the photo above. She is accessorized with chandelier-shaped earrings with exquisite workmanship and gold studded necklaces to give the fairly plain-looking ensemble a twist. Finally, she finished off her ethnic style with a Gajra-wrapped hairdo.

She’s wearing a vibrantly violet-colored Bandhani saree with a basic sleeveless bright orange blouse in the photo above. She teamed the Bandhani saree with heavy necklaces and earrings with elaborately detailed pictures on them to accent the motifs.

She is an example of how telling an appropriate tale at the right moment is an art but doing so while promoting your culture is one of a kind.




The Saree journey of Jola

I have a pretty interesting journey when it comes to my love for sarees. The big credit for that goes to my mother who herself is a big saree enthusiast.
My mother, like any other Indian lady in the 1960s and 1970s, wore a saree on a daily basis. Considering those days it was nothing out of the usual back then.
I still have fond memories of her sarees which she used to wear back there were not many in her collection of sarees but each of them were specifically designated for any special events, workplace or for general use.
I recall her referring to synthetic sarees as “Poonam ki saree” and there was a specific orderliness in her collection of sarees for an instance Vimal sarees for day and night draping, sarees that were made out of fabrics like starched cottons and kota sarees were for office wear, whereas on the other hand silk saree, Banarasi saree, kanjivaram saree, and Tanchoi saree were meant for important events, special occasions, and festivals.

Unlike today’s times re-wearing a saree was not something to be embarrassed about.
Sharing your collection of sarees among your sisters, daughters, friends e.t.c. was a source of honor.
These small gestures made so many fond memories and beautiful moments among each other that were cherished for a very long time.


As is human nature, watching everyone around me in saree did not make me curious to know more about this garment. During my childhood days, I gravitate more towards western attire. I used to wear western attires in several events that I used to attend. It was only in events such as farewells,cultural activities at school or college that I wore my mother’s saree.


When I got wed my mother carefully selected my bridal trousseau. She added Mulberry silks, Kosa silks, Kanjivaram silks, Tanchoi silks, Banarasi silks, silk tissues, South silks, and so on.
But as i was quite distant from the charm of this garment so I was apprehensive and simply wanted to look at a few chiffons and georgettes by overlooking those beautiful sarees.
It was because of Yash Chopra ji and his lovely ladies Rekha and Sridevi that i got curious about Chiffon sarees and Georgette sarees.
I began wearing silks after entering the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, because see-through sarees do not appear appropriate or decent in intellectual and scientific settings.
That, however, was the turning moment for me. My senior colleagues, scientists, and mentors (all of whom were women) used to observe and appreciate my mother’s choice of weaving techniques and talked about the designs present on my sarees, and we used to talk a lot about it.


After being publicly appreciated a lot for my choice of sarees I felt incredible. It was the acknowledgement I received from my peers that I finally got interested in sarees.
I, too, became interested in Indian weavings, artistry, and valuable legacy.
It transported me to another universe. That was the beginning of my six-yard affair.
My wardrobe transitioned from western apparel and synthetic fibers to Indian dress and natural fibers such as silks, cottons, and other natural fibers.
It was a drastic change from machine-made garments to handcrafted garments.
Literally what I feel is that draping a saree is a form of meditation, and it is unquestionably beneficial.
I can’t express my sentiments and love for sarees in words, just like any other love my love for sarees can be summed up in these two sentences-
सिर्फ़ एहसास है ये रूह से महसूस करो
प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम न दो
Film : ख़ामोशी

 

– Dr Jola Dubey

Agricultural Scientist & Philanthropist

https://www.instagram.com/drjolasunildubey/




Golfing in a Saree | Shruti Singh’s Saree Sport Story

Playing golf in a saree I guess no one might have heard about before.
People might think it is an erratic decision and being draped in this six-yard elegance while playing golf must be so uncomfortable but no it is not.

Well, I saw several social media posts regarding how several women have stood up to promote through their various arenas.
There were several events where contemporary tasks were finished while maintaining our cultural identity by our proud saree wearers.
Be it through going on a world tour while wearing a saree, moving Hula Hoops while being in saree, attending several big events while wearing a saree just so the beauty of this garment can be showcased in front of the world, to playing basketball in saree.
Even what might seem like an uncomfortable sport for saree wearers such as skiing, cycling, and snowboarding have been done by several proud saree wearers effortlessly. The list is pretty long and it goes on and on but I am yet to see anyone golfing in a saree.
This thought has been in the back of my head for a pretty long time and I always wanted to give it a try so here I am golfing while being draped in a saree and bringing my thoughts into reality and testing the versatility of this beauty.

Above is the picture of me standing in a golf court and slaying the look in a saree.
I am wearing a saree which has a slight tint of red and pink color. I really loved the richness of this color and made me look ecstatic about my golfing.
For utmost comfort, while being on a golf court I have ditched the traditional footwear that has been always assumed to be paired up with a saree.
I have put my comfort first and thus wore a white pair of sneakers. Well, they do look good and gave off a funky look so yes I was happy with my choice.
To top off this look I teamed my saree with a white top instead of a typical blouse.
I wanted to make this look as comfortable as it can be and add up as many modern elements as I can so that it might relate to the wider range of audiences who have this notion that saree is mere traditional wear and its usage is only limited to certain events.
The comfort I had while wearing this Mul saree is beyond mentioning in words.
Amidst the heated weather, the fabric of this saree was comfortable for me as it tried to pare away the scorching effects of heat. In this searing heat, I somehow ventured to attempt wearing it and I must say I was not disappointed at all.

Well, I agree with the fact that every sport has got its prescribed dress code and it must have been decided through well-designed procedures but my favorite hobby is breaking the stereotyped rules.

The comfort I had while wearing this fabric is unmatchable. It was because of the fabric that it was so easy to drape this six-yard elegance and smash all stereotypes it was quite relaxing wearing it.  Your preference to a Mul saree will be on top after wearing.

This is the final result of my adventure in golfing while wearing a saree and I must say that the comfort is unrivaled.

I believe that saree might be worn from casual to traditional and that is the beauty of its versatility. It is not just beautiful and fashionable but also comfortable. It is an empowering ensemble. Those six yards too can find a new dimension if one knows how to choose the right fabric and the right draping skills.

 

Shruti Singh

https://www.instagram.com/shruti_ka_safarnama/




Invisibly Sareeing – Sareeing.com’s Special and exclusive

It is no wonder that in the past few years social media has become a major platform to showcase one’s passion for something one cherishes.
The arena the internet presents has a plethora of options be it of any background.
We here at Sareeing.com have our major goal to showcase the rising inspirational influencers who are quite enthusiastic about their love for saree and have a lot of exciting information to offer regarding this garment.
While scrolling through the facade of the internet we came across quite an interesting and extraordinary profile that intrigued our interest due to its distinct creativity and aesthetically pleasing styles.
Obviously, the main motive is to forecast the beauty of the sarees but something that is unique about this profile.

But before unveiling this we would like to remind you of an interesting Telugu film that was Pelli Sandadi(1996).
It became popular due to its song in which the filmmaker introduced the protagonist without displaying her face.
The song “Soundarya Lahari… Swapna Sundari” successfully was able to depict the heroine’s attractiveness without showing her entire face in one shot.
Due to the popularity of the song its remake was made in the Hindi movie “ Mere Sapno Ki Rani” (1997) and the Tamil movie Ninaithen Vandhai (1998).

The point is beyond the glamour of these songs.

I’m pretty much sure you might have grasped the point: what exactly is the main aspect behind the example that totally relates to this profile.
In her profile, there are over three hundred posts that portray her love for this ethereal garment but what makes her unique is that she abstains from showing her face.
After this mysterious encounter, we tried reaching her and we are glad that we were successful in getting a glimpse into her ideas.
Upon asking the most prompted question that why does not she reveal her face she responded that her sole idea is to showcase the beauty of the respective saree that she is wearing that needs to get into the spotlight.


This is what came quite surprising to us as in a society where everyone is battling for self-identity through photos, postures, and different ideas she is one of a kind who is devoted to letting people see the gracefulness of sarees.
That prompted us to learn more about her which led us to know one more amazing thing about her which is her profession.
She is a pilot and has been in the sector of Aviation for over seven years.


She states that her love for sarees was always present somewhere within her but it was only after her marriage that she started wearing them.
Being an introvert by nature she was quite hesitant to showcase her love for sarees and style inspirations and that is when her spouse came into the picture and motivated her which led to the formation of her page.

She is Anushka Nair who considers herself a full-time saree lover and a part-time pilot.
Quite an intriguing bio.
If you want to know more about her and take a look around her page for style inspiration then check out her page on Instagram @pankhwalipallu.

https://www.instagram.com/pankhwalipallu/

For me, Sarees means Rekha Ji – Radhikka

साड़ी
बचपन का एक ख़्वाब
नवयौवना की एक चाहत
नवविवाहिता का श्रृंगार
साड़ी
एक उमंग
एक सम्मान
एक मर्यादा
साड़ी
बुनकर की उम्मीद
रंगरेज़ी का रोज़गार
साड़ी
सक्ष्म भी
सौम्य भी
साड़ी केवल कपड़ा नहीं
पहचान है हमारी
: राधिका
When I started loving sarees even I don’t realize. Born and brought up in a Punjabi family where suits are in culture, I am always fascinated with these six yards. Playing with mom’s sarees was the favorite thing for me.
For me, Sarees means Rekha Ji.