Food is often used as a powerful 'cultural' metaphor in literary and non literary works alike. Though I totally agree with the powerful ways food can influence one's identity and even self worth for that matter, I am begotten with another thing altogether.
Sarees-No matter which part in the world, no matter where you are-every Indian woman will have atleast one saree in her wardrobe(preferably silk and if not, her worthiness to be an Indian stands sceptical)
A charming folktale explains the origin of the Sari
"The Sari, it is said, was born on the loom of a fanciful weaver. He dreamt of Woman. The shimmer of her tears. The drape of her tumbling hair. The colors of her many moods. The softness of her touch. All these he wove together. He couldn't stop. He wove for many yards. And when he was done, the story goes, he sat back and smiled and smiled and smiled."
According to wikipedia, Saree is a female garment in the Indian sub continent. I am sure the ladies of the Indian sub continent were the only ones aesthetically suited to carry off this sexual and sensual piece of wonder. I have often marvelled at how elegant and sexy a saree can look at the same time.Almost like time travel. Barring the tremendous effort it requires to be worn by novices, a saree is never out of place. If in tropics like India, it provides the right amount of 'ventilation', its not an uncommon sight to find women wearing sweaters over a well draped over saree with double protection. Its such an universal garment. And to top it, it looks good on anyone. Be it the firangs or the anemic supermodels- the next door 'amma' or the bhabhi in the train- Saree works its magic bringing out the poise and grace of a woman.Its almost as if saree is this magical gift cover which carefully enwraps everything good in a woman.
"There is ample evidence of the sari in the earliest examples of Indian art. Sculptures from the Gandhara, Mathura and Gupta schools (1st- 6th century AD), suggest that the sari in its earlier form was a briefer garment, with a veil, and usually no discernable bodice. There are also several references to the fact that in South India the sari had been for a long time one piece of material that served as both skirt and veil, leaving the bosom bare. Even today in some rural areas it is quite common for a woman not to wear a choli."
How liberating, aint it?Wonder whether they had censor boards those times?
Gradually this skirt and veil were amalgamated into one garment, but when and how this happened is not precisely clear. One theory, not fully substantiated, is that the style was created by Noor Jahan (d. 1645) wife of the Mughal emperor Jehangir (reigned. 1605-27). Perhaps it would be more accurate to speculate that the confrontation between the two cultures, Islamic and Hindu, led the comparatively relaxed Hindus to develop a style that robed the person more discreetly and less precariously. ""In extant North Indian miniature paintings, (particularly Jain, Rajasthani and Pahari schools from the 13th to the 19th centuries) it seems to consist of the diaphanous skirt and an equally diaphanous veil draped over a tiny bodice. This style still survives as the more voluminous lehanga of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
I am sure if anyone tried it out, you could even develop a brach of psychology based on the analysis of draping of sarees understanding characters and traits of women. Now Im sure that would be a small step towards comprehending the phenomenon which is 'women'.
Some sources even say its the oldest of clothings existed (well, Im sure leaves would come first).Its apparently, 5000 years old according to certain records.Thats quite ancient and even in this century, if saree has its strong hold, there has to be something special about this garment.Some people think that Indian saree is influenced by Greek or Roman toga which we see on ancient statues. This is not correct. Saree is essentially Indian and designed to suit local conditions. Cotton was cultivated in India centuries before Alexander the Great landed on the borders of India and Indian cloth (chira or Saree) was a wonder to Greek eyes. In fact, Herodotus and other ancient western historians thought there were cloth-growing trees in India.
Another famous anecdote connected to saree is in connection to Raja Ravi Varma, the great painter of 19 th century.oured the entire sub-continent in search of theideal female wear. He wanted the best dress for the various goddesses he was asked and commissioned to paint. He selected the a nine yard saree which drapes the body beautifully at the same time exhibiting contours of female anatomy--bust, waist, hips. Most of the female deities he painted are in this style.Wikipedia calls it the 'Nivi' style of saree draping.
The origin of the blouse and the petticoat is still doubtful. As it was a tradition in India to use only one unstitched cloth to cover the body, it is believed that ancient women did not wear blouses and left the upper part of their bodies uncovered. Some other say that they did wear breastbands to cover thier upper body. It is still unknown how blouses and petticoat originated, although it is largely believed that it was only after the arrival of the British that Indian women started wearing blouse and petticoat.Also, stitched clothes were considered impure by Hindus. It was only after the arrival of Muslims that tailored clothes became popular in India.
And most surprisingly, Jhansi's Queen Laxmibai, Belawadi Mallamma and Kittur Chennamma fought enemy troops on horseback, wearing saree in a peculiar way. Who knew you could win battles let alone fight in a saree?
The bottomline is you can never fail in a saree! The saree never fails!
On that note, I am reminding myself I should watch Priyadarshan's Kancheevaram.
