Saree

I used to wear Sarees everyday when I was working. Those days in the hotel industry, all employees wore sarees. The Sales n Marketing teams could wear their own sarees and not the uniform sarees which was for the people in the Front office and Back of the house. We all loved buying new sarees all the time and cherished them. In fact, all of us wore natural fabrics and not the flimsy artificial fabrics. By the time I was in the eighth year of working, the foreign hotel chains had come into India. To prove their westernization, the uniform became shirts and trousers for all employees. Men n women in the hotel looking like penguins in those white lobbies. This is one more of my ranting against the Westernization of Indian people and culture. The 'Goras' for the lack of a better word, felt one looked more professional in trousers n shirts. The pant shirt uniform was hassle free. Not to forget those thick jackets on the poor perspiring staff. Indian weather is not conducive to jackets/coats or suits. But who can explain this sense to the 'Gora' Bosses? For that matter most average Indian women with their curves look good in sarees vis a vis trousers.

Where the entire hotel and airline industry was wearing silk sarees, the scenario changed overnight. Suddenly we saw only synthetic blouses with thick crease free minis and jackets on working women. Till then no Indian company manufactured these kind of clothes. All the business went to the foreign companies. The Indian weaver suffered. Every small decision a company/ organization takes, the domino effect reaches the poor small scale industry worker/ weaver. Instead of creating employment, we are snatching away livelihoods in the villages. In our country which has the best of hotels and services, we should be displaying the Indian culture and traditions. Our fabrics and colours are so vibrant. How many countries can boast of this variety of textiles and embroideries and dyeing techniques like India? None.

Now I wear sarees only on occasions ie a close family wedding or a Pooja. If  I just wear a saree, everone asks me what is the occasion or am I going out. The questioning will start from my maid to the building neighbors to all the people I shall meet that day. Married women have so many grudges against in-laws who insist they wear a saree at home. Not wearing a Saree has become a symbol of modernization. Wearing western clothes is considered trendy. In Mumbai, lot of Indian brides wear gowns for their wedding reception. As children we wore sarees for all festivals . I have worn sarees even for my birthdays including  on my 24th because I thought a wearing a saree was a chic thing to do. We wore sarees in Dhanbad for all nine days of Navratri even when we were just eight or nine year olds. We grew up being most comfortable in sarees. Wearing a Salwar kameez became a modern thing to do on festivals and we had stayed away from that trend, out of choice.

As a woman I am equally responsible for not wearing sarees. My girls want to wear but now there are hardly any tailors who will do their blouses or petticoats. Everything is' ready to wear' and 'ready to eat'.We get stitched sarees for kids which they wear if they are acting in the annual day when playing the role of an old lady or a school Principal. I am not against the Old order changing. I am for preserving the old which is a valuable part of our rich heritage.