The 500 & 1000 INR Saree...because its just not a number..

The whole nation is reeling from the move by the government to discontinue Rupees 500 and 1000 from the system there are mixed responses to the decision which is the case in most major decisions. While my political views on the decision have been made amply clear by me on facebook. As I sat down to write this post It was surely on my mind.... I couldn't seem to make up my mind whether the demonition was high or low.....

If it was low could It buy me a saree and if it was high could it buy me a good enough saree.. something that I could wear for a casual occasion and not think twice...As I looked back at my purchases I realized that the demonition both 500 and 1000 have bought me some  lovely memories in some lovely sarees....each buy has been memorable because I was able to buy a saree which was great in quality and great in style. The wonder of finding something amazing at such a low price made the saree even more valuable to me....

Money can never have a definition despite all the economics of the world it will always be relative...what matters is the joy and peace that it brings you.... sometimes in the form of a saree worth Rs 500 that looks and feels like its worth a 1000...the rest is just ones and zeros'.

All the saree's below either cost 500 or 1000 INR

A cotton kasavu saree 

This is my first kasavu saree worn by me in my new house on the occasion of vishu, this saree is deemed auspicious, a classic example of  good things dont need a label.

A beautiful Kalmakari cotton Saree

An exhibition is where I found this lovely beauty at a stall nestled in a corner when I heard how much it was for, I said to myself the most beautiful things in life are undervalued.

A subtle bandhni 

This saree was a gift hence cant comment on the fabric, It was my anniversary and a surprise dinner caught me off guard, she was sitting in my closet brand new and made my evening more special. Sometimes now is the only thing that matters.

A simple kerala cotton

She is the reminder of a wonderful time in gods own country, and now sits in the wardrobe of my maid she loved the color. Hence I feel this saree turned out to be the most valuable because it brought happiness twice over.

The tale of a Saree in Bangkok

Its been a great Diwali because I got to spend it in Bangkok ! the break was most welcome and the Thailand trip was absolutely awesome. Most of you would be thinking where is this  going....

The festival of lights is the perfect opportunity for me to drape my five yards to my heart's fullest. This year thou I was going to miss the opportunity.

As I was packing my bag for  travel, cautiously weighing each adventure I was going to embark on,  eliminating adding and again eliminating dresses I stopped for a second. The last day was going to be a dinner cruise on the Chaophraya river and the dress of choice was a strappy short dress.
It was the last day of Diwali and the New Year. What was stopping me from draping a sari.
Why had I not asked myself this question ?
Was there a unsung rule that one cannot wear a Sari on a international Trip...or was I afraid of falling into the aunty category as only elderly women were expected to wear a sari. Nothing is more beautiful, classy and sophisticated than a saree, and as I was wondering which one to carry with me to  its first international destination. A dual tone green and pink pure silk with flower motifs looked at me....I had saved this saree for a special occasion as it was a gift from my loving aunt.
Just like that it was decided, I was going to wear a Saree for the cruise.

The husband was not very excited about the fact that I was going to wear a saree but then as most husbands knew better than to argue :) I wont deny that my heart did flutter, thinking whether I would draw stares or a comment or two...Then I looked at myself draped in this surreal weave and nothing else mattered except the fact that I finally got an opportunity to wear it...

Nothing makes a Woman look beautiful as a Saree and the smile on the husband's face is all I needed to know that I couldn't have looked more beautiful than now.

The night was beautiful with the moon shining bright, as the ship cruised through the calm waters of the river the lit monuments just created the perfect backdrop for memorable pictures and a stunning selfie.

 I often wonder why do we downplay are own strengths, the saree is the ultimate symbol of our identity why is it normal for us to wear a gown or a dress for a formal event and not a saree. 

Dinner was wonderful because it was accompanied by compliments for my saree and my look. 

If I had walked into a bar in  India in a saree I would have probably got disapproving looks but there everybody understood and appreciated that the dress was your identity it represented the culture and craftsmanship of that wonderful country I call home...  

Sea Green Love...

I woke up today thinking what do I write about...somehow nothing seemed to inspire and that can be quite frustrating....these blogs are not just research articles, they are a reflection of me.
Clothes have been my most prized possession...not because of any materialistic value but because of the memories they share with me....The saree's I wear are more special to me because each saree has a story, an occasion, a moment, a look...and when I drape it over me I relive that experience and somehow that dress becomes all the more special and I even more beautiful....

Today somehow the color emerald green just sprung to me...maybe because I am going to travel soon and the thought of being able to behold the light green sea with a hint of blue brings about a sense of happiness and joy that can be paralleled only by christmas....BALI has been a dream destination and it was there that I fell in love with this green color.....I am already in love with the sea but seeing it dressed in this green just transformed its beauty to divine proportions...

Th saree's I have featured below reconfirmed my love for the color which is one of those difficult one's to find saree's in...so if you have not yet bought that special saree for Diwali I absolutely recommend it....

A sea green and yellow organza saree.

Buy at : issadesignerstudio@gmail.com or call 994994417

This is a sea green silk georgette 

Buy at : https://www.eastandgrace.com/collections/august-2016-collection/products/green-with-pink-rose

A Kalki Sea Green

A banarsee 

A georgette with silver patchwork.

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Karvachauth - Romance, Tradition and a beautiful Saree

It is absolutely not possible to have a blog dedicated to the saree and not post on karvachauth ! for all those who have no idea what this festival is about...its a day dedicated to marriage where you celebrate togetherness and the moon is central to this celebration, its rise heralds the beginning of the celebration as the man and woman in love look at each other and pray for a happily ever after..

Its an Indian version of valentines day, the only glitch being it involves fasting the whole day in order to feast at night ! Like most eastern traditions its not fair to the woman as the burden falls on her to go hungry the whole day...though in the twentieth century the men are not far behind and give company to their  wives, girlfriends, fiance'...In addition to the gifts received from the husband gifts come from the mother in law too !

The color red is in the air, the fragrance of romance dances as the men wait to see their women  dressed in finery and the women dress to impress in beautiful ethnic wear and jewelery, flowers in their hair and henna on their hands...

There is something magical about Indian customs they bring out the charm in you as you perform the rituals, they build a bond with each step bringing a family, a couple closer. This is the ultimate goal of any tradition to nurture relationships....one definitely needs to remember that when we ignore our traditions calling them rudimentary...everything evolves and so should our traditions, shedding the negative but definitely holding on to the most basic element of any tradition...LOVE

Below are some recommended looks for the very special day and of course it revolves around Red...

 Dont be shy and Dress to the Nine's !!!!

 The quintessential red banarsi 

 The rich red Kanjivram

 The subtle Cream Georgette with Red embroidery

The ethnic auspicious "Gharchola"

The deep red Georgette with bead work

The enchanting red Chanderi

Dusshera and Vijayadashmi - Victory over evil

Light tearing through the darkness is the hope with which we live. The world around us seems to always be collapsing under the weight of the dark and we earn for that moment of brightness which removes the cobwebs of doubt and helps us see this world as god created it, beautiful and sublime.

We celebrate the victory of good over evil today, when the struggle against the darkness led to its annihilation and resulted in the liberation of humankind. Today we burn the evil to give way to the good.  A struggle which we face every day of our life, where we fight the darkness inside us and hope that light wins. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but the battle never ends. The light of our conscience is always lit in our hearts the seat of god's grace, somedays we are able to shield it from the darkness of our weaknesses, greed, lust, selfishness, hatred, envy, anger and somedays we lose.

Today let us try our best to win, let us find inspiration in our god's who take human form to vanquish evil and show us that it absolutely can be done, it may not be easy and it may be a struggle but in the end you surely can slay your inner demon and stand on its head with the sword of righteousness in one hand and the lamp of peace lit in your heart...

Victory of any kind after a battle for me is always red,....pure, energetic, strong and heralding the prosperity that follows uprightness.. 

A Red Banarsi by Ayush Kejriwal For purchases emaail at designerayushkejriwal@hotmail.com

Red hand painted mug silk saree buy at onuoru.com

Silk with animal motifs buy at parisera.com

Navratri - Day 5 color Navy Blue

The color blue represents the calmness of an ocean and the vastness of the sky. The very essence of a woman. She can stand calm in a storm and her love is as endless as the sky....

Blue is a very tricky color it is very finicky and every woman has her shade of blue, dark blue does not suit everybody hence most of the time you have to make peace with wearing it in association with another color...

For me my relationship with the color dark blue began and ended when I was in school...it was a birthday dress I was in love with which was purchased without trying it on and finally when I did with much excitement its look absolutely broke my heart....

Like in life sometimes some relationships are given another chance by fate and the color dark blue came back into my life after some million years when my best friend gifted me this sari....

I wore it with much apprehension hoping that the color would not betray me again, but to my surprise as a combination with peach it was absolutely stunning. We often say that going back to a disappointing past is never a good idea but maybe just maybe you discover that what you had was good it just needed a slight twist to be awesome.

Navratri Day 2 - Orange

The second day of Navratri is dedicated to the color orange symbolizing the various shades of the earth and the mountain terrain this color is strong as the element it represents. Unlike some colors this color suits one and all complexions. Any shade of orange can transform  a simple sari into an impressive piece of garment.

My favorite shade of orange color is salmon, the color is subtle yet has a personality which demands attention, a simple chiffon or satin can lend you an air of aristocracy immediately elevating you in a crowd.  Don't forget your pearls !!!

 

Be a tad more dramatic this navratri and drape a blush a orange chiffon. Flower motif blouses are in and if you have been second guessing sporting them teeming them with a plain chiffon sari is an absolutely no brainer....if you want to transform the simple plain chiffon into something more traditional a simple golden border is the perfect solution.

Another fabric that totally elevates the color orange is chanderi, frankly I am in love with this fabric and just cant get enough...orange with green is another classic combination that can never go wrong...if an all out orange is too much for your senses a dash of green is the way to go...

you can buy this at :http://templeofkanchi.com/products/orange-net

If you are a bride to be ditch the common reds and drape yourself in the magnetic orange below is a

 orange sari with a contrast green brocade blouse... this ayush kejriwal saree  is a sure shot recipe for a gorgeous bride..

I cannot complete this blog without mentioning The Kanjeevaram an absolute stunner, if you have a personality that touches the sky and you want to turn heads then a orange kanjeevaram is your soulmate...must confess this fabric in this color is not for all and you need to carry it with the confidence of a queen...who else to do justice to it but the bold and beautiful Rekha