Saturday Snapshot: June 13, 2015...Saree 17 to 20

I will continue with my saree date posts..:D

17/100

Our dept. conducts seminars during summer vacations for teachers every year. It is done subject-wise. At one time, it used to be for two weeks, which was reduced to one week, then 5 days and now for 4 days only.

I am not going to comment on the learning aspect but it sure feels good to meet other teachers from the same subjects from other schools.

Sometimes the infrastructure, where is seminar is being conducted is good. At times, it is not up to the mark. Yet somehow we end up waiting for the next year's Seminar.

Such official gatherings means one can drape sarees. More so after signing the 100 saree pact.

Here my saree is a Bengal Cotton, what is basically known as taant. Light shade of mustard and very easy to wear. It has bootis all over. I wore it with a contrast blouse. 

I think, my youngest SIL bought it from Kolkata when she had gone there for an official tour. She had brought sarees for all of us. This one she had given to mom.

Accessories are only my ear-drops randomly bought from a local market.

18/100

Seminar day 2. On day 1, there was not much accomplished. Except for catching up with old friends. I and another colleague of mine had a great chatting session. We simply needed to share our thoughts and all that had happened in the past one year.

The hall is big but fans are far between. As Delhi is reeling under heat wave, those fans don't help. Sitting at one place for 6 hours with 30 min break is a bit too much. What do we do? We walk out of that hall and walk the corridors to beat the heat.

Today, in the last session, we were given a topic and do free writing on that. I composed a poem in less than five minutes and read it out. Felt good to do so for an audience, that too in a saree!

I am draping a Kasavu cotton saree with orange, mauve and gold border. I had bought it from Kochi airport way back in Mar 2012. My brother, his family, mom and I had gone on a vacation to South. We visited Meenakshi temple, Rameswaram and finally travelled to Munnar. I virtually did no shopping exceot for various spices and tea from the tea gardens. When we were returning, it hit me hard in the airport that I had not bought a single saree for myself and mom. So I ended up buying this saree and a dupatta for myself along with another saree for mom.

The blouse is khadi, dark brown with typical khadi embroidery in yellow. I am very partial to Khadi blouses. My Jhumkis are bought from a local market.

I have draped this saree once before in August 2012 on the eve of Independence day, with a green blouse to give it a tricolour affect. I have a picture of that. See the last photo.

I almost always wear different blouses with the same saree as many times as I drape it. That gives the saree a new look...



19/100

Seminar day 3. Reached early. Surprisingly the session too started on time. The resource person was one of the best. She involved all of us. One of the exercises was collage making in 15 minutes. Ours was one of the best presented as it was larger than the other one. (I had won first prize last year, in inter-district collage making!!)

About this saree, I had bought it for my mom some 12 years back. She draped it only once and gave it back to me as she wears light coloured sarees. It is a soft cotton saree with a beautiful border with a matching blouse piece. It has small hand embroidered flowers all over the body. I seldom wear the matching blouse with that particular saree. However, this blouse goes with few others sarees too.

My ear-drops are made from cane and I bought those from Dilli Haat, INA fairly recently. Very lightweight.

I must mention here that I am enjoying draping my sarees. It has given me confidence and I feel a sense of well being...

20/100

Hot humid Delhi. And you are invited to a housewarming party. What do you do? You go there in a cool cotton saree!!

I am doing the admissions for Class XI, so I went to that housewarming party directly from school.

This saree belonged to my mom and now it belongs to me. How? We had gone to a resort in Toshali, near Puri, way back in 2004. One of those days, we visited my eldest Mami. My eldest mama is no more and my mom is very fond of her SIL. This saree was a gift to my mom from her SIL, my mami. Such a beautiful Odisha Sambalpuri Handloom cotton. (I too was gifted a saree but that story is for another day). Both the sarees were gifted with falls and sides stitched along with blouses and petticoats. (Readymade choli cut cotton blouses are easily available in Odisha and West Bengal).

I draped that saree on that resort for some kind of function with a black sleeveless blouse.

After that, I have draped it many, many times with different blouses. Mom is too happy to see me wearing it and gave it to me.

Today I draped it with one of my favourite Khadi blouses and the lightweight cane earrings.

I love the body, the border and the pallu of this saree.