Saturday Snapshot: Festivals and Sarees go hand in hand

Nov 11, 2015

DIWALI

67/100

#100sareepact #giftoflove

My saree, a gift from Upma Bedi ma'am. Maroon Cotton with a purple gold border. Paired it with a gold brocade blouse and gold jewellery.

Maa is draping a Sambalpuri cotton. I had gifted it to her for mother's day this year. Of course, I will drape it too....

Lots of stories but who is gonna read those on Diwali?! 

Have a safe Diwali, friends....

Nov 10, 2015

66/100

#100sareepact 

Come any festival, I miss my eldest brother. He is one of those forgetful and serious persons. However, with abundance of love and goodies. When he was studying in IIT, Delhi, he used to save from his scholarship and give it me. Even when he went to IIT, Madras for M.Tech, he made sure I had funds! 

It was kind of unwritten pact that none of us would tell our parents about it. When he started working, it was like bonanza for me! He was not much for shopping but if I asked him to accompany me, he did that with immense patience. 

Fast forward......he got married......and I got a SIL who has continued the tradition. She gifts me all kinds of stuff although my brother still dolls out money to me. Not that I need any of it. It is not about gifts any more. It is about caring, sharing and affection. 

I still argue with my brother and at times we don't even speak to each other. But I know, he is always there to listen to me. I am hot-headed and impulsive. He is cool and calm.
I call him at all odd hours if I am upset and he simply listens to me. Only after I get it all, out, he slowly demolishes my anger by his rationality. 

In this materialistic world, it is siblings bond that only matters. Everything else is zilch. I am grateful that I have three siblings. Wouldn't trade that for anything. My bonus is, I got three sisters too, via them...what more do I wish for?

Oh, I forget! Three nieces and two nephews.....

Now, why I miss my eldest brother on festivals? Because, he made sure all of us got together. Now.....it doesn't happen that way....

Today, we had lunch at my youngest brother's place. 

I had draped a saree to school. I did not change that. A yellow saree with thin red gold border and somewhat ikat aanchal. Paired it with a mix and match blouse bought locally. Saree was a gift from my second SIL long time back. I drape this saree once a year. Accessorised with gold hoops.....

Nov 07, 2015

65/100

#100sareepact

Kick start to the festive season and parties galore!

Well, yesterday it was two saree day! Nip in the air makes one reach out for silks. And it was wedding reception of a colleague's son.

Delhi is known for its bling and I own only one blingy lehenga saree, which is a big no no!

So here I am draped in a traditional silk. Gold orange Khandua pata from Odisha. This saree changes colour under different lights. Sometimes gold, sometimes orangish yellow and in rare times, a bit purplish too. One of my earlier purchases, I love it. I lost count of the times I have draped it. Paired with a mix and match blouse and pearl accessories....

My colleagues were draped in sarees and looked good!

Let's come to the food part......so many choices....and all so yummy. I gorged and gorged. In fact, every one did that.....

Who else is inviting me next?!

Nov 07, 2015

64/100

#100sareepact

Middle child......one who is left alone most of the times, one who is more independent than the older and the youngest one. Technically I share that spot with my second brother. Although years apart, we had more in common in our childhood years.

According to my mom, he always wished for a sister and when I was born, he seldom left my side. I have faint memories of following him about. He was my champion, my hero. It continued till he passed out from school and got into IIT. And suddenly, he was in hostel!

As it happens with everyone, we drifted apart after that. I still looked up at him when he used to come back in holidays. But now I was the sister who pestered him and no teenager likes that!

By the time I had passed out from school, he was married.....and......I got busy with higher my studies.....

The closeness did come back.....after his daughter got married.....I realized I had always missed that. With him, I am again the little girl who followed him around, and he, my champion.

Brothers feel the same way as sisters. But they are not as demonstrative as us. I ought to know. I have three of them! In my next posts, I will talk about my other two brothers.....

It is a saree post after all. So here I go.....

Mysore silk, beige with gold black border. It belonged to my younger SIL. One fine day, she gave this undraped saree to my mom. Now mom draped it only once. I landed up with it. I have paired it with a two by two rubia blouse. I do have an Ikat blouse perfect for the saree but couldn't find it! Accessorised with bronze danglers from Odisha....

Nov 03, 2015

63/100

#100sareepact

National Museum has always fascinated me. I have visited it pretty often.

When I was in college, I had heard about the Art Appreciation course offered by National Museum. I always wanted to do it. Somehow all through my college and Univ days, it did not materialise.

When I started teaching, I didn't give it much thought. However, it was there in the back of my mind. One day, I was conversing with one of my colleagues, Nity Sharma and I told her about this wish about doing the Art Appreciation course, somd day.

It was July 2007. She told me that her husband was the registrar of National Museum and admissions were open for the batch starting in Aug. At her behest, I went the same day, filled the form, deposited the fees and voila, started attending the course from August. It was once a week, every Thursday, at 5 30 pm. It went on till mid Dec.

I had to submit four assignments too, which I enjoyed doing. I learnt about Indian art.......ancient, mediaeval and modern, Japanese, Chinese, European and lot more. 

We were also served tea and snacks each day. Best part was meeting people from all walks of society, students, journalists, foreigners, politicians etc. I still have last lasting friendship with some.

Well, now I have Certificate in Art Appreciation from National Museum. It sounds good, doesn't it?!

My saree? Maheshwari cotton with Bagh block prints. I had bought it for maa but it came back to me. I have paired it with a Gold bordered maroon handloom blouse bought from Nalli.

Hope all appreciate the art of my saree and the blouse.....:P

Nov 02, 2015

62/100

#100sareepact

Pre-Diwali week, the time when one is on a house cleaning spree, shopping spree and what not!

We must not forget the lights. I get so nostalgic when I put up the lights. My dad used to put together the holders for the zero watt bulbs of all hues and colours. I was the one who helped him. He used to sit at one place and I was the one handing him wires cut to the right length as specified by him, the holders, the pliers, the screw driver etc etc.

Or we worked simultaneously. I, with one set of wires and holders and he with another. Each year we would get those wired stuff and check out the holders.

Only then we put those lights up. Next step was checking the bulbs. The first Diwali, after he passed away in May 2002, I couldn't stay at home. I and mom went to Bhubaneswar.

However, from 2003 till date, I and mom put up those very same wired holders after checking those the same as before. And we talk of dad. His quirks, idiosyncrasies etc. He loved Diwali. He was very enthusiastic about fireworks and all.

We no longer buy crackers but we ensure to put up the lights, diyas and prepare a lot of sweets. Gifting is part and parcel of the festival. And it continues.

Coming back, my saree is a printed Kashmiri silk bought in a sale. Paired with a red Ikat blouse. I like the off white and red 

Oct 29, 2015

61/100

#100sareepact 

Not on a mood to write anything. Life is not so good. But this too shall pass.

This is a heavy art silk saree from Pune. I love the multi coloured border and aanchal. It does not slip and is pretty easily draped. Paired with my purple handloom blouse.

Needed to boost my moral by draping this saree. Not that it happened...

Posting for Saturday Snapshot, hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy