India takes immense pride in her age-old traditions, homegrown craftsmanship and art. The most beautiful amalgamation of the aforementioned is perhaps found in the garment chosen by Indian women through centuries - the saree. The history of saree is ancient and can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilisation. Over the course of thousands of years of history, the saree has evolved into a phenomenal art form with myriads of regional variations in fabric, stitches, designs, prints, embroideries, embellishments and styles of draping. Saree is an emblem of our pride, symbol of our artistic versatility, and an emblem of our brilliant culture. On 6th August 2023, Britain witnessed history in the making when around 500 women of Indian origin walked peacefully through the streets of London, the global city.
50 Gujarati ladies joined around 700 Indian women by wearing the traditional Bandhani Art and walking to the famous landmarks of London to Illustrate the importance of Gujaratis heritage and traditions by bringing attention to Garbas and Dandia raas throughout the walkathon! Gujarat group Lead - Anjie Chhapia’s and the participants' ancestral links and early childhood days in cities of Gujarat, famous for making Bandhanis and weaving, recalledthe intricate hard work the artisans put in to create this wonderful art on fabrics turned into beautiful sarees/odhanis and so much more.
Dr Dipti Jain, Chairperson of British Women in Sarees and Medicals Charity Organisation chairperson for Doctors in Sarees UK chapter told Asian Voice, “We are a 2.3k strong organisation of empowered women passionate about sarees. I myself possess many sarees of all hues, weaves and styles and have organised many events in the UK to showcase our national heritage. Most notable one bringing 1000 ladies in saris and fascinators to Royal Ascot ladies' day last year, which captured both national and international media attention recently a similar one in the Venice masquerade festival.
“Moving on, my ideas are getting more and more crazier. I wanted to wave up and lose on the iconic spots of central London from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square to mark the Swadeshi movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. I floated the idea in a group and called the imagination and within two weeks we had a 500-plus-strong contingent of ladies willing to participate in the saree walkathon of an event first of its kind in British history on 6 August 2023 In traditional waves and draping style to celebrate 75 years of independence and mark the South Asian Heritage month.
“The buzz created the ladies all discussing weaves and regional styles, regional songs and dance to celebrate the craftsmanship of artisans and weavers and hoping to raise funds to support their beautiful work. And uphold their national heritage. We'll be successful in our endeavour. Only time can tell. But we will march on the streets with hearts full of joy and heads held in pride. Jai Hind.”
Suparna Dasgupta told the newsweekly, “Saree walkathon is a representation of the skills of artisans and the heritage of the looms with each part of India bringing their talent. This is an amazing venture of British women in sarees under the leadership of Dr Dipti Jain. We are a contingent of 500-plus women. To mark the day in honour of the national handloom day. I proudly represent the state of West Bengal. The birth of the tradition movement happened in our state in 1905. And hence this event is a poignant one for me. West Bengal has a heritage of many different waves. I will be wearing a Jamdani which is a delicate weave on muscling. In 2013 Jamdani was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This event not only offers us the opportunity to restore the pride of our beautiful six yards of sarees but also instils the same pride in our children in a home away from home. Our hope is to rekindle the love in their hearts so they can nurture and support the same love we have for the waves and the talented artists.”
Padmavati Kanan from Tamil Nadu said, “We as Indian women take the privilege of walking the streets of London by draping ourselves in hand-woven saris. By our hand weavers all the way across from our homeland. India holds a strong history of handloom, which is spread across the nation. And we take pride in establishing the heritage in this third workshop, where you will witness 600-plus independent Indian women show us and glorify the handlers and the weavers who work today to ensure the traditions are kept alive. I feel blessed to join with fellow ladies, wearing a Kanchipuram silk, a handler which we cherish for decades. This handloom is not just special. It's rich for the zari which is pure gold and it's carefully handcrafted to everyone's needs. I'm sure the effort and happiness we all have put in in this story walkathon, which every woman who celebrates the weave and the weavers and encourages them to come out and at the comfort of wearing six yards of a saree to establish themselves much stronger. This is not just an outfit, it's an identity, our identity.”
Vijaya Edlapally said, “Spreading cultural pride and embracing community joining a vibrant work with an organiser by Dr Dipti Jain while wearing a graceful saree a symbol of elegance and tradition. It is a beautiful way to celebrate our heritage, cherish diversity and empower a woman to stride forward in style and showcase the timeless allure of saree. I'm representing the South zone from Andhra Pradesh. We have beautiful sarees like Mangalari cotton, Upada, chiral pattu, and Andhra Pattu sarees. Today I'm wearing a silk cotton sari with zari weaving. The blend of silk and cotton gives them a lasting shape and one reason why women love silk cotton saris, is because they are suitable for both hot and cold weather. Walkathon is not only an event, it's an emotion that wants so many people to connect. And finally, it promotes handlooms in India and future generations.”
