Nirmala Sitharaman’s Uniform Sarees

Our FM Nirmala Sitharaman and her love for Handloom Sarees

A woman at the helm. Minus the black power suitcase that would carry precious papers holding the country’s sanity and vanity inside it. Nirmala Sitharaman’s Uniform Sarees didn’t bring a ladies’ handbag, a kerchief, or a phone sling either. She invited her parents and daughter. Clad in a warm pink, gold sheened, gold-bordered Mangalgiri sari with thin gold stripes, her blouse half an inch looser than her upper arms fit as always, a gold chain that disappeared into her sari folds, tiny diamond earrings on her ears, and a bindi on her forehead, Sitharaman smiled a little more widely than she usually does. Resolute in her stride, clarity prancing in her eyes, the cheer of her mood matching the Mangalgiri that should land up in Delhi’s National Museum in the years to come.

In a recent tweet, she profoundly mentioned her love for Handloom Sarees. Here is brief history about all the sarees loved by our Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Uniform Sarees.

Mangalagiri Sarees

Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics are produced by performing handicraftweaving in Mangalagiri, a town in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was registered as one of the handicraft in the geographical indication from Andhra Pradesh by Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The Mangalagiri fabric is produced by weaving with the help of pitlooms from combed yarn by warp and woof interlacing. The fabric then undergoes the process of dyeing. The Nizam design is another characteristic of the fabric

Manipuri Sarees

Moirang Phee is a textile fabric which has a specific design called the “MoirangPheejin” which is woven sequentially on both longitudinal edges of the fabric and oriented towards the center of the cloth, with cotton or silk threads.^[1] It is a product which is protected under the GI registration and is made throughout the Indian state of Manipur. It was originally a product of Moirang village.

Pochampally Handloom Sarees

Pochampally sari or Pochampalli ikat is a saree made in Bhoodan Pochampally, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana State, India. They have traditional geometric patterns in Ikat style of dyeing. The intricate geometric designs find their way into sarees and dress materials. The Indian government’s official airplane company, Air India, has its cabin crew wear specially designed Pochampally silk sarees.

Benarasi Uniform Sarees

A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The saris are made of finely woven silk and are decorated with intricate design, and, because of these engravings, are relatively heavy.

Sambalpuri Uniform Sarees

A Sambalpuri sari is a traditional handwoven ikat or sari (locally called sadhi or saree) wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is produced in the Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Boudh and Sonepur districts of Odisha, India. The sari is a traditional female garment in the Indian subcontinent consisting of a strip of unstitched cloth ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles.

You can find more such stories here, here, and here.