72/100: Sambalpuri Ikat Grey Brown Cotton Saree

72/100

#100sareepact

#maakisaree

After my dad passed away in 2002, Maa lost all interest in buying anything for herself. I and my SILs get her sarees all the time and she drapes those. Her siblings too gift her lots of sarees. Mostly they gift her Sambalpuris as they all live in Odisha. 

In the beginning of Nov, I and maa had visited Utkalika. She loved this saree as soon as she saw it and bought it. After 13 long years she bought a saree for herself. She did the fall and piko too, all by herself. Draped it for Diwali. 

Today, I borrowed it from her and draped it with this woollen blouse which also belongs to her. I don't know if it looks good or not but I was nicely warmed the whole time I was in school. Accessorised with Silver earrings from Fabindia.....

New saree, new memories.....all so good.......

70/100: Yellow Printed Silk from U P Handlooms

70/100

#100sareepact

Yesterday my FB account was temporarily locked just after posting 69/100. For no reason whatsoever. I sent them numerous mails via support Inbox but did not get an reply. I submitted an ID to get my account unlocked. I was thinking it would take a few days but my account was available to me after a few hours. Those few hours were horrible.

We are so dependent on social media....For a while I thought it was lost to me forever. I had posted about it yesterday. Today, what do I see? Someone commenting that Facebook must have got tired seeing my never ending posts. Do I need such people as friends? 

I have already lost a blog to cyber space. I can't even begin to tell you what I went through. I had subscribed to my own blog in Google Reader. And therefore, could retrieve my posts but I lost all comments, links, contacts etc. I had to rebuild all that from my google reader subscriptions. I used to back up my blog quite regularly but nowadays I don't do it.

This saree must be 25+ years old when I was studying. Yellow Printed Silk, soft and easy to wear. I had bought it from U P Handlooms. I have matched a Magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. Accessorized with my regular gold jewellery.....

69/100: Grey and green Half and Half Cotton Handloom from Nalli

69/100

#100sareepact

#oldnewsaree

I will keep away from ikats for sometime.  I am going to take out different kind of sarees. I do have a few of those although I gravitate towards Sambalpuri ikats.

This saree is Cotton handloom from Nalli with pretty border and buties all over the body.  Half and half, grey and oilve green. It was a gift from my youngest SIL, a few years back. I draped it today without a fall! Matched it with a readymade Kalamkari blouse. Accessorised with my gold jewellery....

68/100: Green Black Sambalpuri Ikat

68/100

#100sareepact

Delhi Govt had declared a holiday for Chhatt Puja today. As usual I was in my disreputable capris, faded tee and also had oiled my hair.

I asked my mom if she would like to visit the Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan. I wanted to take her in Business hours when there is less crowd. She was not  keen. I asked if we shd go to Moments Mall in Kirti Nagar. She agreed.

Now I got out a saree and she was like...are you mad? I told her either I was going in the clothes I was wearing or drape a saree. So here I am draping this Sambalpuri ikat I had bought for mom for Mother's Day this year. Paired it with a magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. I made a jooda so that my hair does not look chipku chipku...sticky.

I draped this Sambalpuri Ikat which I had bought for Maa for Mother's Day this year. Paired it with a Magenta handloom blouse from Nalli. Maa to draped a Sambalpuri Ikat. I am yet to drape that...

67/100: Maroon Cotton from Cooptex

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....

60/100: Beige with checks Sambalpuri Cotton

60/100

#100sareepact

#maakisaree

Dussehra. A time for introspection. How many of us do that? I am going to leave it at that....open-ended......

It seems like aeons when we used to get together to celebrate Dussehra. Maa used to do the puja by making sweets from coconut, which is known as kakara in Odisha. Any Odia will know that no puja is complete without making kakara, a sweet made from wheat flour,elaborately prepared and coconut fillings, that too elaborately prepared. After the filling, deep frying.

I can even now smell the air while all the preparations were going on. One by one, my brothers left the nest. My dad passed away. Maa lost interest. I was neutral. Now we get sweets and fruits and do the puja.

We all met for festivals in the initial years of dad's passing away. Then it stopped. I tried my best to hold the family together but one can only do so much.

I and my brothers are very close, no doubt about it. However, somewhere down the line we get busy and don't bother to meet. A small misunderstanding gets bigger and bigger.

My eldest brother lives in Bangalore, other two are in Delhi.

This year, Mom, I and my youngest brother and his family went to my second brother's place. We had no plans of that. It just happened. I am thankful to God. Festivals are about bonding. Hopefully, we will restart the tradition.

I draped maa's saree, a Sambalpuri with checks in the middle. It must be 35+ years old and I have draped it numerous times. I love it to bits. Draping it for the first time for the pact. My 60 day one! What better way to celebrate it!
Paired it with my full sleeved puffed red Ikat blouse, which I have had for 20+ years. 

Accessorised with my Silver Jewellery bought from Fabindia ......I seem to own only Pearls, Silver, Gold and Platinum. I need other kinds too.....

Maa has draped the Kargil saree........none of my SILs was in a saree....And there are no pics with my nieces. Eldest one left for her home. (she is married). Younger one was taking the pictures! Missed you, Kayrvi...Kinu

Happy Dussehra to all of you.....

59/100: Pink Heavy South Silk

59/100

#100sareepact

Wrote a long post and it got lost. I don't have patience to write again. So I am doing the essentials.

I did Puja hopping with maa in two of Dwarka puja pandals. Attended the Sandhya aarti in one. I love the sound of dhaak!

Both being vegetarian, we ate nothing except a kulfi each. So much for khaana peena. Worst thing is to get home and cook!

Draped this heavy South Silk saree, pink and gold. Peacock motifs on aanchal and border. Anchal has heavy gold work. 
I had bought this saree from Bangalore in 2006. Got fall and piko done. However, the blouse remain unstitched.

I matched it with a multi coloured readymade blouse bought locally. Accessorised with pearl jhumkis bought from Fabindia.

Maa draped a grey black Bomkai cotton, gift from one of her sisters. I want that saree.

The pics have not come out well but still posting those. ..

58/100: Grey Sambalpuri Pasapalli Cotton

58/100

#100sareepact

Mad, mad, mad days! Don't know what to do! However, we are going to have 5 days autumn break. Much needed one! I will do nothing! Sleep, eat, rest! That's my plan...

I might go Puja Pandal hopping, or do some saree shopping. With my bestie, Mamta Jain! And of course, mom!
This grey Pasapalli belongs to my mom. She has draped it many a times. I have paired it with a red Sambalpuri Ikat blouse. Grey is the colour of Fifth day of Navratri..

All pics taken by my mom. And mind you, I am a very serious person.....!

57/100: Green Kota Silk Cotton with Yellow border....Repeat

57/100

#100sareepact 

How does one define busy days? When you don't know one thing from the other. It gets so hectic that you forget what you have been doing. That's what happened to me today. I was doing everything mechanically......

Sometimes, we have to do more than what ought to be. Then, we run out of time and race against it. I know I badly need a break. But that is not possible for a while now. I have to do census work along with my regular teaching. That means, I will be busy even after the work day gets over. 

And then there are some who think teachers have everything easy. For them I say, try teaching a class of 70-100. Having four periods a day where each one is of 70 minutes duration. In the so called free periods, check the notebooks, distribute mid day meal, meet parents and distribute funds for uniform and books. Don't forget other funds like minority, and reserved category scholarships. 

I have only enumerated the important aspects. One can't even imagine the pressure we are in....does anyone care? 

Draped this green Kota silk cotton saree with a matching two by two rubia blouse. Perfect colour for the 4th day of Navratri. It is a repeat in the pact. Accessorized it with a string of beads, gifted by one of my colleagues.

My designated official photographer of the day did not let me down! So the funny poses, at her behest!

54/100: Off White Sambalpuri with tiny checks

54/100

#100sareepact 

A post graduate in Chemistry, I started my teaching career with Math. Taught it to middle and secondary classes for many years. Now teaching English to class 12 for the last three years. Yes, I am a post graduate in English too. 

Life has been interesting. From pure sciences to pure maths and then to literature. I am a poet too. Writen more than 2000 poems in English. Published in Ezines. I also read like crazy and write book reviews. I have two very popular blogs, one for poetry, other for book reviews. 

When I hear people say, we don't have time, I don't believe that. The problem is, Time Management. I have succeeded doing that fairly well. I have set time slots for each of my interests and try to stick to that. And if I am unable to do that, I don't beat myself. I simply carry it over. 

Life throws many surprises and we have to accept that and welcome those. 

This Sambalpuri is very old, belongs to my mom. Has tiny checks. I have always loved it. Paired with a printed blouse. It is some random fabric bought from local market. I liked it and got a blouse made out of it.

No accessories. Right now, no time nor interest....