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.......

71/100: Art Silk Beige Saree with peacock motifs

71/100

#100sareepact #maakisaree 

My love for Sambalpuri ikats comes from my maa. She owns a lot of such stuff and she has gifted me a lot of the stuff......sarees, dress materials, dupattas and handkerchiefs. 

I have seldom looked for ikats from other states. My world started with Sambalpuris and I was happily going about it. It is not that I did not own pochampallis or patolas. I just did not think much about those. 

Then came this saree pact. I got to know about it from one of my close friends who lives in Florida. He sent me a link about this in late April. And the rest they say is history! Ally Matthan and Anju Maudgal Kadam brought in that change which maa hadn't been able to do. I got out all my sarees and hers as well, bought a lot too and started draping those with mixing and matching blouses. 

Learnt about weaves, about different kind of drapes, and most important made friends through this pact. I also met a few saree pacters who became friends for life. Need I say more?

Bonding through sarees......now that is amazing in this day and age of so called convenient wear....

My jeans and capris are languishing.....

Today I draped maa's saree. An Art silk gifted to her by my second SIL. The pallu and border have peacock motifs. And body has hand embroidery. I am wearing the matching blouse of this saree. Very unusual for me.

Accessorized with cane earrings bought from Dilli Haat...

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....

66/100: Yellow South Silk with Thin Border

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.....

65/100: Orange Gold Khandua Silk Saree

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: Beige Mysore Silk Saree

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....

63/100: Maheshwari Bagh Printed Saree

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

62/100: Printed Kashmiri Silk

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 

61/100: Art Silk Puneri Saree

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...

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!

56/100: Mustard Tangail Silk Saree

56/100

#100sareepact

Once upon a time, I used to fast during the Navratris. I mean, no cereals, no pulses and and big no no for certain vegetables. It led to eating all kinds of "allowed" stuff. And I ended up eating more than the usual. So one fine day, I snapped out of it. What use is fasting if I think of food whole day long?

I told Durga maa the same and stopped fasting. She has no issues with that and loves me the as only a mother can love her child. Now I do the regular puja each morning. And then go about my life. Like every year, this year too, I shall be visiting the Puja pandals, starting from Anand mela. I, so look forward to it!

This mustard tangail silk saree belonged to my youngest SIL. As she no longer drapes sarees, she gave it to me. I have paired with a turquoise two by two rubia blouse. Does anyone wear such blouses any more?

I think this saree nicely follows the colour code of third day of Navratri, this year...

Such a busy time in school but my official photographer did not let me down. She takes my pics even when I am half dead, about to drop flat on the ground!

55/100: Printed Garden Vareli

55/100

#100sareepact 

When I joined the teaching profession, I was in a good place in my mind. Teaching, interacting, counselling are mandatory aspects. So is marking papers, which we absolutely loath to do!

I finished marking 125 papers of Class 12. Question paper is of 100 marks, so you can imagine how much time I had to devote to each answer sheet. Initially it takes around 50 min for each and subsequently the time lessens as we get used to the questions and of course the answers. We come down to 15 min per sheet.

When the evaluation part gets over, we are like...ah...freedom! Until then, we keep asking our colleagues......how many have you done? We envy the person whose work finishes first! 

So now what? Census work looms large.......

I was looking for a Royal Blue saree. Couldn't find one in cotton. Decided to wear this printed Garden Vareli marble chiffon saree with a newly stitched blue handloom blouse. 

I am tired but so what? 

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....

53/100: Repeating Kargil Saree

53/100

‪#‎100sareepact‬

When I woke up in the morning, my first thought was to visit the Sri Jagannath Temple in Hauz Khas. Before I could even voice it to my mom, she got a call from my brother asking her if we would like to visit the temple with them. My mom agreed without even asking me. What do you call it, ESP? From all involved?

We reached well in time for the Darshan and the subsequent Bhog. It being the last day of Pitrishraadh, the temple was crowded. Yet there was no chaos and it was pleasure to go there with my brother and his family.

And it was another opportunity to drape a saree. I repeated this Kargil saree but tying it differently. I made a knot of the aanchal on my left shoulder and my hands were free. I repeated the same Ikat blousethat I had worn with this saree. Come to think of it, my mom too repeated the same saree that she had draped when I had draped the Kargil saree. My SIL was dressed in a Sambalpuri Salwar suit. Ethnic, are we?