The half saree is like the two braids in school. When it is a school rule and a necessarily strict one at that, most of us girls detest wearing it. I still remember how some of them would cut their hair so short or wear it in such original styles, just to make it look short and hence can get away with the excuse - "I can't plait my hair ma'am"!
But now, we all miss the two braids. It has become a part of a beautiful memory called school life. And the half saree joins that 'sweet memory' bandwagon, once the girl enters her mid twenties.
What started as a boring journey to wear this attire, made for that puzzling period called adoloscence (only because anything looks boring to a teenager!) continues into an exciting time of shopping for those 2 1/2 metres of colourful joy we drape over the humble skirt. In short, the half saree is a sign of adoloscence, when you are old enough to try out new things that life has to offer but at the same time, still young enough to be free from carrying the burdens this life can place on you. Ah what a convenient stance!
Since, I am a professional Carnatic musician, the half saree or Davani, as it is called, is a staple in the wardrobe. In my household, this necessity was taken to the to the next level and became a passion! We would leave the house in the morning and walk the aisles of all those stores and return only by evening, with bags full of wonderful colors, textures, designs, and what not. The best part about these are, you could create endless contrasts, between the 'pavadai' - the skirt and the davani, the long cloth. Mix and match was the mantra. The search for that perfect Davani was an exciting one, walking between the Benares section and silk section, checking whether Mangalagiri cotton or jute silk matches, pick from the Davani section or play around with the cloths from a few hundred bales of what is called the running material.
It is also beautiful to see the myriad reactions you get when you walk into a place, wearing a Davani. The young ones stare at you in awe and rush into you to 'get friends with akka' and that is the moment you realise you have hit the right note with the kids, a task one can be proud of accomplishing! On the other side, you see the aunties and mamis reminisce about their early days and you can't but feel good about the warmth of their memories just as they feel.
The Saree is a mark of dignity and rsponsibility. To a girl, it is a matter of the mind and the heart, when she graduates to Saree. This 6 yards of elegance, is like a way of telling life; "Look, I am a grown up, a responsible person, ready to take on what you offer". It is a sign of arriving. I have experienced first hand the seriousness and self respect that come with draping the saree.
Sometimes I definitely wonder, why should boys have all the fun?! Do they ever face the day when they have to move over half pants? Trousers and veshtis keep featuring in their wardrobes and there really isn't anything they have to stop wearing. But us girls,we have to keep going from the pavadai - chattai to pavadai - davani and finally the Saree! (Not to forget the 9 yards wonder, Madisar after marriage!). Sigh! It is a man's world sometimes.
Just kidding!
So to those girls out there, go out and get yourself a Davani. Feel the dignity of an adult and the lightness of a child, and bask in the beauty of this enigma, as long as it lasts.
But now, we all miss the two braids. It has become a part of a beautiful memory called school life. And the half saree joins that 'sweet memory' bandwagon, once the girl enters her mid twenties.
What started as a boring journey to wear this attire, made for that puzzling period called adoloscence (only because anything looks boring to a teenager!) continues into an exciting time of shopping for those 2 1/2 metres of colourful joy we drape over the humble skirt. In short, the half saree is a sign of adoloscence, when you are old enough to try out new things that life has to offer but at the same time, still young enough to be free from carrying the burdens this life can place on you. Ah what a convenient stance!
Since, I am a professional Carnatic musician, the half saree or Davani, as it is called, is a staple in the wardrobe. In my household, this necessity was taken to the to the next level and became a passion! We would leave the house in the morning and walk the aisles of all those stores and return only by evening, with bags full of wonderful colors, textures, designs, and what not. The best part about these are, you could create endless contrasts, between the 'pavadai' - the skirt and the davani, the long cloth. Mix and match was the mantra. The search for that perfect Davani was an exciting one, walking between the Benares section and silk section, checking whether Mangalagiri cotton or jute silk matches, pick from the Davani section or play around with the cloths from a few hundred bales of what is called the running material.
It is also beautiful to see the myriad reactions you get when you walk into a place, wearing a Davani. The young ones stare at you in awe and rush into you to 'get friends with akka' and that is the moment you realise you have hit the right note with the kids, a task one can be proud of accomplishing! On the other side, you see the aunties and mamis reminisce about their early days and you can't but feel good about the warmth of their memories just as they feel.
The Saree is a mark of dignity and rsponsibility. To a girl, it is a matter of the mind and the heart, when she graduates to Saree. This 6 yards of elegance, is like a way of telling life; "Look, I am a grown up, a responsible person, ready to take on what you offer". It is a sign of arriving. I have experienced first hand the seriousness and self respect that come with draping the saree.
Sometimes I definitely wonder, why should boys have all the fun?! Do they ever face the day when they have to move over half pants? Trousers and veshtis keep featuring in their wardrobes and there really isn't anything they have to stop wearing. But us girls,we have to keep going from the pavadai - chattai to pavadai - davani and finally the Saree! (Not to forget the 9 yards wonder, Madisar after marriage!). Sigh! It is a man's world sometimes.
Just kidding!
So to those girls out there, go out and get yourself a Davani. Feel the dignity of an adult and the lightness of a child, and bask in the beauty of this enigma, as long as it lasts.
