THE SARI ETERNAL: A Tribute
The sari holds a peculiar place in India's story. For millennia, this unstitched length of fabric has draped the bodies and shaped the identity of countless women across the subcontinent. Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri's absorbing new book traces how this ancient garment, born from the Indus Valley some five thousand years ago, continues to speak volumes about Indian femininity and cultural pride. Puri weaves together personal narrative with historical scholarship in compelling fashion. She begins with vivid memories of her own mother, who wore the sari with quiet conviction, then moves through her college years when Indira Gandhi's iconic image inspired a generation to don the traditional dress. Her experience as a diplomat adds another layer, revealing how she quietly challenged international expectations by choosing silk and drape over Western formal wear. What follows is a sweeping journey through India's artistic and spiritual heritage. The sari appears in ancient temple sculptures, in classical paintings by masters like Raja Ravi Varma and M. F. Husain, and in the divine imagery of Hindu goddesses. Yet Puri shows us something unexpected: the garment isn't frozen in reverence. Instead, it evolves through freedom fighters, politicians, businesswomen, and today's Gen-Z creators, each bending it to their own purposes. This luminous exploration captures something essential about India itself—plural, layered, perpetually transforming. The sari, it turns out, isn't merely clothing. It's a conversation across centuries, worn by anyone willing to listen.
- Author: Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri
- Publisher: Aleph Book Company
- Genre: Design & Fashion
- ISBN: 978-9365232660
- Pages: 192 pages