The Whole Six Yards… II

‘My tryst with the ethereal Sari’

Forget the Gandhis and the Rekhas… lets focus on ‘normal people’ who are transformed into women of substance on adorning this six yard enigma… like me!

My experiment with the sari dates back to Std XII (farewell)... and I have felt beautiful in one, everytime...

Yes, even when the first time I wore it outside the safety of Ram Daya and it gave away, most embarassingly, in my school compound! Even when Freida Miss, my 7th grade teacher, draped it up again, in the sidelines of the Middle School block... Even when I had to ride a bike (triples, mind you), climb the stairs, catch a train, walk the 0.5 km distance to MCW, run up three flight of stairs to the auditoriums or even break into an extempore dance to Dola re... Even on the eve of my wedding, perspiring despite the AC room and stripped in front of ten 'helpers'… Even at a swank DB Party at a posh Hyatt and went breathless at the voice of the performer…

Even when I have always been 5 feet and never the 50 kg taj mahal :), I have felt beautiful in the Sari.

And not without good reason, for the mystical sari tactically camouflages the wearer’s flaws while brilliantly flaunting her assets!!! ;)

Agreed, they are not the most convenient for today’s superwoman who has to juggle between her home and office… its quicker to zip up trousers and button up shirts, than pleat saris and pin up pallus but IMHO it is still the most elegant of clothes in the history of mankind (should I say, womankind???) …

I do admit to fantasies of me decked up in that flowing white ball gown with a train or an exquisite kimono with its flying sleeves... but the Sari rules the roost, true to my roots  And I guess most women would agree with me!

My wardrobe comprises of various textures - crisp cottons, chic chiffons, heavenly rubber silks, classy Kanjeevarams, dashing Benares and sleek synthetics; however, the eye-catching Ikkats, aesthetic Pochampallis and bright Bandhinis beckon me to take them home… guess my love affair with the sari shall continue… after all, doesn’t a Sari represent the Indian feminity, like no other attire 

Boy, am glad I am a woman!

Cookers and Packers!

Fact: 'Healthy eating encourages five or six small sized meals as against three king-sized meals'

Yeah, any health conscious dud would tell you that! And I religiously follow it! The only hitch - who will make and pack those 5 (ok only 3 to be packed) meals?

Well, dieticians and nutritionists across the globe might swear by this method... in fact, it is a recommended food chart for every aspiring loser - i mean, weight loser :)

Everyday I carry 4 dabbas to office, in addition to the breakfast I eat at home and the snack/juice I have in the office! One bowl of dal and rice, one bowl of veggies, one bowl of curd (which is already in the process of becoming buttermilk) and a small dabba of nuts/fruits!
And there have been days, when I have been tempted to not carry a bag - just my wallet and cellphone, but my oh my, where will I accomodate that big apple or a pack of multi-grain biscuits? (Boy, am I glad about the big bag trend! )

But I just need more clarity on how this 5 meal system works in a weight loss regimen... does it help by
A. spacing out meals, increasing metabolism and cutting down on hunger pangs and binges OR
B. by increasing the effort of making and packing the meals and thereby burning calories?
(p.s. there are no calorie charts available for packing food - skipping, bathing, even writing finds a mention in the chart!)

Time taken for cooking food - 10 minutes
Time taken for packing food - 15 minutes

Sorry, what was your question? What? Have I lost? Yeah, i have...
I have lost count of my weight :D

Yours heavily,
Meenakshi! :D

The Whole Six Yards… I

‘Sa se sattika se Saree’

An article in The Hindu Metro Plus prompted me to do a quick Google on our desi haute couture – the Sari!

True, much has been said about the timelessness of a Sari and there is not much ‘value add’ that I can bring… but I can’t help but marvel at the grace of this six yard sentiment…

Whether it was Draupadi’s Vastrapaharana or merely a weaver-lover’s day dreams of his doe-eyed - which gave birth to the Sari remains unknown, but the fact remains that we have embraced the Sari in a way no other civilization has held on to its ethnic dress.

Originating from the Prakrit word Sattika or Sanskrit ‘sati’ meaning a piece of cloth, the sari is as old as the Indus Valley Civilization and currently is designed in dimensions of 47X326 inches… Worn over a long skirt and a short blouse, saris are draped to be one of the most sensual of clothes. More importantly, it’s the most suitable garment, given the big busted, pear-shaped Indian frame and the tropical climes of the Indian sub-continent!

Interestingly, blouses (in essence, stitching and tailoring) were unknown in these parts of the world, until the advent of the Mughal Empire! Imagine the men’s merriment - must have had a field day, everyday (or did they grow indifferent?)!!!

I remember reading somewhere that it was not until the early 20th century that the sari got its current draping style! Mind you, there are quite a few draping patterns too – the normal one, the Gujarati ishtyle, the Coorgi version and of course the more filmy ones (remember Asha Parekh and Mumtaz in their fish-like layered saris?)

Silk textures are invariably the Kanjeevaram (prima donna, no doubt), Benares, Tussar, Raw and Mysore; and there are ofc the ubiquitous cottons, the sensual chiffons and crepes! Each suited in particular for a specific frame and occasion!

And how about the designs? Numerous - am just gonna attempt listing down a few… feel free to add more 

1. Chikan – the single strand running stitch originating in UP!
2. Bandhini – the Gujju and Madu tie and dye patterns!
3. Kantha – another running stitch pattern and authentically Bengali
4. Chettinad – the Tam checks and boxes and weave patterns
5. Coimbatore – our Manchester of the South’s own cotton variety
6. Mangalagiri – with its traditional color combinations and borders
7. Ikkat – Orissa’s famous block prints
8. Pochampalli – the Andhra version of the geometrical Ikkat prints
9. Kota, Chanderi, Gadwal, Dharwad etc…

Fine tune the material/texture and the accessories according to the occasion and lo, you have a garment that can never stop being a show stopper, be it at a party or to the office, a wedding or, god forbid, even a funeral!

Guess the biggest and most powerful brand ambassador for saris these days is, well, not an Indian by birth! Yeah, the Italian-born Ms Sonia Gandhi is known all over for her charismatic and yet simplistic style statements!

My all time favourites – the ever so elegant Rajmata Gayatri Devi and of course, the diva of Ind Biz - Chanda Kochhar :D