In a captivating movement for India, hundreds of women, most of them working as doctors and bankers showed up at Britain’s most valued Royal Ascot race meeting representing India by draping traditional sarees today. It is a significant event often attended by the Queen who recently celebrated her platinum jubilee. The women in sarees belonging to Indian origin got attention for showcasing India’s culture on a global platform of fashion. This gesture also highlighted the condition of Indian weavers, who are in a dire state, especially after the Covid pandemic.
The sarees encapsulated a variety of themes ranging from health workers to hijab. The diversity of India was picturesquely portrayed at Britain’s Ascot. This is an event where the most fashionable people in the world meet.
Sanchita Bhattacharya who is a media professional wore a Madhubani hand-crafted silk saree that had the Pandavas and Krishna from the epic Mahabharat weaved into the saree. Another attendee, Chinu Kishore, a civil engineer at British Railways wore a ‘Mekhala sador’, an Assamese traditional weave, representing the culture there.
A young woman who wore a white sari with a tricolour border said, “They are calling me Miss India here because I have the flag and tricolour on my sari, I feel so proud.”
More than a thousand NRI women, working as NHS doctors or bankers and professionals took a day off, to participate in the event and showcase the sarees.
Each saree at the Ascot today had a story to tell. “We are here to represent two things- diversity and inclusion,” said Rina Dutta.
The saree show as a concept was an initiative suggested by NHS Doctor Dipti Jain. “We are saree-loving girls and the idea came up after setting up a charity to help artisans and weavers, especially after the pandemic in India,” Jain said.
