Paisley and peacock

Sunshine stripes

This is one of many Bengal cottons purchased on an impulse on trips to Charulata, a specialist store near our place. Soon after I moved back to India I found it hard to resist buying Bengal cotton. I had so missed wearing them in my years in the US.

I have a similar polycotton saree - - these are clearly colours I love more than I realize.

I wore this on my 40th birthday to the dinner we had together at Rangoli. It was a motley crew--Amma, Shilpa, Saro, Sujika, Chittu, Kamakshi Manning and I.

I have worn it many times, including to the 2010 Prajnya quiz and it has found its way into Amma's day saree wardrobe and back into mine! That is a rare round-trip!

Peachy orange, gold and simplicity

We bought this Kasavu saree on our trip to Kochi. It was our first holiday in India with Maitreyi who was just learning to walk and wanted to walk all the time. She ran around the showroom restlessly. I remember unusually taciturn salesmen. Rare in India that people don't respond to toddlers but maybe if your stock is all white and off-white that makes sense.

I wore this saree on my 50th birthday.

In college, white and off-white were my colours, usually Bengal cotton, but over the years, I have become so fearful of dirt and staining that even if I buy them I don't wear them often.