My Love Affair with Bhagalpuri Saris

A few weeks back I went to pick up the hubby from the Chicago airport.

Since his flight arrived early morning I drove up the day before and made a trip out of it for myself.

I took two saris with me.

One sari I already discussed in my last post.

This sari I wore to a local Chicago temple.

I thought I would see everyone around me in various kinds of ethnic wear, but I was wrong.

Turns out I was the most dressed up person in the temple – (well, maybe the gods and goddesses were more dressed up, but I don’t count myself amongst them).

While that may make some people uncomfortable, I am quite alright with it. I figure I should get used to people staring at me in case I ever become a celebrity (lol!).

After saying my hellos to the gods inside, I went outside to enjoy the beautiful temple grounds.

It seemed like the best opportunity for a photo session, but boy did I struggle trying to get a good photo with my digital tripod.

I must have been such a spectacle for all those around me –

Kabhi Idhar, Kabhi Udhar. (Sometimes here, sometimes there)

Kabhi Sitting, Kabhi Standing.

…all around the beautiful temple grounds.

Eventually I gave up on the tripod and took a selfie!

… this photo shows the temple behind me very well – but it shows so little of my sari, SO -

I decided when I checked into my hotel to take some photos in a quiet part of the hotel lobby.

The next morning a random Indian man came up to me at the hotel breakfast buffet and said, “You looked very nice yesterday in your sari”

I politely said, “Thank you.”

Then I moved away to drink my apple juice in silence.

Eventually I was thinking …. if only I had known he was looking at me I would have given him my camera to take the photo – because all the photos I took came out grainy!

After two failed photo sessions, I finally re-wore the sari a few days after I got back home and took this photo with my tripod outside my house.

The gentle breeze playing with my hair told me one of the photos will come out nicely …. the breeze was right !

I really wanted to get a good photo because I love today’s sari so dearly.

This week’s feature: Bhagalpuri Sari

Years back when I finally decided to try buying a sari online I remember seeing ‘Bhagalpuri Saris’ amongst the selections. I had never heard of such a sari. Bhagalpur is a city in the state of Bihar, India. My family also comes from Bihar …so in that moment I felt like I was meeting a long lost relative. At that time my knowledge of saris was very limited and I figured this was the only kind of ‘Bihari’ sari out there. Now I know much better.

But on that day I wanted to support the state of Bihar, so I got this sari.

When it arrived I loved it so much that for a long period of time Bhagalpuri Saris were all that I bought.

So what exactly is a Bhagalpuri Sari?

Well first off, as the name implies Bhagalpuri Saris comes from Bhagalpur. The more I learn about saris, the more I realize that the nomenclature isn’t rocket science. Many times the name implies where the sari comes from. For example, Maheshwari Saris were first found and produced in the city of Maheshwar; whereas, Banarasi Saris are made in Varanasi, an ancient city which has also been called as Banaras.

Bhagalpuri Saris are a kind of Tussar Silk.We went over Tussar Silks in my last post (If you have not had a chance to read that, the link is here) So Bhagalpuri Saris are a kind of Tussar Silk that is made in Bhagalpur.

India is the second largest producer of Tussar Silks, which are actually produced in many countries around the world. Bhagalpur produces most of India’s Tussar Silks.

The origins of Bhagalpuri saris can be traced back to the Vedic age and the craft flourished during the Mauryan age and the craftsmanship was hugely appreciated by the Mughal rulers. Yet like so many things, the desire for such saris diminished over the years and eventually the craft was soon forgotten by everyone. Then, 200 years back the craft was revived and it has not gone anywhere since ….thank goodness!

My love affair with Bhagalpuri Silks has been ongoing for several years now – and I doubt this love will ever go extinct.

Next week I look forward to sharing my experiences with travel in a sari!

Until Then ….

Love, Sari Sunday