Twinn Swan

When was the last time you looked in the mirror and complemented yourself? When was the last time you paid someone a complement for how beautiful they look? Lastly, when was the last time you wore something ‘traditional’ and not just something utilitarian and trending…

For me, it had been a long time.

The journey properly began a few months ago. Around June, to be exact. There was an Arts Festival going on at Thendayuthapani Temple and I would walk there each day to see what live performance was on.

I saw everything–from dance, to drama, to debate competitions, to veena recitals. Even though most of it was in the Tamil language, I felt a certain stirring within me to begin to more deeply appreciate the various cultures of India. What lay beyond the borders of Gujarat just waiting to be discovered? I knew that even if I tried, one lifetime simply would not be enough to understand and appreciate the magnitude of what the Indian subcontinent had to offer to both locals and visitors alike.

But beyond the discovery of the diversity of the Indian heritage, the one area where I started to feel a strong sense of kinship and affinity was in the way that many of the devotees were dressed. From the most colourful sarees, to the jewels, to the henna adornments–it was all well and truly a sight to behold.

And yet, there I was in–simply dressed and as utilitarian as can be. Deep down, I should have known that I was one of them, no matter what I was wearing. I was one of them. But as I made the small decision to get dolled up in traditional wear, I discovered a dormant part of myself seeking expression.

There is something about traditional attire that, for some reason or another, despite its non-utilitarian nature, began to transform me from within. It wasn’t necessarily the most comfortable thing to wear. But whenever I put it on, I felt I was expressing something that had not been able to express itself for pretty much the entire duration of my life: my cultural identity, my cultural heritage and above everything else, my absolute love for bright colours.

When I was younger, I had failed to appreciate the true beauty of the traditional as I was too caught up and distracted by teenage trends. The worst part of it was that what was cool today was completely uncool the next day.

But this saree, this cloth with its many colours, embroideries and ways of wrapping has continued to thrive. Last night, as I donned the saree yet again, I felt that after a long exile, I was finally home.