Costumes of an Age 2017

Costumes of an Age 2017

Costumes of an Age Costumes of India Taken on the stage after the formal show in 1953 or 1954. In this Homai Vyarawalla photograph, though mannequins are positioned in a manner that gives full prominence to the map of India, it appears to have been taken in haste: several are not looking their best and some are even partially hidden. Cover Image:... when weaving was done in squares and stripes only Anjolie is wearing an ikat sari in traditional colours of white, red and black representing knowledge, beauty/blood and Lord Jagganath, the presiding deity of Odisha. Ikat refers to the process by which the prearranged pattern is produced by partly dyeing the warp and weft threads before they are woven. The original text in the commentary reads as follows ` the women seldom wear a blouse, the sari being draped to cover the whole body. Great stress is laid on the silver jewellery, which is of an unusual design and is their wealth. Peasants all over India put their wealth into silver ornaments carried on their person, and turn them into money when the need arises. The weight of the jewellery varies with the poverty or wealth of the owner. Model: Anjolie Dev (Anjolie Ela Menon) October 7, 1958 Kathiawar court costume Kathiawar consisted of several small princely states outside the purview of British India. This 18th-century costume from one of these states consists of a full-length somewhat fitting skirt with deep pleats to one side and a short choli (blouse) tied at the back. A long odhani (veil) and elaborate jewellery completes the ensemble. Model: Leela Oberoi (nee Leela Naidu) October 7, 1958 CURATOR: Malavika Karlekar DESIGN: Sundaresh and Malavika Karlekar

Costumes of an Age In the summer of 1956, New Delhi-based Mary Badhwar decided to approach the Ministry of Education, Government of India, for support for what was clearly a novel idea: a pageant of Indian costumes `showing the different styles and fashions in vogue in this country over the last 20 centuries, with some emphasis on the Ajanta period'. As Mary, a gynaecologist trained at King George's Hospital, Lucknow and the wife of a senior bureaucrat, had curated a successful Costumes of India show a few years earlier (see the group photograph above), she felt emboldened to do another show for the 9th session of UNESCO to be hosted in New Delhi later that year. She asked whether it could be held in front of the Red Fort's Diwan-e-Aam or Lodi Gardens: the former venue had often been used for mushairas and civic receptions, she wrote. Not unexpectedly, permission was refused for the Diwan-e-Aam, but after a personal appeal to Minister of Education Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Mary got permission to hold the show in the area in front of the open mosque right in the centre of the historic Lodi Gardens. Some of those who participated in the show are names and institutions memorialised in postindependent India's newly emergent cultural scene. Newspapers reported that mannequins in shimmering costumes some designed by a young Shama Zaidi based on her research at the National Archives - sashayed down and around the historic site, appropriately flood lit for the event and compered by the inimitable Roshan Menon. The pageant of dance and music that combined fantasy with an evocation of the country's past glory had been choreographed by well-known dance teacher Kamal Kirtikar and others. While danseuses Indrani Rehman and Sundari Shridharani had important roles, most participants were ingénues trained over a short period. In giving legitimacy to an unusual tribute to a new India, Maulana Azad acknowledged that the world beyond should know more about this country. While its Five Year Plans, stress on a mixed economy, agricultural production as well as science, technology and industrialization had quickly became buzz words, a rich history and varied cultural past needed more international focus. And what could be better than presenting an elaborate pageant of Indian fabrics and dress to a captive audience of delegates at the UNESCO session! A few days later, this well-received show was followed by a repeat performance during the official visit of Chou En-lai, Prime Minister of the State Council of the People s Republic of China. As far as Mary Badhwar and her group of enthusiastic friends were concerned, the success of the 1956 `Costumes of India' show of which, alas, there are no photographs prepared the way for two more extravaganzas. In 1958, the Ministry of Finance commissioned another costume show and ladies' tea party for members of a visiting World Bank delegation. At a meeting convened by B.K. Nehru, Secretary in the Ministry, its structure was worked out and as is clear from some of the following photographs, the emphasis shifted from the tableau format to a straightforward display of women's attire over the centuries representing different social groups. Three years later, on January 25, 1961, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh were guests of honour at Ashoka Hotel's banquet hall. They witnessed an even grander version of `Costumes of India' where lighting was professionally done by All India Radio, make up by Lakme and costumes and jewellery were on loan from Sangeet Natak Akademi and other government bodies. Court costumes were shared for the event by Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, the Begums of Bhopal and Rampur and Princess Kusum of Bharatpur. These included a fabulous `Bharatpur lehenga' and Mary promised to guard it with my life Luckily, the two shows were widely photographed and our calendar is based on some of these images from the actual shows or photo shoots on the roof of the hotel Curator's note A distinct serendipity undergirds the calendar for 2017 as, some years ago, soon after close family friend Mary Badhwar's passing, among her papers I chanced upon this cache of images, as well as brochures, commentary and correspondence relating to these pageants. As the theme does not conform to earlier CWDS calendars that focussed on the girl child, womens' education, the lives of prominent activists and academics and so on, I did not think of these photographs as `calendar worthy'. A post-colonial fanciful presentation of Indian women's costumes, a number of them, courtly dress, did not quite fit in. Though, of course, the photographs did represent moments in the young nation's desire to juxtapose new ideas and institutions with those that had a long history, in this case, evolution of women's attire. Thus, of late, I started thinking of them in the way that artists view and use `found objects' and, encouraged by senior colleagues, have gone ahead. Incidentally, some old styles that we have shown could find a resonance in contemporary design. The selection of costumes reflected not only Mary s personal choice, but also their availability and the willingness of institutions and owners to share these. Thus some regions were well-represented and others did not feature in any of the shows. I am deeply grateful to my old friend, Jaya Jaitly (she is also the model for the month of June) for invaluable help in descriptions of costumes and names of some models. Unfortunately, we were not able to identify a few, and if they or their friends and relatives do chance upon this calendar, we hope that they enjoy our presentation. Malavika Karlekar

... their costume is decorative and their jewellery unusual Sakina wears the pheran, the voluminous Kashmiri woollen gown that hangs in many folds. It is a loose-fitting garment that provides protection against the cold and is generally made of wool. The pheran is worn over loose pyjamas and has elaborate embroidery in zari (gold thread), wool or silk in the front, cuffs and hem. The under layer is normally in light white cotton. Sakina s jewellery is elaborate and heavy. Model: Sakina Saadat Ali October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 New Year s Day 8 9 10 Guru Govind Singh s Birthday 11 12 13 14 Makar Sankranti Pongal 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Republic Day January 2017 December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

In a basket carried on the back, they transport a child or their household goods Sayeda displays a Kulu pattoo that is worn over a churidar-like lower garment and a full-sleeved shirt. Heavier than a shawl but not quite as bulky as a blanket, the pattoo is woven in strips that are usually stitched together, and kept in place by brooches. It was often woven by individual families from goats' hair. A piece of cloth, the gachchi, is tied around the waist, and acts as a belt As in this image, silver chains, long earrings and a headpiece were traditionally worn. The little girl is wearing a round Kulu cap. The colourful borders on her garment are woven on a smaller loom that are subsequently attached to the pattoo. Models: Sayeda and Rebab January 25, 1961

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 Basant Panchami/ Sri Panchami 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Guru Ravidas s Birthday 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Shivaji Jayanti 26 27 Swami Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti 28 Maha Shivaratri February 2017 January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

One drape ankle-length, one short Striking in its simplicity, the beauty of the Maharashtrian sari lies in the precise draping of its nine-yard length of silk. Nineyard saris were hand-woven in cotton or silk. The pallus (end pieces) were not elaborate as they were usually out of view, tucked in at the waist. Oonita highlights the minimalist presentation with flowers in her hair. Model: Oonita January 25, 1961

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Holika Dahan/ Dolyatra Holi 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Chaitra Sukladi/ Gudi Padava/ Ugadi/ Cheti Chand March 2017 February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 April S 30 M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

... life on the banks of the river The Baluchari sari originated in Baluchar, a village on the banks of the Bhagirathi in the Murshidabad region of Bengal. The Nawab, members of his court and of the East India Company, became collectors of these unusual textiles. Woven from locally cultivated mulberry silk, the rich creamy base took colour easily, deep maroons, reds and purple being favourite hues. The shot effect was achieved by using different coloured thread for the warp and for the weft. It is the motifs on the woven borders and elaborate pallus that are of special interest and these echoed change in modes of travel - the elephant and rider has been around for centuries - styles of dress as well as reflected the unmistakable interaction between the ruling class and the local population. Model: Jalabala Ramachandran (Jalabala Vaidya) October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ram Navami 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Mahavir Jayanti Hazarat Ali s Birthday Vaisakhi/ Vishu Good Friday Mesadi Vaisakhadi(Bengal)/ Bahag Bihu (Assam) 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Easter Sunday 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 April 2017 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Here comes the bride The Gujarati bride goes to her husband's home with her head modestly covered wearing the sari which is a gift from the bridegroom's mother. This bridal sari is known as gharchola or that which one wears on entering a new home. The gharchola is divided in squares, in combinations of red and white. Squares are demarcated by zari threads and have patterns in block prints or tie and dye depicting auspicious symbols. As in this photograph, the pallu is draped over the right shoulder; it is so placed in Gujarat, UP and parts of Uttarakhand. Saroj wears elaborate gold jewellery and a large nose ring. Model: Saroj Vasist October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Guru Rabindranath s Birthday Buddha Purnima 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 May 2017 April S 30 M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

... distinctive peasant costume of Saurashtra Though not as full as the Rajasthani peasant woman's ghagra (skirt), that of the young woman from Saurashtra is intricately embroidered with multi-coloured thread inlayed with mirrors. The embroidery is heavy on the borders and scattered all over the skirt. The odhani is also embroidered, tiedyed or printed by hand and is tucked into the heavily embroidered short, backless choli. June wears silver jewellery consisting of beads, a hansli (choker) bangles, anklets and earrings. She is perhaps on her way to the village well. Model: June Chettur (Jaya Jaitly) October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Jamat-Ul-Vida 26 27 28 29 30 Rath Yatra Idu l Fitr June 2017 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 July 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Rajasthan Court 18-19 th Century Jamila looks suitably imperious as, in keeping with courtly tradition, she positions the edge of her shimmering zari-bordered odhani to combine modesty with status. The ensemble, more than a hundred years old, is of fine red cotton and brocade. The blouse, a chemise-like garment, is heavily worked with zari bands, and comes below the waist. Jamila wears elaborate enamel on gold ( minakari) jewellery including the unusual ornament on her forehead known in Rajasthan as bhor tika. Model: Jamila Verghese January 25, 1961

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 July 2017 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 August S M T 1 W 2 T 3 F 4 S 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

The skirt is full and swings as the wearer walks Red and black, yellow and green material and a variety of embroidery stitches herringbone, cross stitch, relamakki (chain stitch) and mallik kanta or chevron stitch are still used by Lambadi women of the Hyderabad region on their skirts and odhanis. The cholis are structured out of various pieces of embroidered cloth. Strings of coins are worn around the neck and the tasselled earrings have silver beads threaded through them. Cowrie shells and mirrors some square and others circular are embedded in this elaborate three-piece costume. Model: Vimla Vaidya January 25, 1961

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Raksha Bandhan 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Independence Day Janmashtami (Vaishnav) Parsi New Year s Day (Nauraj) 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Vinayaka Chaturthi/ Ganesh Chaturthi August 2017 July 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A garment to gladden our eyes This one hundred and fifty-year old lehenga (full skirt) was originally 90 yards in width, and worn by a lady of the Bharatpur court. Charu however had only 45 yards to deal with as the damaged parts had to be cut away and the lehenga re-made. Gold and green brocade embellish the fine cotton of the skirt and the choli and odhani are also intricately worked. Heavy jewellery of pearls, enamel and gold as well as glass bangles completed the re-fashioning of this outfit of a Rajput noblewoman. Model: Charu Mathur (Charu Sija Mathur) January 25, 1961

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Idu l Zuha (Bakrid) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Onam 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Dussehra (Maha Saptami) Dussehra (Maha Ashtami) Dussehra (Maha Navmi) Dussehra September 2017 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

... the careful hussif [housewife] Sourced from the Indian Museum, Calcutta (Kolkata), this fine jamdani sari from Dacca was, at the time of the show, fifty years old. It is perhaps during Durga Puja, and housewife Jamuna is dressed to go to the temple, her thali (metal plate) arranged with a conch shell and flowers. She wears the sari in the traditional Bengali manner without pleats in front and a long pallu wrapped around her left shoulder and over her head. At the end of it hang her bunch of keys. Her young daughter too wears the sari in a similar fashion, though without her head covered and of course, no keys. Models: Jamuna and Deepa Nag October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Muharram Mahatma Gandhi s Birthday Maharishi Valmiki s Birthday 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Karaka Chaturthi (Karva Chouth) 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Deepavali (South India) Naraka Chaturdasi Diwali (Deepavali) Govardhan Puja Bhai Duj 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pratihar Sashthi / Surya Sashthi (Chhat Puja) October 2017 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

From the hills of Assam The mekhela-chador is a two-piece set worn by the women of Assam. The skirt-like lower portion, the mekhela, that is draped from the waist downwards is not unlike a sarong, but has broad pleats that are tucked in at the waist. The chador repeats the weave and pattern of the mekhela and both are of heavy muga or tassar silk. The hand-woven patterns on these are geometric and usually in two contrasting colours. The blouse (not worn here) is similar to that of the sari. Model: Jasjit October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 Guru Nanak s Birthday 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Guru Teg Bahadur s Martyrdom Day 26 27 28 29 30 November 2017 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 December 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Madras temple sari This heavily- worked Kanjivaram sari with zari may have belonged to a devadasi (temple dancer) or adorned a stone deity in a temple and is likely to have been woven th th in the 19 or early 20 century. Temple saris have broad borders at both ends, usually in deep maroon. Uma wears heavy gold jewellery including a long, thick chain, earrings and oddiyanam or belt around her waist. Model: Uma Rao October 7, 1958

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 31 1 2 Milad-Un-Nabi or Id-E-Milad (Birthday of Prophet Mohammad) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Christmas Eve Christmas Day December 2017 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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