Paoli Dam wears Raw Mango’s Bhitti Chitra collection for Durga Puja as Sanjay Garg reimagines ancient art through textile
For the past 17 years, Sanjay Garg has carved a niche for his much-revered label Raw Mango by making indigenous weaves appealing to women of all ages. Their festive edit, Bhitti Chitra, revisits the classical era and pays homage to the ancient art across Rome and the Indian subcontinent. The collection draws inspiration from the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, Garh Palace in Bundi, and Roman frescoes that used architecture as a site of storytelling.
Celestial figures share the frame with the subcontinent’s ancient flora and fauna. Griffins, mermaids, angels, and swans appear in turns, blending fantasy with architecture and geometry. A load-bearing angel that has held up ancient temple walls for centuries is reinterpreted as holding up a sari. The courtiers of Rajasthan, preserved in Bundi’s frescoes, come to life once again as characters across the collection’s visual storytelling. The palette has hushed tones of light jade, dusty lychee, chrome yellow, earthy red, deep mural green, black, and midnight blue. Varanasi brocades, silk, velvet, wool, and canvas have been used for the range.
Frescoes were a rage in the early first and second centuries across the globe. They immortalised stories and myths deemed too important to forget. The collection brings together visual references from Pompeii and the Jataka tales.
For our Durga Puja special cover this year, nothing could have been better than displaying the beauty of the age-old frescoes replicated on textiles by Raw Mango. We chose actor Paoli Dam to create four elegantly classic looks from Bhitti Chitra. Designer Sanjay Garg takes us through the impactful collection on the sidelines of this exclusive shoot with Indulge.
What inspired the Bhitti Chitra collection, and how does it translate traditional mural art traditions into textile design?
Bhitti Chitra, or wall paintings, draws inspiration from frescoes around the world. The collection draws references from the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, Garh Palace in Bundi, and Roman frescoes that used architecture as a site of storytelling. We interpreted the imagery in these frescoes in compositions that bring motifs from various styles in the same garment. Celestial figures, griffins, mermaids, angels, and swans appear, blending fantasy with architecture and geometry. The courtiers of Rajasthan, preserved in Bundi’s frescoes, come to life once again as characters across the collection’s visual storytelling.
How did you balance preserving the authenticity of traditional wall paintings with modern aesthetic sensibilities in this collection?
The paintings and architecture from the eras we chose were the peak of modernity at their time. Modernity is a way of looking at the world and existing within it. The creations in this collection draw from that modern spirit, so there isn’t much to balance. I can picture these saris existing even then.
Could you walk us through the colour palette chosen for this line and how it reflects the festive mood of Durga Puja and Diwali?
The colours draw from the palette of frescoes, which were created by natural pigments derived from minerals. Familiar hues from our past collections are revisited here in muted tones—transitioning from vibrant to subtle. Instead of bottle green, we used a light jade shade; electric pink was replaced with dusty lychee, and the same goes for other colours. For this collection, we opted for a restrained yet rich visual language, which is perfect for festive occasions.
Which specific weaving techniques, fabrics, and motifs did you prioritise to capture the textural quality of Bhitti Chitra?
In this collection, we continued explorations across a range of textiles, including Varanasi brocades, silk, velvet, wool and canvas. We interpreted wall paintings using woven motifs, zardozi and thread embroidery. Texturally, we have used dots and heavy brocades to evoke the feeling of touching these murals from the past.
What will be the fashion code for this winter festive wedding season?
The code is Raw Mango. We want our garments to become part of our wearers’ lives. If someone’s buying a sari today, we hope they wear it multiple times throughout their lives. On important occasions, and otherwise. To grow with the garment, let it soften and age alongside you, and become a part of you. It’s a feeling that’s unmatched and incomparable.
How do you see woven designs and authentic fabric-led couture story growing and evolving in the Indian fashion scene?
It is heartening to see handloom become a lot more approachable—especially the sari. Saris have been taken off the pedestal, and more and more people are adopting and experimenting with them—styling and wearing them in their own ways. It is no longer exotic or special. That’s something we want to see even more. We’ve always maintained that handloom is a living tradition that requires design intervention to continue evolving. The craft-forward market has always existed. It’s been here for thousands of years. Our textiles and techniques have evolved with how we live, our climate, weather, individuality and identity. For the people making the clothes, as long as relationships are built sustainably, they continue to generate ethical business. That’s all that is needed.
What still inspires your designs? You have taken chanderi weaves to a new height and glory; what other weaves entice and hold your attention as a designer?
Textile innovation has always been central to Raw Mango. Our creative process is rooted in innovation. Our design interventions begin with weave— sometimes even the yarn. We don’t follow a timeline or fashion seasons. Our work responds to an internal pursuit —what excites us, what needs exploration, what holds meaning. I am always designing something and thinking of ‘what next ’, and given our design process, it takes years to materialise. Research, testing and experimentation are involved in every step.
Mashru has always been one of my favourite textiles. It is closest to my personal DNA, known for its simple yet luxurious nature. Traditionally, the textile was woven on narrow looms, but we were able to facilitate weaving on 45” looms, creating the first Mashru sari.
Must-have in any festive wedding wardrobe?
Weddings in India are get-togethers of families across days and weeks of events. The creations in this collection are fluid since they cater to diverse brides, grooms, and families who may want to wear them for celebratory events. Bhitti Chitra offers jackets with tone-on-tone embroidery that can be worn anytime. We introduced embroidered brocade gowns in two different brocades and with distinct silhouettes. As always, there is a range of classic, comfortable saris.
What message or feeling do you hope wearers take away when wearing Bhitti Chitra during the festivities?
I have always been drawn to the classical age. The first to sixth centuries of the common era saw the rise of empires devoted to art and culture besides trade and commerce. The collection brings together visual references from Bundi, Pompeii and the Jataka tales in an exploration that unearths these societies’ aspirations and traditions. I hope these creations communicate to the wearers that those aspirations haven’t really changed. Then and now, we are drawn to stories that tell us something about each other.
Tell us about your upcoming spring-summer collection.
The collection is still under development, but you will be the first to know when we have something ready to show.
What are your plans for Raw Mango in future?
We are present in all major cities of India, including Kolkata, which was launched last year. We will look at further retail expansion over time.
Much ado about Pujo
Actor Paoli Dam tells us how her Puja fashion and food choices haven’t changed over decades
What’s Puja fashion for you?
I don’t think I have followed any rule strictly in life, and especially when it comes to fashion, it‘s all the more so. My fashion is comfort-forward; if I am comfortable in an outfit, I will go for it, whether it’s trending or not at that moment. I don’t think I have broken any fashion rules during Puja. If it comes to breaking fashion rules or stereotypes, I did that in films. But for Pujas, I like traditional choices.
What kind of saris do you prefer for Pujas?
I can wear saris for any occasion or at any time of day. I am extremely comfortable in saris, whether it’s cotton, linen, or silk.
What is your favourite childhood Puja memory? How have things changed now?
I have had several since I grew up in a joint family with cousins. During Pujas, we all shared our outfits and went for pandal hopping. We grew up in Central Kolkata, so Ashtami and Nabami were set aside for pandal hopping in the South. I can’t go pandal hopping with family anymore. But I see pandals and the idols while judging the Pujas. My cousins too are scattered across the globe. So, we decide on a particular day to join a video call and share what we are doing during the Pujas, including what outfits we are wearing and what food we are eating. I prefer staying in Kolkata during the Pujas. One day is for a get-together with school friends. I also spend a little time at my complex puja, and I always give Pushpanajali on Ashtami . Puja also means “no diet” and I indulge in bhog, comprising khichudi and labra and all kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian street food. Also, it’s the best time to catch up on some sleep.