Ahead of Handloom Day on August 7, The British Women in Sarees is all set to organise the first-of-its-kind Saree Walkathon across London on August 6. The aim of this walkathon is to display the rich cultural handloom heritage of India and showcase a mixed collection of sarees that narrate the history, evolution, and adaptation of this age-old tradition to fit the modern era. It also voices their solidarity with the Swadeshi Movement which was an integral part of Indian Independence and originated from Town Hall, Calcutta (now Kolkata).
Dipti Jain, Chairperson, of British Women in Sarees comments, “We source the saris directly from the weavers and artisans rather than designers. We have made it a point to represent all weaves from each state of the country for the walk.”
More than 500 women are expected to walk across the iconic monuments and places of London draped in Indian tradition sourced from different states on August 6. The walk will begin from Trafalgar Square and cover places like Parliament Square, Downing Street, and more.
Just like handloom is seeing a massive revival in India, it needed equal representation in the Indian diaspora outside the country. To garner support for the handwoven traditions from modern empowered women, the social media group British Women in Sarees was formed helmed by Dipti Jain. To further support the source of the handloom industry, the revenue collected through the patrons in support of the event will be donated to indigenous artists in India.
The British Women in Sarees had earlier broken all records when around 1000 women walked in saris at the Royal Ascot Races. The proceeds then too were donated to Kantha artist Nanoor from West Bengal.
Glimpses of the event can be seen on the Social Media page of British Women in Sarees once the event takes place.