Look: UAE doctors in sarees pay tribute to traditional weavers in India

A group of UAE doctors draped in their vibrant 9 yards, sashaying in beautiful Dhakai Jamdani, colourful Banarasi silk and Muga silk, came together to pay tribute to traditional Indian weavers.

The team of 64 women, ranging from laparoscopic surgeons to anesthesiologists, donned some of the finest and rarest handloom sarees from India to create awareness about the art of weaving, just in time for the Indian Independence Day on August 15.

"Most people now prefer to wear Western clothes," said Dr Ritu Khare, one of the participants of the initiative. "So, the beauty of Indian handloom sarees is being forgotten, especially by our younger generation. We wanted to create something that conveyed the beauty of our sarees, especially to younger women." As a tribute, the group recorded a special video.

Doctors in Sarees Al Emarat, is part of a global movement to celebrate the Indian traditional wear. The saree consists of an un-stitched stretch of fabric draped around in an intricate fashion.

64 weaves of India

Dr Sowjanya Satish, one of the founders of the group, said that a lot of work went into planning the tribute video. “We wanted to showcase as many weaves as we could, so we researched and found some of the rarest ones,” she said. “From the fairly common Kanjeevaram from Tamil Nadu to the rare Eri silk from Assam and Meghalaya weaves, we wanted to showcase as much of India’s cultural heritage as possible.”

Dr Sowjanya herself wore a Hyderabadi Gadwal silk, honouring her own heritage and hometown in Hyderabad. “Growing up, I would see my mother wear only the Ghadwal silk or cotton,” she said. “When I was younger, I could never understand why. But now I realise that she wanted to make sure that the weavers earned a decent living.”

She said she always makes it a point to buy from weavers. “When I see people bargaining with the weavers, I feel really bad for them,” she said. “They work so hard on one saree, and the earnings they make from it is very negligible.”

A love passed down through generations

Dr Parul Dubey, who wore a Chanderi weave from her state of Madhya Pradesh for the video, fell in love with sarees while still very young. "Me and my elder sister would secretly try to drape our mother's saree," she recalled fondly. "The love for sarees grew with us, and we used to wear them on special occasions." Today, she proudly owns more than 100 varieties of sarees that she wears very often.

Dr Ritu also said she inherited her mother's love for the saree. "In fact, I have a saree that my mother bought 25 years ago," she said. "I still wear it. That is the best thing about handloom sarees. They are a timeless gift that can be passed from generation to generation."

Dr Sowjanya added that she was also a huge saree enthusiast who had a collection of over 200 sarees. “The beauty of handloom sarees, its grace and dignity is really something else,” she said.

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