Modern Women & Traditional Dress - An Irony

I loved this post on facebook from the page "Break the Stereotypes". I am a similar kind of a person. I love wearing sarees, chudidhars, bangles, bindis, hair tied neatly with flowers, and much more. And according to me Saree is the commonly accepted Traditional dress in India. Whenever there is a traditional day, a must is a saree than a chudidhar.

But, when I wear saree and go out, I have to be really extra careful. Making sure all the loose ends are pinned properly and no skin is seen. I have to make sure I check my saree every now and then. The hair of course, as I need to make sure the flowers are tact with the hair pins and hair to be always neat. Check my bindi and bangles and make sure there is no unnecessary noise made by my bangles when in a meeting in office. It really gets tougher when in office to lead a normal day. By the time, I am back home, I just want to get rid of the saree and get into my night gown or pajamas. Let the hair drop loose or tuck it well with a clutch clip.

If travelling by public transport to office and back, then that's it. I have to be cautious like crazy, have to make sure not to raise my hand. Keep an alert eye to make sure, no random person is looking at me. Even before stepping out of the house, I have to ask Ganesh and my mom-in-law to check on me from all angles and certify that I am covered enough.

Why so much fuss for a Saree? Saree, is not only our traditional dress but its the typical Indian costume. I feel, its not the modernization that has stopped the girls to wear saree on a daily basis. Its the caution that the girls have to go through in that costume has made it a so called "traditional dress".

I would rather say, even when you wear a long kurta with proper fitting and dupatta draped around you, still men take a second look at you. Why so? I feel so helpless and unfortunate to be in such a society. Even while going for my diwali shopping, the only thing I did was to make sure whatever dress I buy is covering my neck, the kurta is loose enough, long to cover even my knees and ofcourse the cloth is thick.

Every girl this day, has to take a proper look at herself from top to bottom before she leaves her house for work to make sure her dressing is fine enough so that no insane man looks at her cheaply.

I feel sad that, the lovely Saree, "Costume of India" is considered as a traditional dress by all the Women of today, rather than a everyday wear.