20 September, 2017

Saree from mom's closet

Recently I asked my mom to give me her sarees that she is not using anymore. She did not want to part away with her good collection and gave me the ones that she had kept away in a box. I told her, I am going to use them very proudly. The saree I am wearing today is one of them. Soon you will see much more from her collection. I paired it up with a shirt from Express. I have worn it here before.
I was recalling bygone days and many uses of pallu earlier- like wiping your hands to picking up hot pots or wiping your sweat. Pallu was also used like a fan. It is very cooling. It was also used to keep flies away. It was used to shield the face from the scorching sun. It could cover the face or head like a hat or umbrella. 
Pallu was something behind which a shy kid would hide, which mothers used to wipe the tears off from her baby. The little baby got up from crawling position to standing, using the support of a mother's pallu. I remember how my grand mother's pallu always smelled of her pooja incense. My mother's pallu smelled of the kitchen. In English, we say, "hold on to mother's apron". I think in India we hold on to mother's pallu.
When a girl gets married, her father ties the end of her pallu to the scarf of the groom. When something went in your eyes, pallu was used to blow air into it and place the warm pallu on the eyes for a soothing effect. Pallu is used like a shawl and wrapped around like a cover when it became little cold. 
If you forgot something or wanted to remember something, pallu was tied in a knot. Keys were tied to the pallu. Money bills were tied to the pallu. Pallu was used in farms to collect fruits or vegetables. Even today in temples, pallu is used to collect prasad that priest gives you. Pallu is also used to cover the head in temples.
Today, tissues have replaced pallus and the warmth is missing. Sarees are adorned occasionally and then they are so expensive that mothers do not allow the children to wipe their hands, sweat or tears with their pallus. I miss my grand mother's pallu the most. Placing my head there would be so comforting.





2 comments:

  1. Nice! You look lovely! Took me down the memory lane.
    I would hold on to my mother's palu in crowded places, never had the fear of getting lost and when she'd be busy in the kitchen, pull her palu to draw her attention. How I loved my mother's palu, could relate to everything you mentioned.
    The day my Rakhi brother got me married I tore an end of my palu and tied it on his wrist as a Rakhi, he became my brother since then.
    Thanks for taking me back in time. ��

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    1. OMG Nisha I could visualise you doing all that you wrote. It is so touching and heart warming.

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