Bengaluru, Sep 19 (PTI) India’s rich sartorial legacy was on glorious display at a national tourism conference here, as models wearing beautifully crafted sarees and other traditional wear of the country walked the ramp while stunning images of palaces, temples and monuments played in the backdrop.
The special show that also brought the spotlight on India’s architectural and culinary heritage was hosted to mark the inauguration of the three-day conference being held at a luxury hotel in Bengaluru, on Thursday night.
From elegant set sarees of Kerala to the vibrant six-yard drapes of West Bengal, and from richly embroidered lehngas of Rajasthan to traditional costumes of Assam, India’s textile heritage and sartorial legacy took centre stage at the grand event.
Titled, “Parampara Vasthra of Bharat” with a tagline ‘An Exclusive Showcase of Heritage, Textiles and Elegance’, it was the finale event as the 55th annual convention of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) got underway.
The conference, themed ‘Future Scape 2047: Redefining Hospitality for a New Era’, besides hosting serious deliberations on the future roadmap of India’s hospitality and tourism sector, also puts a spotlight on the cultural and culinary attractions of India.
A total of 32 young models — 10 men and 22 women — sashayed down the runway in carefully choreographed fashion, as splendid images of some of India’s iconic monuments and celebrated heritage buildings, from Delhi to Mumbai and Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu, played on huge digital screens in the backdrop of the stage.
“This event is about tourism and hospitality, and tourists travel to different places to experience new cultures and traditions. And, so, we showcased India’s traditional wears, sarees from various states, lehngas, sherwanis, dhotis, veshtis, kurtas, and much more,” show director, Vignesh Chandrasekar, told PTI after the ramp walk.
He said seeing the reaction of the audience to the show was a sense of sheer delight.
“A lot of research went into the execution of the idea, which was to celebrate India’s beauty on the runway. As the show has a time limit, we chose a set of 10 states to fit the time span, but in essence, it was a celebration of the cultural heritage of all states and UTs of our country,” he said.
The ten states chosen were Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Telangana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
The 20-minute runway show that blended tradition, culture, and craftsmanship with resplendent digital images of India’s various tourist destinations, some of its traditional dishes and scenic water bodies, and powerful music, created magic on stage and drew thunderous applause at the end.
So, Delhi’s Red Fort, India Gate, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Qutub Minar played on the screen as models showcasing dresses from the region walked down the ramp.
An array of images of Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur and iconic temples in Rajasthan floated on the screen when models representing the state walked by.
Most of the models who took part in it are based in Bengaluru and aged mid-20s, and expressed delight over the show.
“For me, it was the diversity of India and yet its oneness was the best part of the show. I am from Bengaluru and I speak Dakhani Urdu and Hindi too, and I wore a saree representing Tamil Nadu,” Rida Zehra, a model, told PTI.
Ajay Mohan, 25, who hails from Kochin in Kerala, showcased the traditional men’s wear from West Bengal on stage.
Azmiya Mohammed, a freelance architect and full-time model, who hails from Mangaluru in Karnataka, but is now based in Bengaluru, represented the traditional dress of Assam.
“I made friends from the show, and learned about each other’s culture too,” Ananya Rajput, another model, told PTI.
Rajput, born in Chennai, speaks fluent Tamil, and says, people think “I am a ‘pucca Tamilian’ even though my parents hail from Uttar Pradesh, who had moved to Tamil Nadu decades ago.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who hails from Rajasthan, also attended the show. PTI KND HIG HIG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.