New Delhi: Each year, as the country awaits in anticipation of what the latest Union Budget will bring, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is at the centre of the spotlight. But even before her speech, before the ‘bahi-khata’ she holds in her hands, her sarees make headlines.
On Sunday, ahead of presenting her ninth consecutive budget, the FM appeared in front of of Parliament wearing a handwoven Kanchivaram silk saree from Tamil Nadu.
Her saree featured a purple kattam (checked) body with light golden-brown checks, a coffee-brown border with thread work, and a mustard-gold pallu panel accented by violet and gold borders. She teamed the drape with a woollen shawl.
Through the Kanchivaram, Sitaraman paid a homage to her home state, which also goes to polls later this year.
The finance minister’s sarees have, since her first Budget in 2019, evolved into a cultural statement where she showcases each year handlooms from around the country.
In her first year, she wore a bright pink Mangalagiri saree from Andhra Pradesh. Her outfits over the next eight budgets have included a yellow-gold silk saree in 2020, a Pochampally Ikat in 2021, Odisha’s Bomkai in 2022, Karnataka’s Ilkal in 2023, and two distinct weaves in 2024—Mangalagiri silk for the full budget and a blue Tussar silk saree with Kantha embroidery for the interim session.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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