Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Until a few decades ago, women from the Indian state of Maharashtra were wearing nine yard nauvari sarees from the time they were married at under ten years of age, until they died. Sometime in the twentieth century, the nauvari was replaced by the five yard pachvari saree followed by the salwar-kameez and finally by Western attire. Retention of indigenous dress came to be considered as uncivilized. However, in the last few years, there has been a spike in the use of nauvari sarees by women of all age groups. These sarees are being worn for weddings, festivals, and special occasions. This paper decodes the reasons behind the renewed interest in this ethnic dress. The sample has been chosen through purposive non-probability sampling and data collected through in depth interviews. The study uses an interpretative analytical approach to dissect the experiences of Maharashtrian women while wearing their nauvaris and the meanings they associate with it.