{"id":1678,"date":"2018-08-18T19:12:01","date_gmt":"2018-08-18T13:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/museumofmaterialmemory.com\/?p=1678"},"modified":"2018-08-18T19:12:01","modified_gmt":"2018-08-18T13:42:01","slug":"the-tale-of-a-travelling-lehenga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/museumofmaterialmemory.com\/the-tale-of-a-travelling-lehenga\/","title":{"rendered":"The tale of a travelling lehenga"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXT BY PRIYANKA SACHETI<\/strong>
\nPHOTOGRAPHS BY PRIYANKA SACHETI AND ABHINAV SACHETI<\/strong>
\nJodhpur, Rajasthan<\/em><\/p>\n

This lehenga was given to my paternal grandmother as part of her wedding trousseau in 1930 and dates back to that time, most likely having been made in Varanasi. It accompanied her when she got married and moved to Ajmer, Rajasthan from her natal home in Indore. She would wear it on special occasions such as family weddings. Many decades later, she presented this lehenga to my mother, who then brought it to her home city, Jodhpur.<\/p>\n

\"Priyanka's
Priyanka’s grandmother’s lehenga that was a part of her wedding trousseau in 1930.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lehenga is fashioned from silk and real gold-polished silver zari. The silk is a deep purple while the intricate embroidery is of a gold-hue; the lining is of cotton and the hems are fuschia-hued. It has been slightly altered only for its length; otherwise, its proportions, design, and pleats remain as it was originally made. The diameter of the lehenga is over 3.5 metres. Apart from the surface designs, there is no other stain or wear and tear. It is in pristine condition, and as you unwrap and examine the garment, it would be hard to believe that it is over a century old. But yes, while the fabric and the lining are still intact, the metallic hues have somewhat undergone a change, the sheen diminished in some places.<\/p>\n