Malvika Singh calls the sari her second skin. That is why her memoir, Saris of Memory, doesn’t come as a surprise to the reader. Her love for the attire, which she happily refers to as an ‘obsession,’ is talked about in depth page after page. Singh blends memory and Indian craftsmanship to weave something that resonates with anyone who understands the beauty of India’s rich heritage of textiles.

She writes, “The sari is an unstitched length of cloth, worn across this land in differing drapes, just as the many styles of turbans, all unstitched, and the angavastram, have ensured continuity. They are worn and there is a demand that keeps the looms of India in working order as it were, with the sound of the shuttle repeating the chant. The process is sacred.”

Saris of Memory heavily mentions how India’s art and culture travelled across the globe and the various initiatives Singh was part of. It was in 1982 when she worked with the ‘Festivals of India’ initiative—a series of events held in Britain, later travelling to America, France, the erstwhile Soviet Union, Japan, Germany, Sweden, and China—that showcased India’s rich artistic heritage.

The book talks about the timelessness of a sari, unlike any other garment, which usually falls into the trap of trends. Singh’s writing reminds you of the lovers who are unconditionally in love with each other. That is how close she holds the sari to herself.

She says, “I don’t need to drape it properly. I just wear it, and it takes the shape and form it feels like.” Doesn’t that sound like freedom? The boundless, borderless nine yards of cloth has also witnessed India’s independence movement and contributed massively to Singh’s sea of memories.

“I was given my first sari at the age of eight during Ganpati Puja by a woman named Leela Mulgaonkar. It was a Chanderi.”

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