
One of the items on my mother's to-do list in the days before my wedding was: "Teach her to wear a saree."
That was many years ago when my saree-wearing skills were next to zero. I am much better at the job now, but even so, I invariably have a "bad-saree-day" -- the pleats don't fall right and I weep tears of frustration that they don't. I have ruefully accepted the fact that I shall go through life with less than perfect saree savoir faire.

But recently I realised that mere rueful acceptance was not enough. I ought to be seriously ashamed of myself, perhaps flagellate myself for my flawed saree skills and my preference for attire of the non-saree kind. Because according to Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the super A-list couturier who dresses Bollywood stars, zillionaire brides and sundry rich folk, Indian woman who do not know how to wear a saree should hang their heads in "shame".