An Ode to Madisaar Sarees

Chennai is the cultural capital of South India. Chennaites are well-known for their love for sarees. Even though the brahmins are not a venerated lot, you will see a few madisaar mamis in the Mylapore area. To wear a madisaar saree takes a lot of time and it has some techniques. However, there are videos available online on how to tie a madisaar saree in the traditional Iyer or Iyengar style. For novices, there are ready-made madisaar sarees in the market these days.

Due to urbanization and life-style changes, the madisaar sarees are no longer in vogue. It is worn during functions and on rare occasions, or to visits to the temple on Fridays. It is only in Chennai that you can bump into a madisaar mami at weddings who is eloquently dressed in her traditional nine-yard silk saree, resplendent with antique gold accessories. Sometimes, the madisaar mamis wear a gold belt around their waist. They go the extra mile to put a decorative stone hairclip (hairstyle jewelry) at the very top of their plaits and a kusalam (a decorative hair-piece in either a round-style or long, rectangular style) at the very bottom of their plaits. Madisaar mamis also adorn their plaits with lots of jasmine flowers.

There is something special about madisaar mamis. They look very well-put together with their well-oiled hair in a plait and two diamond nose-rings on either side of the nose. They usually wear traditional diamond ear-studs and anklets on their feet. The saree of choice is the Madurai chungudi or simple cotton sarees.

My grandmother grew up with madisaar sarees, all her life and has never worn a 6-yard saree! I do not remember this outfit restricting her movements, when she did the house-hold chores. The only hassle when it comes to madisaar sarees is the 9-yard length which makes washing cumbersome. I also have an aunt who is extremely neat when it comes to taking care of her madisaar sarees. She has a certain way of washing her sarees, folding them in the form of pleats neatly atop a long wooden stick and hanging them up to dry on a high clothesline!

A cat may have nine lives, but a madisaar saree probably has eighteen lives! The madisaar saree has multiple uses once the user tires of it, or if it is past its prime. It can be put to good use, as a table cloth, or cut to smaller pieces for wiping counter-tops or just about anything. It is also used to make accessories, like handbags or purses.