Sari gets its moment in the spotlight
It’s such a beautiful dress that it should not be forgotten
DURBAN beachgoers will be treated to sights slightly more glamorous than burnished torsos and giant umbrellas when the city’s sariclad ladies take to the Golden Mile for Sunday’s Durban Beach Sari Stroll.
Kamlesh Gounden, who came up with the idea for the annual event with fellow Arya Samaj South Africa member Natalie Lange, said the stroll attracted more participants each year. The walk is endorsed by the eThekwini municipality.
“People get quite excited to see such a large number of ladies laughing, strolling and showcasing the sari,” she said.
The walk carries a strong cultural message. Gounden said she hoped it would spark a revival of interest in the garment as more than an outfit for rare, special occasions such as weddings.
In the past, she said, “women did everything in a sari. They played tennis and walked on the promenade. They used to have a sari race in school sports on the sports days at Indian schools and women ran in their saris. Now the tradition has just fallen away.”
Babitha Balraj, who has participated in the walk since its inception four years ago, said it was a garment she was proud to wear.
“It’s such a beautiful dress that it should not be forgotten. It’s one of the most eye-catching forms of cultural dress in the world. The sari always steals the show. Whether a person is fat or thin, they always look elegant in one.”
Dro Preethepaul wears a sari almost every day. “In the morning, I feel elegant as soon as I put it on. You can walk around knowing that, from head to toe, you are covered.”
Patricia Tembe, who has taken part in the walk in recent years, loves silk saris and usually wears hers to functions, weddings and prayers.
“People admire me,” she said.
This year’s event will feature a kiosk at which those who would like to take part can borrow an outfit for the walk. The strollers set out from Minitown on Snell Parade along Durban’s beach front from 2pm.