There was a time in history when the artisans and creative genius, be it in the field of creative arts, theosophy, literature, and many other disciples looked up to the royals and elites of the society for their patronage. The same was the case for the weaves and weavers. They relied on their royal patrons for the encouragement — be it monetary or in spirit. Though those days are now far behind in the history, but art has always needed patrons and we cannot undermine the importance of patronage to support and rejuvenate the rich Banarasi handloom silk fabric tradition and heritage of our country. For such patronage, in the present times, it comes to the popular personalities, notably the who’s who of the society, because when they adorn some pieces of participate in certain events, the artists of that segment gain weight. We love to see our favorite celebrities wear something and then we love to recreate that look. One such event the left us with quite a few fashion influences was the Durga Puja festivities in 2023, and it is in the recent past. JDS wants to quickly refresh your memories and draw your attention towards the celebrities spotted in Banarasi in Durga Puja 2023.
Durga Puja in Mumbai a star-studded event
Mumbai nagri is the hub of all things starry and glittery and while those of the Eastern Indian origin, primarily the Bengalis are seen in most popular metropolitans and suburbs, celebrating their favourite Sharadotsav with much dhaak and dhunuchi, the Mumbai Durga Puja fever is tad different. The celebrities and popular television and cinema names such as rani Mukherjee, Kajol Mukherjee, Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan and others join the festivities. We see their Bengali avatars shining through, and their looks inspire us no end.
Pre-Puja Inspiration in Red Banarasi Drape
Kajol Mukherjee did a photoshoot for a popular brand in the September of 2023. She is known for her fearlessness and intellect, but she is also known as the Bengali-Marathi beauty who is stunning and very inspiring. She did it once again with élan. We look at this look as her way of inspiring the Bengalis across the globe to sport a Banarasi and become a patron. As a touch of modernity, she wore a strappy zardozi work blouse, kept her hair flowy and just added long golden earrings as accessories. Otherwise, she let her eyes, smile and saree do the talking. With an ornate dull golden border and dull golden floral bouquet motifs, the red banarasi saree stood out clearly. It is rich, yet very subtle, it can be worn to a wedding celebration, yet gracefully sit in a formal dinner; the richness and timelessness of the banarasi very well embodied. This look must have inspired many and we are sure, girls recreated it.
Image source: India Today
Durga Puja guest in Banarasi Saree steals spotlight
Though accompanied by her mother famously known as Dreamgirl, Esha Deol stole the show this Shashthi night. Attending the North Mumbai Sharbojonin Puja with her mother, Hema Malini, and friend and fellow actor, Rani Mukherjee, Esha managed to leave a very shimmery effect for us to quote her.
Esha wore a gorgeous handwoven banarasi silk saree in white. While the base colour is white, it was beautifully augmented by the plain golden zari pallu, and plain zari border. The saree became star-worthy owing to the simple yet ornate floral zari work with leafy wines. If you look cloer, the floral motifs resemble the lotus or a rose in full bloom and as we know it, both the flowers are dear to Goddess Durga and Lakshmi, and white is a colour we associate with both Ma Durga’s Gauri avatar and even with Ma Saraswati. Are we taking it too far if we say that Esha Deol is embodying the femme fatale look in a very rich heritage saree! Maybe we said it just right.
Image source: Instagram
Red Banarasi for Ram Leela Inauguration in traditional style
This one is a slightly different tone, but much in the same spirits. Durga Puja in Sharad is celebrated also because Lord Ram worshipped Ma Durga to seek her blessings in His fight against the evil. In the honour of that epic battle, we see Ram Leela being staged across India.
For one such Ram Leela inaugural event, the chief guest was actress Tara Sutaria. She added much drama to her look and we are sure that the Lav Kush Ram Leela at Red Fort must have loved the perfect tinge of fashion drama they got to witness. Miss Sutaria wore a gorgeous dark red tone banarasi saree with floral and vine motif all across. The geometric pattern in the golden thread weave on the borders complimented the golden floral zari work really well. To add charm to her outfit, she wore a strapless blous with chandbali studs, gold choker and mang teeka. Her bangle stack and cocktail ring, all in gold, made her look divine with an Indo-Greek sort of aura. We must say, she kept her hair tied and neat in a bun, to let the red of the banarasi handloom saree shine bright with the yellow golden charm of the threadwork.
Image source: Instagram
Final Address:
These three looks from this festive season have enthralled us at JDS and believe us when we say, we would love to see more and more famous enchantresses wear banarasi sarees. JDS only hopes to see more patrons who wear banarasi handloom sarees to Durga Puja, Navratri garba, Ram Leela, and every possible event because nothing adds to the charm like a heritage weave.
Sacred Weaves:
While JDS Banaras, the best banarasi saree shop in varanasi has been patron and savior of Banarasi sarees from their Rathyatra located establishment, Sacred Weaves has already been the prodigal name in the world of banarasi handlooms. Selling the sarees with a unique experience, Sacred Weaves can help you capture eyeballs at any event with ease. Uniquely tailored online shopping experience is a feast that awaits you at www.sacredwaves.com.