The remains the undisputed queen of Indian wear. Worn differently in every region (the Gujarati seedha pallu, the Bengali flat drape, the Maharashtrian kashta), it is a symbol of feminine power. For decades, it was the uniform of the working woman—teachers, nurses, and office clerks wore them daily.
The rural woman fighting for the right to education and the urban CEO fighting for a seat at the boardroom table are part of the same continuum. They are the daughters of a civilization that worshipped the Goddess but shackled the girl child.