https://youtube.com/shorts/y0nZ5-eUV-o?si=XIHldCWMOnyXRHLi

I never thought there was anything remarkable about the saree worn by Sudha on our wedding day on 14th December 1968.

I do not know if I had ever given it a fond second look any time during the last five and a half decades.

But my granddaughter Sanjana was fascinated when she chanced upon that old silk saree tucked away inconsequentially in a corner of the almirah today. She took it out, fondled it and went away with it, only to come back a little later wearing it and pirouetting with pride, as though on a catwalk.

In a brief video she made of it and posted on the Instagram, along with two black and white photos of that ancient wedding, she said:

“Got dressed up just to wear this saree because this saree deserves it.

“It's more than half a century old now. While today South Indians prefer Kanjeevaram silk sarees for bridal wear, in my grandmother's time mostly Banarasi silks were available in town and silver zaris were quite the trend. Bought from the famous P. Venkatarao's in 1968 in Trivandrum, the saree cost Rs 400. But don't get fooled by the sound of it, gold rate used to be Rs 100.”

The last line is noteworthy as it shows how gold prices have skyrocketed. One sovereign of 22 karat gold (eight grams) cost only about Rs 100 in 1968 as against Rs 56,760  today (28 September 2024). The notified price of Thankam (24 karat) in 1968 was only Rs 162 for ten grams as against Rs 77,400 for ten grams  today!