nani ki sari [nani’s sari]

नानी (noun)
Pronunciation: nānī, naanee
Meaning : Grandmother

साडी / सारी (noun)
Pronunciation: /ˈsɑːri/
Meaning: a dress, worn especially by South Asian women, consisting of a very long piece of cloth wrapped around the body.

nani ki sari, an online exhibition, takes you on a journey through textiles to explore the relationship of pedlars with their wider community of women clients spread across India. Get a peek into a spectrum of narratives including a personal story of my grandmother’s sari collection, historical narratives of Indian pedlars, mythical stories and pedlars’ role in contemporary India in the voice of various women who have been buying and collecting textiles.

Documenting memories of pedlar-trade as a living heritage, the practice-based research was translated into an online exhibition, using story-telling and illustrations as an imaginative yet educative medium. And since the knowledge on the subject is not extensive, it also invites the readers and viewers to contribute to an ongoing ‘digital archive’ which follows the exhibition.

The research paper is available on request.