2 Bengalureans show how to drape a saree for Goddess. Video goes viral, garners 50k views on day one itself

eNarada, Bengaluru, Sunday, July 30, 2017

For many, Shravana Maasa is one of the most awaited months. In fact, Shravana Maasa is considered as month of festivals and there are a series of festivals henceforth and the first major festival in Shravana is Vara Mahalakshmi festival (first festival after a long gap-Ugadi). The Vara Mahalakshmi festival can be termed as ‘Naada Habba’ as most of the Bengalureans offer pooja to Goddess Lakshmi.

In fact, many devotees plan their decorations months in advance. The general practice is to consecrate a Kalasa and place a ‘Mukavada’ (mask-representing face of the Goddess). However, some others attempt to drape a saree to give a humane look to the Goddess. However, the biggest challenge is that draping a saree to a Kalasa is not so easy; if anything goes wrong, then the entire festival may become a dampener.

To help devotees, two women from the city have started a unique video campaign wherein they are demonstrating how easy it is to drape a saree to Kalasa. Their 9-minute video which has gone viral on the social media (YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp) gives all the minute details from picking a right saree to draping it. Interestingly, the video also gives options for the devotees like they can make if the saree is draped for standing or sitting position.

Mamata N Swamy, an arts and crafts trainer said, “Many people would ask me this question. Every year, I tried to visit as many homes as possible to help them drape the saree. This year, I thought why not make a video so that we can spread the message to everyone.”

Chudamani DN, a singer said, “A woman can easily drape a saree but it is not so simple for a Goddess. This can be observed if you go to any temples. It requires a unique craft as even a small mistake can go awkward. So, we had to do lot of research and homework before we came up with the video.”

Bengalureans are very much happy watching the video. Vani Murthy, a home maker said, “I always thought that the decoration to Vara Mahalakshmi festival would cost a bomb. However, this video showed how one can organise the festival and make decorations without spending a single rupee.”

Ananya K, a college student said, “The best part about this video is that it shows people to use all the decoration items which are available at their homes.”

Meanwhile, this video on Vara Mahalakshmi festival has gone viral. In less than 24 hours of uploading the video, it has garnered at least 50,000 views and multiple comments on how these kinds of videos were very helpful.