Madisaardom
Madisaar. The most immediately recognizable face of TamBrams. Nine yards of boring cloth. Limited colors, unimpressive designs. Most unmanageable in its true, unadulterated form.
“Want to wear a petticoat underneath? You may look bulky.”
“Panties? Ok, but hope and pray you never feel like peeing for the next 2-3 hours. You never can tuck it away carefully like your paati used to while visiting the loo.”
“Any other m-in-law would’ve ostracized you for not willingly wearing a madisaar. You are too lucky for your own good.”
[Said m-in-law cannot wear a traditional madisaar to save her life… she makes do with a six-yards version and claims that it is acceptable if the thing LOOKS like madisaar.]
“And do watch out. Else, you may end up putting on display a vast portion of your leg, midriff and other key frontal assets.”
“What? You hate it? Then why were you born a Brahmanathi?”
Exactly.
Disclaimer: This post is NOT a result of this blogger’s shameless inability to gracefully drape the madisaar independently. It is not an expression of her angst that though she has been trying to learn the art even since BEFORE her marriage, she has failed to master it. That despite innumerable practice sessions and, of late, online help via Youtube, etc, she can’t figure out how many times the darned cloth is taken clockwise, anticlockwise, front-to-back and back-to-front. That every time she’s required to wear a madisaar, she stands legs and hands apart like a scarecrow – tucking in her tummy with a deep breath and wishing she could similarly tuck in her butt and thighs as well – while her mum, aunt or some other random relative does the deed for her. Who cares?
Disclaimer to Disclaimer: The above disclaimer may contain faint traces of lies.
The best way to humiliate a woman is to make her wear madisAr, IMO. Tambrahm or not, a woman is a woman. Why dont these women put their foot down to an attire which doesnt serve the basic purpose – protecting the modesty-I fail to understand.
I know people who swear by the Madisaar, look fab in them as if they were made to wear madisaar. I had nightmares before the wedding on how I would look in it. But my moms a pro when it comes to tying madisaar and did a splendid job. I have worn it twice after that, (Valaikaapu and Ashus Ayush homam) and felt quite good actually. Given a choice, I would rather not wear it but sort of got attached to it. After all, its a dying custom. So I want to cling to it a little more.
Btw,
contd…
Btw, my MIL cant wear madisaar to save her life as well! I have told her a salwar is more close to madisaar than a saree and got away with it too!
Tagged!
@Prakash: Err… I dislike the fact that I can’t drape a madisaar by myself but you are making me a little defensive about the garment. Humiliate? Lack of modesty? I would think the madisaar is good or as bad as a regular saree, depending on how it’s draped. Protecting a woman’s modesty? C’mon! Which century are we living in?
@Boo: Ah! If I had had to wear madisaar just twice my life I wouldn’t object so strongly either
I end up wearing it at least 3-4 times a year. So standing like a moron while it’s draped on me – like a Naidu Hall mannequin – hurts.
Ahh..I love to wear madisarr..Maybe I have not worn it till now. even for my marriage I did not get a chance to wear..I hopped from noons blog..As she said..you name is super..Inbavalli….
Aryan’s mom
@Aryan’s mom: Thanks for dropping in and the comment! Do try the madisaar, at least to take a pic of yourself in it
You like ‘Inbavalli’? Gosh!
But, wearing madisar if properly worn covers the entire body and women will feel very comfortable. Women – if you know to wear properly, believe you will not even need to wear a panties.
Ah! The key words are “if properly worn”
What is wrong with all of you here? One calls the Madisaar boring and feeling like a moron while the other calls it a humiliation? Don’t wear one with this attitude and add insult to a great tradition. I was born a TamBram and I am tremendously proud of being born as a ” bramanath” as inba explains. I have been living outside India even before marriage, been married for three years now and have worn it for every possible occasion. I wear it myself and I love being draped in a madisaar; because to be in one and to enjoy wearing it, you must first learn to love your roots and the tradition you hail from.
TamBram, you are missing the point, aren’t you? I feel like a moron only because I am, for some reason, unable to drape it myself. The frustration leads to the ranting. Hope you get me
To me, your article is very misleading. It conveys your frustration with the madisaar more than your frustration with the inability to wear one…well read your article again and you’ll probably see what I mean
Topic of nine yard sarees brought me to this post. Interesting that you continue to wear it though you haven’t learnt how to do it by yourself. I understand the frustration though. I have learnt how to wear nine yard sarees and I wear it for festivals and religious occassions, but this is the nine yard sarees that Madhwa brahmins wear (with a ‘kachche’) not the madisaar style. It took me quite some time to learn how to wear it properly on my own, especially getting the split of pleats correct and wearing the ‘kachche’ neatly. It looks really neat when worn well, but learning to wear it well is not very easy. As Suchi Mami says, if this is worn properly, there is no need for panties. This sounds ridiculous, but wearing the kachche saree with panties feels awkward and it actually feels more comfortable without them. Of course, I was very self conscious when I started wearing the nine yard sarees at first, but now I am very much comfortable wearing them in public. So hope time and practice will make you comfortable with madisaar.
Non Brahm here….Tam though and I wanna try wearing a madisaar…Do you know where I could instructions to tie one???
madisar is realy a nice good looking dress, wen i see mami with madisar oh god i love !
Lakshmi’s mail was interesting. I too being a madhva wear the nine yard saree in the kaccha style on festival days, and it was very difficult it wear it correctly. I wonder if it is easier to drape cotton sarees in this way rather than polyester.
Folks! Whether to wear it with panties or not, its a public forum hence when I googled this also came in one of the results.
Do wear it in the right way, enjoy it!
Inbavali – If you donot know how to wear, learn it till you are able to write another blog “Madisar – The perfect fitting dress for Women, adding beauty to the beauty”…
madisaaru=sridevi in meendum kokila looking absolutely stunning in the drape.
also kamal in avvai shunmuki. can that man carry off a saree or what!
this is to laxmi.i have always been interested in the madhwa drape though i am a telugu.love to learn it can u teach .giving my husband’s mail as he is more on the net than me
no reply to meenakshi’s post
Aiha
Nice post. I’m fond of madisar. But yes, need help draping the same. but but but.. during my kid’s Ayushhomam last year, with maami, sil and chithi discussing and arguing on the right method of tying the saree, with me standing like a fool in the blouse and bermuda, I really felt like hitting myself hard for not knowing the method..
i have just worn the madisar a few times.. and with copious amount of help from the maamis in the family.. the peeing part is a dampner,but once the piece is in place,its nice and breezy.. the leg show is obviously the icing on the cake..i was kidding!!.. nice post !
What Panchakacham to a man is Madisar to a woman!! Both are not taught properly to next generation by the previous generation and being relegated to a kind of “vishesha naal” dressing. As somebody wrote, we are just clinging on to it. But for me personally, I want to use it more regularly.