There is nothing that can match the romance of a well-draped, beautiful Indian sari; there is nothing that can look more beautiful on a woman, and there's nothing that can make a woman feel more beautiful! And Sarangi...a Chennai-based Sari shop has managed to augment this allure of the sari, and somehow capture it in their beautifully designed store interiors.
Sarangi belongs to the same group as Rasvihar (Rekha had written a Keybunch blog post on it here), so I can take an educated guess that the talented S.Ahalya is behind the gorgeous interiors.Here are the images of the store. I hear all the furniture, art pieces and decorative items have been sourced from various places in South India. :)
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| Symbolizing grace and confidence. |
Did I use the word Romance up there? I did? Well,I am going to use it again! How many of you know the lovely South Indian Oonjal ceremony? It's held before the actual wedding, and is a wonderful tradition where the couple sits and swings together holding hands while the women of both sides of the family wash their feet, feed them milk and fruit and dispense coloured riceballs in all directions to invoke blessings from everywhere. What's the connection with the store? The sari of course! For the Oonjal, the bride gets a special sari just for this ceremony -usually picked out in gorgeous morning colours like mango, yellow, maroon or green in lustrous Kanjivaram silk. So this is a sari store, and look what it's got? An oonjal!
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| Say the people at Sarangi, "Right at the entrance, the beautiful wooden oonjal suspended with traditional metal ropes is a great spot to sit and collect your thoughts or swing a little bit to leave your worries behind. Many of our patrons enjoy a peaceful moment on their way in or out of Sarangi – right here on this Oonjal." |
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| For brides-to-be who come here to shop, many look at it knowing that their ‘oonjal‘ moment is soon to happen. |
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| Found right at the entrance to the room, the Annapakshi Valaku (lamp)lends a touch of charm. The Annapakshi is a mythological bird that symbolizes divinity, purity, prosperity and beauty. |
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| This is where you sit down elegantly and choose the right sari for that special occasion |
Were you wishing for a better look at that sari? You got it!
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... and ladies (I got to specify cos I know a lot of men who read my blog) don't blame me now if you want to slip into a a Kanjeevaram sari and ask, "Do I look alright?" Cos the answer is sure to be, "Yes, you look wonderful, tonight!"
Photo credit: Sarangi
Lyric excerpts: "Do I look alright?" and "Yes, you look wonderful, tonight!" Eric Clapton was waiting one more time while his girlfriend Pattie was trying on clothes for a night out, and wrote this song. This was in 1976.