Shravanthi exhibition in the city

I enjoy visiting ALG House, simply because it has so much character and grace. I am quite sure there are plenty of stories attached to the old building too. It is an elegant exhibition space with old tiled floors, high ceilings, thick wooden framed doors, unexpected doorways leading to large airy rooms and a beautiful staircase. The atmosphere lends an edge to whoever has an exhibition there.

This week, ‘Shravanthi’ is exhibiting a collection of saris in a small room by the staircase. A creamy white linen sari with roses is snapped up by a lady as soon as she enters. She was right to do that as a couple of others standing there, including me, looked on regretfully. There are others too equally pretty and priced in the range of ₹7,000 or so.

Silk Kotas hang on another rack, light and comfortable for summer wear, and some organzas that I had personally not seen for a long time. “They are back in fashion,” says Renuka, who has organised the sale. She takes out some delicate pastel affairs. A pale pista green with cream embroidery work on it deserves special mention. The saris have been sourced from Benares where they have regular weavers who weave to their designs.

Some are an interesting fusion of Tussar saris with Kanjivaram borders, a combination fabric of Tussars and georgettes, and embellishments that range from embroidery, hand painting and more.

Of course the Benarasi look recurs in every other sari. The motifs are traditional and have been incorporated in lighter fabrics like the organza and the Tussar, making them a useful addition to a wardrobe, especially if one has to look dressy in the hot summers. So there are white-and-gold and black-and-gold saris that are grand yet light and easy to carry.

The exhibition also has a section of saris from Bengaluru by designer Anuradha, that include matka silks that are quite pretty but a tad overpriced. “They have antique zari work,” says the salesperson in charge. I take his word for it and move on.

There is a pleasant moment when I learn that most of the other saris are the selections of Rajeshwari from Coimbatore who has a boutique called Vrutsha in GV Residency. She runs it from her home which faces the prettiest lane ever with a profusion of bougainvillea. It is my favourite stretch on my walking route. In fact some of the floral linen saris I see at Shravanthi reminds me of that area. I wonder if Rajeshwari got her inspiration from there as well when she designed those saris!

Info you can use

On today from 11.00 am to 8.00 pm at ALG House, Race Course

Contact 8270896509 for more details