FIT FOR A QUEEN

IT IS FEBRUARY 1, 2020. There is massive excitement in the air. Congregations of devotees are on the banks of the River Narmada in the town of Maheshwar, in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, chanting ‘Jai Narmade’ (salutations to River Narmada). Some are immersing saris, coconuts, rice, and turmeric in the water, and then removing them. Boats are ferrying families that have promised 1,300 metres of fabric (the breadth between two sides of the shores) as a ‘thank you’ to the holy river for prayers answered.

This extensive fabric (polyester, sadly) will later be cut into five-metre pieces and distributed to the needy as saris. We’ve serendipitously landed up in Maheshwar on River Narmada’s ‘birthday’. This fabric immersion ritual is especially meaningful in a city that earns its primary income from its handloom trade. The celebrations run all day long; in the evening, they culminate in singing, dancing, and by Indian Ocean. The Indian folk band wrote the song 20 years ago on the River Narmada.