UKHCA 2022 - Annual Brochure

Sharodiya Durga Puja 2022
শারদীয়া দুর্গোৎসব ১৪২৯
Ascot Dream - A Journey (Dipti Jain)
I had a dream….
Simple as let the pallu Speak ….. and we roared above the thundering hoofs of the finest racing horses
in Royal Ascot ,England in the presence of Royalty and Celebrities alike. We had representation of
pallus from all over the world by women who liked the idea of wearing sarees but were a bit sceptical
about the Fascinators , especially in the heart of a very British event , where there is adherence to a
strict dress code! But I persisted, and after months of planning, the logistics of such a huge gathering
at Ascot emerged . I was nervous as I was not sure how things would turn out , nevertheless the
excitement gradually built up, with many events planned , all of which were programmed to showcase
our sarees of different weaves and styles, in colour coded groups of rainbow hues.
We systematically gathered in hundreds , from all walks of life , all ages and varied ethnicity , but
mainly of south Asian roots , on a very quintessential British event of Ladies day, where the ladies
vie for attention with their very fancy hats ,dresses and accessories and Men in their top hats. So on
16 th June 2022, the saree swishing brigade walked into the grounds of Ascot and witnessed History
being made. The girls sang , they danced, they crowned themselves with Fascinators and Hats , they
floated their pallus and a hot Indian summer’s day on British soil came alive with pallus of every
hue and colour, weave , designs and many customised sarees for the occasion .
Some sarees were dragged out of the forgotten corners of wardrobes, some borrowed and some
others newly bought , especially for the occasion . But there was great excitement to finally meet
other women with the same passion of showcasing their national heritage to the world ………but
somewhere far away in a quiet village of Nanoor in West Bengal, a shy but very talented young lady
with a small child , who had learnt her craftsmanship as a young teenager, passed on for generations
in her family, was overjoyed! She has heard about the “ Rani’’ but never in her dreams thought that
she would witness the the showcasing of the ‘Ultimate Pallu’ to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the
Queen, one which took her three months of sweat and toil to weave, bringing alive the scenes
UK Hindu Cultural Association
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