Social media has birthed a new tribe: the Insta-Sanskari woman. She posts pictures of her organic Haldi drink next to her designer handbag. She discusses menstrual hygiene in Instagram stories while keeping her profile picture as a married deity symbol. Digital culture has given Indian women a voice to anonymously discuss taboo topics like sexual harassment, mental health, and divorce.
Clothing is the most visible marker of Indian women’s culture. The Sari —a single piece of unstitched cloth, usually six yards—is perhaps the most versatile garment in human history. Draped differently in every state (the Nivi of Andhra, the Mundum Neriyathum of Kerala, the Seedha Pallu of Gujarat), it represents regional pride.
An Indian woman’s calendar is dictated by the lunar cycle of tithis (auspicious days).