After the #100sareepact that caught the imagination of Indian women in 2015 and snowballed into a fad that lasted much longer than expected, social media is now abuzz with the #SareeTwitter and #SareeSwag hashtags and scores of saree images and stories. We unravelled the mystique of the five-yard wonder…
Twitter is the catalyst for yet another fad catching on amongst its users. This time, it’s the hashtags #SareeTwitter and #SareeSwag that are trending. The saree picture deluge began on Monday and reached its peak on Tuesday, with many users reminiscing with their most poignant saree tales.
Although, it’s still unclear who started the hashtags and what the purpose was behind them, many of the Twitterati believe that it is just a way to proudly show off our Indian attire. “There is an ignorance that exists towards our own culture.
Everyone is busy now, there’s so much hustling to do, hence, so we do not wear sarees much often. Challenges and trends like these remind us of our roots,” says Ranina Reddy, a playback singer from the South Indian movie industry.
There seem to be two reasons why people are taking part in this trend. Firstly, because it’s extremely catchy and second, because some people are feeling very nostalgic. “Looking at everyone else’s pictures, I was reminded of my childhood… the first time I ever wore a saree. That is why I shared a picture from that day,” says Saima, a Twitter user. Some millennials, on the other hand, believe that a sense of xenophobia exists within our own society. Student Ritika Sanwal says, “We have become too Westernised. It feels weird to wear a saree now. But with such trends, it won’t be weird anymore. It is sort of like promoting our culture.”
Tweets from all over the country are flooded with pictures of sarees, accompanied by the hashtags which have gone viral. As the hashtag continued to trend, many politicians and celebrities joined in to have some fun as well. Like Nagma, actor-turned-politician, who tweeted, ‘The saree depicts our Indian tradition and culture. It is also supposed to be known as our sexiest costume. One looks dignified, elegant, beautiful, graceful and yet can seem very appealing in it #SareeTwitter’.
Meanwhile, most fashion designers believe that social media trends like the #SareeTwitter have no impact on the sales of the product. “Of course, these trends are exciting but people will mostly just wear sarees that they already own, instead of buying new ones. There’s no scope of promotion as such,” opines fashion designer Neha Katariya.
This is not the first time that a hashtag without a defined purpose has gone viral. Previously, other hashtags like #JhumkaaTwitter, #KurtaTwitter, #PagdiTwitter, #ChappalTwitter also went viral across social media platforms.
