Nirmala Sitharaman Wore Saree Gifted By A Dalit Artist On Budget Day, Was Made In More Than 20 Days

Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025. It was the eighth budget she presented to the parliament. Every year, she is known to drape a saree that talks about the rich textile heritage of India and 2025 was no different for Nirmala. This year, she paid an ode to Madhubani art and draped a saree that was gifted to her by Padma Shri recipient, Dulari Devi. However, do you know the saree took over 20 days to create?

Nirmala Sitharaman wears saree gifted by a Dalit artist named Dulari Devi

For the unversed, Dulari reportedly met Nirmala when the finance minister had come to Mithila Art Institute, Madhubani, for a credit-related outreach event. During that meeting, Dulari gifted Nirmala a saree and requested that the minister wear it on Budget Day. During an interview with ANI, Dulari shared that she was happy to see the minister wear the saree that she had presented. She had taken a month to make the traditional drape and said:

"Sitharaman ji came to Mithila Chitrakala Sansthan, and the saree that was gifted to her was made by me. It is called Banglori silk. I had requested her to wear the saree. It took me a month to make it. I am very happy that she wore the saree today. It is a great honor for Bihar and the country."

Sitharaman wore a traditional and elegant white drape with intricate gold work. She had teamed it up with a red-hued blouse and shawl and carried her typical signature bahi-khata. It is a tablet tied in red cloth and has the national emblem engraved in gold.

Who is Nirmala Sitharaman's 2025 budget saree maker, Dulari Devi?

Dulari is a celebrated Madhubani Dalit artist and her journey is fascinating. She hails from a fishing tribe that was traditionally never into painting. She fell in love with the art when she worked for Karpoori Devi, who is also a skilled Madhubani painter. Dulari had to undergo a lot of challenges in her life. Her husband deserted her at the age of 16, she lost her child and reportedly had also worked as a servant for almost 16 years. However, Dulari had the passion to never give up in life.

Dulari Devi's paintings

Her work in the painting domain also revolves around spreading awareness related to social problems like child marriage, AIDS, and female foeticide. Reportedly, for many years, she has made around more than 10,000 paintings and has shown them in varied exhibitions held in different parts of India. A report by ETimes also claimed that Dulari had trained more than 1000 students through varied organisations like Mithila Art Institute and Seva Mithila Sansthan and also ensured that the traditional art form lived for generations to come.

Well, you will be surprised to know that the honoured and respected Nirmala is not wearing Dulari's saree's for the first time. She has even showcased the rich textile heritage of glorious India in the past by wearing varied sarees on earlier Budget Days.

What do you think of Nirmala Sitharaman's saree that she wore for Budget 2025?

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