Aditi Rao Hydari Pays Tribute To Her Royal Lineage With Wanaparthy Saree

HYDERABAD – Actress Aditi Rao Hydari, who descends from the royal family of Wanaparthy in Telangana, has long embraced her heritage. This week, she celebrated a deeply personal chapter of it — the revival of the Wanaparthy saree, a traditional weave steeped in multicultural influences and family legacy.

Sharing a series of images from an exhibition dedicated to the saree, Aditi wrote on social media, “The revival of the Wanaparthy saree! A saree that has multicultural roots, much like me!”

Tracing the origins of the weave, Aditi revealed that her grandfather, Raja J. Rameshwar Rao, had worked passionately to preserve it. “He encouraged the weavers and ordered for the family from them. He even had old designs sent to them to relearn and recreate,” she noted. The rulers of Wanaparthy, she added, were patrons of art who once invited Pathani weavers to settle in their kingdom, resulting in a blend of styles that evolved into the distinctive Wanaparthy saree.

In her post, Aditi reminisced about a cherished family heirloom — a black asharfi saree inspired by a Raja Ravi Varma painting. “My grandmother, mother, and her sisters all have it. I realize now that I was inspired by it too — it was in my subconscious when Sabyasachi created the half saree for Siddharth and my wedding at the Wanaparthy temple,” she wrote.

Aditi’s post featured an eight-slide carousel — from glimpses of the exhibition to personal family photographs and her own teenage picture in a Wanaparthy saree. She also shared that the accompanying music was a collaboration between her mother and a French musician.

Ending on a reflective note, she wrote, “I’m so proud to bring this to you all. I hope the weavers of Wanaparthy reclaim their rich legacy.”

Aditi’s maternal grandfather, Raja J. Rameshwar Rao, was the ruler of Wanaparthy and a nobleman in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. With this tribute, the actress not only honors her lineage but also helps ensure that the artistry of the Wanaparthy saree continues to live on — one thread, one story, and one revival at a time.