Saree Worn By Nirmala Sitharaman On Budget Day Took A Month To Make

MADHUBANI (ANI) – Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid tribute to Madhubani art by wearing a saree gifted by Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi while presenting the Budget on February 1.

Devi, a renowned Madhubani artist from Bihar, met Sitharaman during the finance minister’s visit to the Mithila Art Institute for a credit outreach event, where she presented the saree and requested her to wear it on Budget Day.

Devi expressed her happiness at seeing Sitharaman in the saree saying, “It is called Banglori silk. I had requested her to wear it. It took me a month to make it. I am very happy that she wore it today. It is a great honor for Bihar and the country,” she said.

The off-white saree featured intricate golden work, which Sitharaman paired with a red blouse and a shawl while carrying her signature ‘bahi-khata’—a tablet wrapped in red cloth with a golden national emblem.

Dulari Devi’s journey as a Madhubani artist is inspiring. Belonging to a fishing community with no traditional ties to painting, she discovered her passion while working for Karpoori Devi, an accomplished Madhubani painter. Despite facing hardships—being abandoned by her husband at 16, losing her child, and working as a domestic helper for 16 years—she persevered.

Her paintings raise awareness on social issues like child marriage, AIDS, and female foeticide. Over the years, she has created 10,000 paintings, exhibited her work in over 50 shows across India, and trained more than 1,000 students through organizations like the Mithila Art Institute and Seva Mithila Sansthan, ensuring the preservation of the traditional art form.

This is not the first time Sitharaman has used her saree to highlight India’s textile heritage. Over the years, her Budget Day attire has showcased various traditional weaves and fabrics.