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Mon, 06/02/2008

Dotting Foreheads and Wrapping Saris by Padma Venkatraman:

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I don't often wear a sari or a dot on my forehead, but I enjoy doing both sometimes.

I usually wear a dot (potu or bindi) on my head and wear a nice sari when I do a reading from my debut novel, Climbing The Stairs.

Here are some reasons why:

It gets me in the mood. I grew up in India, but I've spent about half my life outside it, dressed in jeans more often than saris. But to write Climbing The Stairs, I had to delve into my family's past. And dressing the part when I do a reading seems to help transport me to India and the 1940's - the setting for my novel.
It helps people who're shy to break the ice. Often, they say "nice sari". And then we get to talk about the book. (Sometimes, they say nice costume, which irritates me a bit, because it's not a costume - a costume is something you wear for Halloween. A sari is a special and beautiful dress that is part of my Indian heritage. But I try not to let the irritation show and I try to explain, nicely). Another question I'm often asked is, "What does that dot on your forehead mean?" Usually, someone adds, "Does that mean you're married?" I am married, but no, the dot isn't a symbol of marriage. The dot is a symbol of the third eye, a chakra, a seat of spiritual power that resides in the body, according to Hindu tradition. When I say this, people feel free to ask questions about Hinduism, which is wonderful. By the time I finish talking about Hinduism, people usually see that it's not that different from their religion. Which reinforces my belief that all religions are essentially the same - at the very core, they all share a fundamental message of peace and compassion.
It's fun. It helps me celebrate the diversity that is America's asset and helps me highlight the fact that multiculturalism is wonderful, that we need to respect and learn about other cultures, and by doing so, see how all our cultures are fundamentally the same. Why wouldn't they be? After all, we're all human, aren't we? And to show you how much I'm into equality, here are some photographs of me wrapping a sari around my friend Adam. Men don't wear saris. But at a recent reading, the women wanted to know how to wear one but were too shy to be my models, so Adam, bless his heart, volunteered, so I could demonstrate! That's friendship for you!