Bhubaneswar: Madhusmita Jena has done it again! Draped in an Odisha weave with Odia alphabets on it, the UK-based woman recently participated in Berlin Marathon.
“I managed take off 34 mins from my last saree marathon time. Still much slower than my full marathon times from 10 years ago, yet still enjoying every moment of it! Officially time 4 hours 16 mins!!” Madhusmita posted on Facebook.
This was her 40th marathon run.
“It is a magenta Odia alphabets Kandua Silk saree. The saree has been woven with Odia alphabets all over the body. It is a type of Odisha Ikat and both have earned GI tag,” researcher and GI activist Anit Sabat told Odisha Bytes.
Speaking about Khandua, she said that its origin can be traced back to 12th century AD and it is closely associated with Shree Jagannath Temple rituals at Puri. “Khandua is the weave of the single largest cluster in Odisha at Nuapatna. This unique Odia alphabets saree is a masterpiece weave. Each and every motif in this saree is obtained by painful tie and dye, which is why it takes over two months to complete it,” she said, adding that it is a a classic piece of Odisha single Ikat.
In April 2023, participants at 42.5 km Manchester Marathon in the UK were in for a surprise as Madhusmita took the endurance race test clad in a beautiful Khandu silk saree, unique to her home state. And this was the first time that she did so wearing a saree. “People have this pre-conceived notion that women cannot run in a saree. By completing this marathon, I have proved them wrong,” the native of Kusupur village, around 30 km away from Kendrapada, had then told the media.
The 42-year-old drew her inspiration from her mother and grandmother who as she was growing up saw wearing sarees on an everyday basis. She further added that she often wears sarees during summers in the UK.