When Jaya Bachchan Picked 3 Odisha Handloom Sarees For ‘Bride’ Aishwarya

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Bhubaneswar: #HappyBirthdayAishwaryaRai began trending on Twitter as the clock struck 12 and the diva turned a day older on November 1.

Heartfelt wishes poured in for the actress, who has been ageing like fine wine.

But did you know mom-in-law Jaya had picked three saris designed and woven in Odisha’s Sonepur, during her wedding with Abhishek Bachchan?

Prafulla Meher, a weaver who currently works as a supervisor at Director of Textiles’ regional office in Sambalpur, told Odisha Bytes that Chaturbhuj Meher, a master weaver of the Tie-dye handloom tradition, had created the richly-crafted tissue saree for Aishwarya, which she wore on one of the occasions.

Jaya Bachchan had picked a couple of sarees by the master weaver when she had gone to inaugurate a showroom in Mumbai in 2003, The Telegraph reported.

In 2007, Chaturbhuj sent photos of double ikkat (warp and weft design), Mayurkunj and Radhakunj sarees to Jalsa, the Bachchan residence, after learning about the wedding. “She was not there in Mumbai when I sent pictures of the saris. When she returned to Mumbai she told me that she liked the Radhakunj, Mayurkunj and double ikkat saris and would like her daughter-in-law to wear these sarees,” he was quoted as saying by the national daily.

The maroon Radhakunja, which Aishwarya supposedly wore, took him three months to weave, he added.