The first Moirangphee !

On Amma’s birthday, I wore the first ever Manipuri Moirangphee saree. I had connected with the Manipuri Handloom Sarees page on FB in 2017 when I found out about the Moirangphee sarees on some saree forum. The colours were beautiful, the flower motifs were stunning and I definitely wanted one. I kept chatting with Herojit and he would happily let me know the pricing etc.

I read on several forums about how Manipur has/had a rich weaving tradition with almost every house having a loom. Apparently the bride’s wedding saree was woven by her grandmother, mother and aunts. What a priceless heirloom that would have been !!

In Dec 2018 the Manipuri Handloom Sarees page put up a whole lot of Moirangphee cotton sarees on sale during Christmas and this yellow cotton Moirangphee just caught my attention and I ordered it immediately. Herojit’s wife Babyrani couriered the saree to me and when I opened the pack, they had thoughtfully penned a note and added a beautiful neckpiece as a gift along with the saree. Customer delight, the Indian way :).

Just before leaving for Tirunelveli where we planned to celebrate Amma’s birthday (Feb 13th), I picked up a falls to be stitched for this saree but the shopkeeper told me that it will take three days to stitch the falls. I came home and did the pico and falls myself. While using my sewing machine, I realised, I really enjoy sewing. In 1996 when we lived in Hyderabad for a few months, just after we went bankrupt, I went for tailoring classes and learnt making blouses etc. I already had learnt making my own Kurta-Pyjama or Churidars while I was in school and infact my first earnings came in Jamnagar as I stitched a suit-set for a friend of mine and she paid me for it. I must spend some more time to re-hone my sewing skills.

I wore the saree again in Chennai at Nachi and Kousalya’s place and took proper photographs as we couldn’t take closeups in Tirunelveli outside the temple.

A really nice picture of Krishnan and I, taken in Chennai.

This saree can be washed in a washing machine (not that I intend to) and doesn’t require any starching. Its double dyed. Its a great drape and while its slightly stiff, it doesn’t spread out and become a tent like some organzas do.

I didn’t carry the neckpiece with me and will wear it soon with the saree so here’s the beautiful neckpiece and the hand written note from the Manipuri Handloom Sarees team –

Thank you Herojit and Babyrani – I loved wearing this saree and hopefully I will add more Moirangphee sarees to my collection. Glad that you guys are keeping Manipur’s weaving tradition alive.

Read more about Moirangphee sarees on this link – Moirang Phee.