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'Now we can wear saris!'

The women in Dhadihawa, Dhankauli VDC, Kapilvastu are proud. The increased income after they started their saving group has given them many new opportunities. One of them is to dress as other Teraian women. A tight blouse, a petticoat underneath and the elegant sari in bright colors swung around the body. This is what Saguni Tharu, vicepresident of ‘Chaudhary Husband and Wife Saving group’, and her friends would like to wear. The traditional Tharu dress with a lungi (short skirt) and a shawl is no longer appealing: “We used to sew our own lungis but now we are able to go to the market, buy beautiful materials and go to the tailor. It is a matter of honour. Now society looks upon us in a better way”.

A better way means that other people not just see them as Tharus but as beautiful women. “We feel shy, if we wear a lungi. Our husbands and sons also wear pants now. Now we can also buy nice gold or silver ear rings,” says Saguni and points at her golden jewelry. “Before we would have to make our own ear rings from wood”.

But does the new style mean that the women are not proud of their culture? Why is it so much better to wear a sari? “Because it is nice to wear”, says one of the women, who is immediately corrected by a male member of the group: “Yes, but it is also because the lungi is short – it only goes to here”, he says, touching his knees. He is accompanied by the women, who all agree that the sari is convenient all year round. And along with the warm sweaters - which the more money from vegetable cropping allows them to buy - both men and women do not have to fear for the cold season in the foggy Terai, at least not as much as they did in short lungis...