On Thursday, more than a thousand ladies, largely of Indian descent, made history at Royal Ascot when they all showed up dressed in sarees, some of which were made by a lowly "Kantha" artisan from West Bengal named Rupa Khatun, who had never heard of Queen Elizabeth II, least alone Royal Ascot.
Men wear morning suits and top hats to the famed racing meeting, which the royal family arrives in horse-drawn carriages. Women wear spectacular headwear.
However, Kolkata-born doctor Dipti Jain, who now lives in the United Kingdom, came up with the notion of a mass of ladies wearing sarees to Ascot to show their pride in their ancestry and appreciate the work of Indian weavers.
The majority of the visitors were from the United Kingdom, while some came from other nations, notably India.
An artisan from Nanoor, West Bengal, named Rupa Khatun, hand-embroidered Jain's silk saree with London and Kolkata skylines, the Queen's visage, Big Ben, a red phone box, and the Tower of London (33).
Khatun was beaming from head to toe as she sat at her home on Thursday. “I have never had any formal training in making sarees. I just learnt from the other women in the village and my mother and grandmother. I am really proud. I did not know about the Queen, London or Big Ben before,” she told.
“I am so happy that I am getting recognised. As of now, I just give my sarees to the middleman who sells it to the market. No one gives us any recognition. I am really proud of this saree. It has got such massive appreciation,” said Khatun, whose village is famous for “kantha” embroidery.
”This is the hardest saree I have ever made. I am used to traditional prints,” she added. It took her four months to make, with help from other women. “The hardest part was making the Queen’s face absolutely perfect.”
Tanima Paul, an Indian artisan promoter in the UK, designed the saree and provided Google photos of Big Ben and the Queen to S K Nurul Hoda, who lives in the same hamlet as Khatun, over WhatsApp. He drew them on fabrics and acquired the materials, which Khatun then turned into a saree.
Just before the saree was about to be completed, Paul saw that London had been misspelled as "Landon." The error was then fixed by Khatun.
Khatun also created a silk stole with a Union Jack and the Queen's visage, which the group intends to present to the Queen, whose horses compete at Ascot. “I wish I could meet the Queen and see how she feels about the stole,” Khatun said. “I feel very proud.”
“All my life I have wanted to promote Indian craftsmen and give them due recognition. It is such a big achievement to be featured at Ascot,” said Paul, who also designed some of the other sarees, including a Covid-themed saree hand-painted in Madubhani style by Choti Thakur of Darbhanga, Bihar, and another inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night.
An Ascot spokesperson said: “This is a wonderful initiative and so worthwhile, we welcome them all warmly to Royal Ascot.”
