As Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ revives traditional fashion, meet the woman who gave India the blouse, petticoat and modern Nivi saree

The buzz around ‘Ramayana's trailer has revived the debate about the eternal costumes and drapes of India. The time is perfect to look at the history of the saree, which boasts a critical turning point in its development. The six-yard garment existed for millennia, but the combination of the blouse, petticoat, and Nivi way of draping the saree appeared much later. This was made possible by Jnanadanandini Devi, a social reformer from the Tagore clan in the 19th century. She acted wisely and eventually changed the saree into an attire that combined tradition, beauty, and better mobility.Jnanadanandini Devi was much more than just a member of the famous Tagore clan. As the wife of Satyendranath Tagore, the first Indian to be part of the Indian Civil Service, she became one of the very first Bengali women to travel away from home.