Sartorial Threads of Tradition & Time

An illustrated bilingual gem, Sh.hhhhssss Listen! Even Sarees Speak by Devyani Mungali celebrates India's saree traditions with the help of rich storytelling, fine understanding of artwork, and profound cultural insights. The book is an honour to handlooms, heritage, and the personal memories woven into every drape of India's most revered traditional attire

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The genre, the subject, the design and the format are quite different from what I normally review each week; usually a book of fiction, nonfiction or translation submitted for the VoW book awards in one of the above categories. However, the moment I received this illustrated book 'Sh.hhhhssss Listen! Even Sarees Speak' and turned the pages, I knew that this was a rare 'one-of-its-kind' offering.

The book is a labour of love by educator Devyani Mungali, who has made a name for herself as a distinguished writer of meaningful books for children with themes drawn from our own legends, cuisines, sartorial expressions, cultural spaces and environment. Interspersed among the pages are 'pop-ups' which will reveal a magical weave when you shine a flashlight under them, preferably in a dimly lit room to capture the effect.

This bilingual book, in Hindi and English, with superb illustrations begins with the map of India on which 34 sarees - from Kashida in J&K to Kasavu in Kerala - are on display, thereby making it one of the most colourful and interesting maps of our country. This is followed by a narrative by a young girl who shares her conversations with her granny, her mother and her aunts about the sarees they wear. She learns that the saree of each region is a mark of identity and pride, and carries within its weft and warp, the passion, commitment and hard work of the weaver.