LEHERIYA LEELA: RIDE THE TEEJ WAVE

This festive favourite OOTD gets a fresh spin as designers give the timeless waves a modern swirl

- Akshita Prakash [e-mail]

If Hariyali Teej had a dress code, it would be leheriya. The colourful, ripple-like sarees are synonymous with the festival, as women across North India pull out their finest greens — a nod to “hariyali” — to mark the monsoon celebration steeped in tradition and goddess lore.

Rooted in 17th-century Rajasthan, the leheriya (from leher, or wave) pattern mimics desert waves and was originally created using tie-and-dye techniques under Rajput patronage. Interestingly, it began as a style for royal men flaunting their status with their turbans, but gradually found its way into women’s wardrobes with sarees, dupattas and more.