Fashionable Tagores
Anindita Mazumder
She sat in a pensive mood having just finished reading the letter from her husband. Her father-in-law has finally given consent and she could now join her ICS husband at Bombay. But how would she go? She was not fit to cross even the threshold of the inner quarters wrapped in this thin piece of long cloth around her torso, leaving only her arms free. It did not cover her modesty let alone lending the touch of elegance and grace. She could wear a gown like Swarnalata, wife of Barrister Madanmohan Ghosh or her husband’s niece, Indumati. But it made her ill at ease. Letting out a sigh, Jnanadanandini chose to order an Oriental dress from the fashionable French tailoring shop. It was an uncomfortable contraption which she could not even wear on her own. The discomfort and lack of style led this second daughter-in-law of the Tagores of Jorasanko innovate a new saree draping style for the women of Calcutta who were keen on venturing outdoors.
The Tagores of Jorasanko were pioneers in many respect and at a time nationalism was still a nascent concept they had sought to establish a distinct identity of their own in the realms of art, culture, education, trade and even while making sartorial choices. The Bengali bhadralok, upon receiving Western education was content in aping the imperial masters, donning coat, hat and trousers. The more conservative preferred the Persian attire of choga-chapkan and turban at work place. But the women were far removed from such influences.
When Soudamini, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore’s eldest daughter attended Hindu Female School or Bethune School, he had to choose something suitable for the young girls of the family to attend their classes. Soudamini, the first girl in her family to attend school, wore Pesawaj – a cross between the English frock and Muslim pajama, somewhat akin to the modern day salwar kameez.
Meanwhile, the winds of change had started blowing even in the inner quarters of Calcutta native society. Noted Brahmo leader, Keshub Chandra Sen allowed women to participate in upasana along with the men without purdah. And they required a dress suitable for appearing in public. Often, a strip of cloth would be added to the gowns like anchal but it was disastrous both in terms of sartorial fashion and comfort. It was Debendranath’s ICS son Satyendranath who created the biggest upheaval in the society when he decided his wife, Jnanadanandini Devi should join him in Bombay.
The Tagore women had always been chic while decking up. They would dye the saree in vegetable colours, indulge in coiffuring their well oiled hair in buns of various styles and adorn it further with garlands of fresh bel flowers. But the dressposed a problem. Satyendranath urged his wife to give up the traditional attire observing: “To tell you the truth, the way our women garb themselves, it
would not make much difference even if they don’t. It is impossible to appear before public wearing such clothes.”
Once Jnanadanandini reached Bombay, she junked the dress for saree, influenced by the draping style of the Parsi and Gujarati women who wore silk embroidered ghagras or sarees. However, she improvised and added the Bengali way of draping the anchal or pallu which passed over the left shoulder and again under the right one. Her niece, Sarala Devi Choudhurani recalled: “When my mother (Swarnakumari Devi) and Mejomami (Jnanadanandini) returned home, they both draped their sarees in the new fashion and other women in the family adopted it. Gradually, other Brahmo women adopted the “Bombay style”, referring it to as “Thakur barir saree”. Jnandanandini even offered to tutor women to wear sarees in the latest style which came to be known as “Brahmika saree”.
It had its failings though; the anchal posed a small problem as it could not be draped over the head and hence women started wearing a headgear with a crown in front and a veil hanging at the back. We have photographs of Swarnakumari Devi, Satyendranath’s sister wearing headgear. Later, Jnanadanandini’s daughter, Indira Devi Chowdhurani improvised further and the anchal now could be used to partially drape over the head.
Jnanadanandini now wore shoes, stockings, bodice, blouse and a short skirt-like petticoat with a saree drapedover it; when she went out she wore a shawl to cover her head if necessary. Blouses were elaborate, modelled on styles prevalent in the West: thus high collars with ribbons, frills and jabots were popular from the 1870s till the turn of the century and a few women also wore mutton-chop sleeves which peaked at the shoulder. According to Rabindranath, cut pieces from English laces were used to make the blouses of women. The blouses were almost similar to the gowns with high necks and long sleeves with cuffs. One can only gauge the sense of freedom that the women felt, attired in a dress that was Bengali in essence and yet lent them the dignity required when venturing outdoors. But the sarees, jackets and shoes did attract derision from the society at large.
The Bombay style lacked front pleats.The modern way of wearing a saree was introduced by the two daughtersof illustrious Brahmo leader, KeshubChandra Sen. His two daughters –Maharani Suniti Devi of Cooch Behartailoring shops, strips of silk and cheap and Sucharu Devi of Mayurbhanj
adopted the Bombay style furtheraccording to the styles prevalent intheir own states during the DelhiDurbar. Apart from the front pleats,the free end of the saree was pinned upwith a brooch.
In case of men, the Persian chogachapkanor the English trousers and hat ruled the roost. The Bengali men preferred fine dhoti, punjabi and chadar with an elaborately embroidered shawl only for marriage functions. But the experimentations continued in the Tagore household. Jnanadanandini was an expert in tying turbans in innovative fashions for her brothers-in-law.
Jyotirindranath even experimented by adding kocha (pleats as in dhoti) to a pajama and came up with a cross between a hat and a turban to innovate an attire less cumbersome but Bengali in essence. However, it was Rabindranath at the height of Swadeshi movement who suggested that they should adopt native attire of punjabi, dhoti and chadar. Upon receiving an invitation from the Inga-Banga Samaj (Anglo Bengali society) Tagore decided to wear the national dress, dhoti and on his way, in the carriage, decided to eschew even socks and went bare footed wearing only slippers. It sent shock waves because baring the feet before women was considered to be gross. Undaunted, Tagore mentioned in the invitation for a Congress meeting at Calcutta that the participants should come attired in national dress. Usually, he dressed simply but Abanindranath recalled his Rabikaka wearing a bright shawl and looking grand enough like the Badshah of Delhi on the eve of his marriage. However, the festivities were marred by the death of his brother-in-law and afterwards he switched to saffron coloured long robes or simply wore dhoti and wrapped a shawl. But he wore his hair long and young aspiring poets often imitated him.
The influence of the Tagores on the sartorial choices of the rest of Calcutta society was quite evident. Sarala remembered that earlier Brahmo bridesduring the wedding ceremony would wear white sarees or gowns and long English veils with orange blossom stucked in their hair but gradually inspired by the Tagores, Brahmo brides wore red benarasi and oorni similar to the native brides. The photograph of Rabindranath with his newly wedded bride reveals Mrinalini wearing a Parsi styled gara saree and a veil covering her head.
Indeed, it was the Tagores- right from Debendranath to Jnanadanandini and Rabindranath who with their impeccable sense of style could fashion out the perfect ensemble for men and women of all ages in Calcutta society while retaining their Bengali identity.