As Parinita turns 6 months old, this seems like a good time to look back at the journey so far. It started with a simple desire to bring artisanal sarees of Bengal to the woman of today. The woman, whose primary attire of choice may not necessarily be a saree, who is modern yet rooted, contemporary yet conventional, unapologetic of her achievements yet embodies modesty, and who often allows herself to indulge in the finer things in life. Parinita aspires to reflect the identity and personality of these women. Using the medium of a saree e-shop, it seeks to offer these women a platform that celebrates womanhood.

Parinita sarees originate in the towns and villages of West Bengal and Bangladesh, each with its own tradition of weaving and artistry, going back to Mughal and British times, and fine-tuned over the ages. They are representatives of Indian heritage and styles and offer wonderfully diverse choices in the use of fabrics, textures, colours and patterns. Spread over a dozen varieties of cottons and silks, the sarees range from being light and comfortable, making them suitable as everyday attire, to being made of richer fabric with elaborate patterns for wearing during festivals and parties. Each saree has an individualistic style, cannot be mass produced and has the potential to blend in with a woman’s personality.

During these early days of Parinita, we have served customers from 3 continents and over 5 countries worldwide. Customers ranging from the newly employed in Mumbai who wanted to gift her mom a special tangail silk on her birthday, the software professional in Bangalore who decided to add to her existing collection of formal attire with a jamdani, the physician in Agra who found an elegant garad silk to wear to a friend’s wedding, the daughter in Dublin who wanted to surprise her ma and ma-in-law with a gift she knew they’d love, to the lady in Ohio who just couldn’t find the right kantha silk at any of the Indian boutiques in her city.

We thank you all for being a part of Parinita’s toddlerhood!