👑 Royal AF: Ancient India’s Saree A-Game - A take on Maurya and Gupta Empire clothing.

— Day 2 of Saree-ously Speaking: A 7-Day Drape Through Time

You know how some mornings start with coffee and chaos?

Well, this one started with a meme about Gupta-era coins and somehow ended with us binge-reading about Maurya and Gupta Empire clothing, worn by queens who could easily walk a Sabyasachi runway today.

Because apparently, our ancient royalty didn’t just build empires—they served looks.

And we’ve got the gossip (and golden borders) to prove it.

When you’re mid-drape and someone says, ‘Let’s paint history.’

🏛️ The Original Royal Runway? It Was Draped.

Let’s rewind to the Maurya (322–185 BCE) and Gupta (c. 319–550 CE) periods—aka the golden age of art, architecture… and draping goals.

While their kings debated dharma and diplomacy, their queens were gliding through marble courtyards in airy muslins, glittering silk borders, and embellished girdles that cinched their waists better than any 21st-century belt.

We’re talking about ultra-fine fabrics called “Vastra” so delicate, foreign travelers wrote that they were “worn as if wearing nothing at all.”

Sarees were sensual, powerful, and poetic—all at once.

And here we are, thinking #OOTD started with Instagram.

👸 The Queens Who Knew Their Drapes

It wasn’t just the fabric—it was how they wore it.

Many royal women draped their sarees below the navel, letting the pallu fall like a fluid sculpture. Some wrapped it around the bust, others flung it over the shoulder, letting it trail like a story behind them.

Jewelry wasn’t an accessory. It was an extension of the saree.

Waistbands (kamarbandhs), armlets (bajubandhs), heavy anklets—each piece emphasized the drape and made it move like liquid royalty.

These weren’t just outfits. They were statements of sovereignty.

And yes, the saree did all that without a single stitch.

📚 How Do We Know All This?

Blame our curiosity.

We started by reading the Ajanta and Ellora murals—which, by the way, are basically 6th-century fashion editorials carved into stone.

And then we stumbled upon Kalidasa’s plays, where heroines are described with floating veils, shimmering fabric, and movement that “rippled like moonlight.”

Like, how do you NOT fall in love with that?

We also found ancient sculptures from Sanchi, Mathura, and Ujjain that show women in sarees that cling, flutter, and exist confidently without a blouse or petticoat in sight.

(Shoutout to our ancestors for turning sensuality into an art form, not a scandal.)

✨ The Saree Wasn’t Just Pretty—It Was Power.

Here’s the thing we’ve realized:

Royal women didn’t just wear the saree because it was beautiful.

They wore it because it commanded presence.

Because it gave them movement, allure, and dignity.

Because it let them rule without being restricted.

And isn’t that still true today?

Whether it’s a politician in crisp cotton or a bride in Banarasi silk—when she walks in, the saree walks in before her.

💫 Why This Era Inspires Us at Ekaksha & Mo

Every time we pick a piece for our Trilok Phool collection, we think of her.

The woman who owned her space, her curves, her silence, her power.

She didn’t need hashtags.

She didn’t ask permission.

She just draped, layered, glittered—and went on to change the course of kingdoms.

Honestly?

We’re just here trying to live up to that legacy, one thread at a time.

🔮 Coming Up Tomorrow:

🧶 “Saree, Not Sorry” – A Tour Through India’s Weaving Wonderland

(Pack your bags—we’re going from Bengal’s looms to Kanjeevaram temples, with a few detours into spicy handloom secrets.)

Until then, go on—add a little royalty to your drape.

Because you are the dynasty now.