Nirmala Sitharaman creates a yet another watershed moment as the first ever Finance Minister in Indian history to present the eight consecutive budget this year. She draped a graceful off white saree with Madhubani motifs to present the Union Budget 2025-2026 in the parliament on 1 February with the ‘bahi khata’ in her hand.
Nirmala Sitharaman Saree For Budget 2025
Nirmala Sitharaman is known for her affinity towards handloom sarees that represents the rich Indian textile heritage. It is a tribute to the intricate and gorgeous craftsmanship of Indian artisans from different states of the country.
The Union Finance Minister, commanded attention in an elegant off white saree paired with bright contrast of pure red blouse. This saree was gifted to the FM by Padma awardee Dulari Devi. It is an ode to the Madhubani Art in India that thrives in Bihar and other states.
Every year, representing the Indian culture in six-yards of tapestry, Sitharaman carries her digital ‘bahi khata’. Before 2019, Sitharaman’s first budget, FMs carried budget briefcase. Nirmala Sitharaman switched it to a red sleeve pouch and later went paperless with a digital tablet inside it.
Who is Dulari Devi?
Dulari Devi is a 2021 Padma Shri awardee. When FM visited Madhubani for a credit outreach activity at Mithila Art Institute, she met Dulari Devi and had a cordial exchange of thoughts on Madhubani art in Bihar. Dulari Devi had presented the saree and asked FM to wear it for the budget day, reportes ANI.
Devi comes from fisherman community. She was a housemaid for almost 16 years and later picked up the artform from her employer. Today, she has made 10, 00 paintings and displayed in over 50 exhibitions.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s sarees for Budget over the years (PTI)
During her first budget in 2019, FM donned a Manglagiri rani pink saree with golden border. Eventually we saw her draped in shades of yellow, off white, blue, red and more. For the interim budget in 2024, she opted for blue kantha silk while in the July budget,same year, she wore checkered saree with magenta border.
Ahead of the Union Budget presentation every year, FM meets with President for the traditional ‘dahi cheeni’ ceremony. In the Indian context, eating something sweet before commencing an important task is a marker of good luck.
Apart from budget days, Nirmala Sitharaman mostly chooses to wear handloom, traditional saree and her closet is worth taking all the inspiration from for saree lovers.
