Rural Women Taking To Active Wear For International Yoga Day
With PM Modi and CM Naidu leading the charge, thousands of women in villages swap traditional sarees for salwar-kameez or leggings to participate freely in yogasanas.
By : Aruna
Update: 2025-06-20 15:05 GMT
Visakhapatnam: As Andhra Pradesh gears up for the grand International Yoga Day (IYD) celebration at Visakhapatnam, most women across north Andhra, particularly in rural regions, are temporarily setting aside their sarees in favour of a more flexible attire, enabling fuller participation in yoga activities.
Traditionally, sarees have been the daily wear. But for those preparing to join in thousands in the synchronised yoga demonstrations, especially under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the six-yard drape poses a challenge, especially when performing yogasanas like Trikonasana or Bhujangasana.
In a significant cultural shift, many women are turning to salwar-kameez sets. However, some, constrained by household resources, have opted for improvisation. “We have borrowed our children's leggings and are wearing them beneath our sarees,” stated D. Dhanalakshmi, an ASHA worker from Naupada village in Srikakulam district, in an interaction with Deccan Chronicle.
“We didn’t want our attire to become an excuse. Our CM has urged us to make International Yoga Day a success. So, we have adapted,” Dhanalakshmi underlined.
Institutions like the Department of Yoga and Consciousness at Andhra University have reinforced the push for inclusivity. Department head K. Ramesh Babu said, “We raised the concern with authorities, especially for women, who are from rural areas and whose uniforms are sarees. Their response has been positive, with proposed distribution of yoga-appropriate T-shirts and trousers.”
In a significant cultural shift, many women are turning to salwar-kameez sets. However, some, constrained by household resources, have opted for improvisation. “We have borrowed our children's leggings and are wearing them beneath our sarees,” stated D. Dhanalakshmi, an ASHA worker from Naupada village in Srikakulam district, in an interaction with Deccan Chronicle.
“We didn’t want our attire to become an excuse. Our CM has urged us to make International Yoga Day a success. So, we have adapted,” Dhanalakshmi underlined.
Institutions like the Department of Yoga and Consciousness at Andhra University have reinforced the push for inclusivity. Department head K. Ramesh Babu said, “We raised the concern with authorities, especially for women, who are from rural areas and whose uniforms are sarees. Their response has been positive, with proposed distribution of yoga-appropriate T-shirts and trousers.”
Many grassroots workers have chosen to take the initiative themselves. Anganwadi worker K. Padmavati from Palavalasa panchayat of Anandapuram pointed out that lack of flexible clothing became apparent during their practice sessions. “We then launched a campaign urging women to wear Punjabi dresses. Younger workers are excited, but some older women are hesitant. So, we have suggested leggings under sarees, and it has worked,” said Padmavati.
“Normally, government programmes require uniforms, which are sarees. But this time, there has been an openness for comfort,” she remarked.
The change has come about due to a shared sense of purpose, fuelled by the CM’s call to set a Guinness World Record. “When we explained this wasn’t just about yoga, but representing Andhra Pradesh on the global stage, many women readily agreed for the changed attire,” ASHA worker Dhanalakshmi observed with quiet pride.
The change has come about due to a shared sense of purpose, fuelled by the CM’s call to set a Guinness World Record. “When we explained this wasn’t just about yoga, but representing Andhra Pradesh on the global stage, many women readily agreed for the changed attire,” ASHA worker Dhanalakshmi observed with quiet pride.