Ṛta Kapur Chishti is a

sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and a

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

scholar. She is the co-author and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

of two books namely ‘Saris: Tradition and Beyond’ and 'Handcrafted Indian Textiles: Tradition and Beyond'. ''Saris of India: Tradition and Beyond'', published in 2010 and co-authored by

Martand Singh Martand Singh (15 March 192320 November 1995) was an Indian wildlife conservationist, parliamentarian and the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Rewa. Born in 1923 to Gulab Singh at Fort of Govindgarh, then the Maharajah of Rewa, h ...

, enumerates a hundred and eight variations of

draping Drapery is a general word referring to cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only ref ...

the Sari. The book is a comprehensive

compendium A compendium ( compendia or compendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to a body of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a specific ...

of different Sari

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

and wearing traditions in India, covering 15

states of India State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country ** Nation state, ...

and countless variations of

colour Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorp ...

, weave and

pattern A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...

from each state, besides documenting 108 methods of draping a Sari. In 2009, Ṛta Kapur initiated the ‘Sari School’ in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

. The school conducts workshops for young locals,

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...

women,

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

ers and anyone who would like to learn different ways to wearing the sari. The Sari School also teaches individuals the

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and various methods of tying the Sari. In 2011, Ṛta Kapur founded TaanBaan to preserve and enhance the handspun handwoven techniques. TaanBaan works with artisans across different states and creates saris that strike a balance between

tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...

al skill and contemporary appeal. In 2017, Rta Kapur was advisor for the non-profit initiative 'The Sari Series: An Anthology of Drape' created by Border&Fall. The Sari Series is a digital anthology documenting India's regional drapes through short films.

Personal life

Ṛta Kapur Chishti conducted her undergraduate studies in

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Lady Shri Ram College Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) is a constituent women's college, affiliated with the University of Delhi. History Established in 1956 in New Delhi by the late Lala Shri Ram in memory of his wife Phoolan Devi (Lady Shri Ram), the college bega ...

. She then studied at the School of Drama. She then pursued a degree in education from

Delhi University The Delhi University (DU, ISO 15919, ISO: ), also and officially known as the University of Delhi, is a collegiate university, collegiate research university, research Central university (India), central university located in Delhi, India. It ...

in 1971.

References

External links

TedxDelhi - Ṛta Kapur Chishti - Sarees of India

The India Magazine of her people & CultureThe Grace of Four MoonsTissus Indiens

New Woman, April 2016DK Eyewitness Travel Guide India111 Places in New Delhi you must not miss
Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century Indian historians Lady Shri Ram College alumni Cultural historians Chishtis {{India-historian-stub