

Aamod, Anavila’s debut bridal collection champions the return to authenticity and quiet luxury, drawing inspiration from the well of sacred wisdom that arises from the Vedas. Aamod, the Vedic resonance of joy, is intimate and personal wherein the wearer has to rise from her own inner sanctum of beauty and pleasure.
A melange of lehengas, saris and kaftans, the collection is nothing short of an extraordinary journey of love for the warp and weft of the loom. Onto the weaves of diaphanous khadi silks and linen zari, are prints of Bundi miniature paintings, exquisite embroidery, applique motifs, lehariya–all deeply rooted in the romantic prose and poetry of 17th-century Rajasthan.
The Root of Authenticity
According to the Vedas, there are a variety of karmic commitments one is expected to perform in life, and or marriage is one of them. Ancient sages believed it to be the sacred gift of progeny, allowing life to be nurtured and nourished generation after generation. In Vedic times, thousands of years ago, this communion held women in high esteem 'Swayamvara', where a woman had the freedom to choose her husband from among the eligible bachelors invited to her house is a case in point. This communion, seen not only as between two people, was also a divine union between humans with the elements of nature. The Vedic mantras therefore are recited for the gods Agni, Indra, Soma, and Saraswati, amongst others. In fact, in its authentic version, the entire cosmos was invoked for the benediction of this marriage.
The authenticity of these communions must be honoured lest weddings simply become displays of ostentatiousness on a cinematic level, relying mostly on drama not depth. A Vedic wedding, which was once an unadulterated homage to the continuity of life where the bridal adornments themselves were the biggest signifiers and custodians of the values of craft heirloom, cultural identity, and longevity of the true essence of marriage, can become the trappings of unprecedented commodification. Therefore, Vedic rituals our collective heritage which celebrates the interconnectedness of two human beings, also sanctifies the sensorial and natural elements of Mother Earth.

Words Platform Desk
Date 24.10.2023