The day frequently begins with lighting a lamp, performing prayers ( puja ), or drawing geometric chalk patterns ( rangoli ) at the threshold of the home to welcome prosperity.
On the streets of Bengaluru, you will see a woman in cycling shorts and an oversized T-shirt. In a Chennai temple, a teenager in a pattu pavadai (silk skirt) takes a selfie for Instagram. In corporate boardrooms, the saree has made a fierce comeback—not as a symbol of tradition, but as a power drape. The day frequently begins with lighting a lamp,