The Republic in 6 yards: how the sari binds India

This story is about a special piece of clothing called a sari, which is a very long piece of cloth that women in India wrap around themselves.

The writer tells us that when she was a little girl, she learned about her country by looking at the beautiful saris her mother and grandmother wore.

Every sari came from a different part of India, and each one had its own colours, patterns and story.

She remembers helping to make a cotton sari crisp and fresh by dipping it in rice water and shaking it in the hot wind to dry.

Saris are made by hand, and a single masterpiece could take months or even a whole year to create.

The writer met many clever and powerful women who wore saris while doing important jobs like being doctors and writers.

She says saris are not just old-fashioned clothes but great works of art and design, just like famous paintings.

She hopes people will buy handwoven saris to help the weavers, because a sari can become curtains, quilts, clothes and even bedding.

In that way, a simple piece of cloth carries India's history and helps hold the whole country together.