At the helm of the Bengali Renaissance were the Tagores of Jorasanko, among whom was the bold and independent Jnanadanandini Devi, the bride of Satyendranath Tagore. She was a social reformer whose revolutionary style in sari made her an icon for working women.

In the 19th century Bengal, women of the affluent class were seen wearing semi-transparent and light sarees without the use of undergarments. Jnanadanandini was married into the Tagore family which meant that she would be residing in the Tagore Zenana, the inner rooms of the residence reserved for female family members of the household. It was a common cultural product of the Indo-Islamic period and a system of seclusion for married women at the time.

However, village women who lived outside of such seclusions had the freedom to wear woven saris, unlike the Zenana sari which was not intended for public wear. These affluent women could only drape winter shawls as an additional garment over their Zenana sharis.

Her husband, Satyendranath Tagore, would bring his young wife across India to Bombay to get a taste of the multicultural life in the West.

From Left to Right (standing): Jnanadanandini Devi, Satyendranath Tagore, Kadambari Devi while Jyotirindranath Tagore was sitting in the picture. Photo: Collected

Socialising with European circles including Parsi and European women as well as entering a sphere of English customs became a vision of courage. While socialising with the Parsi and European ladies; a wave of courage and inspiration took over her spirit. She wanted to design a sari which will incorporate the essence of both Parsi and Bengali culture in one.

It was a big challenge, but her husband was extremely supportive of her decision. 'If you have to change your mode of dress, please do not hesitate'' said Satyendranath Tagore.

She improvised upon the traditional sari, blending her own style with that of Parsi women. She observed the styles of the English blouses, sleeves, ribbons, and brooches. These reiterations gave life to the modern day saree by draping the aanchall over the left shoulder, freeing the right arm. She created frontal pleats and brooches. A blouse and petticoat was also introduced after the influence of Parsi women. The style became to be known as the Thakurbari Sari, an epitome of the modern, educated, and privileged woman. Jnanadanandini went on to train other women to wear the saree in her own style through advertisements in the Bamabodhini Patrika.

This introduced a generation of working-class women to show up in public wearing saris - to work, to parties, and to the global arena. Jnanadandini's boldness taught the world that these women could come out of confinement and enter global spheres, carrying the pride of their own history in their attire. It gave saris nationwide acceptability and to women, their mobility. It meant that women, even today, could keep with them an enduring proof of a lasting history of Indo-Western tradition which emerged from a silent but illustrious revolution by the women of the Tagore family.

Even though this daring act caused much discord in the household, Jnanadanlini's courage and creativity paved the way to break the customs of the upper caste. These women must never be forgotten for their insurmountable significance in the Bengali Renaissance. Their role went beyond raising an intellectual awakening among the people - it revolutionized the lives of the contemporary in a materialistic way forever. Today, this style is the most popular way to drape a sari and its artistry is embraced by women in all parts of the world.