For her fourth budget presentation, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman kept her look simple and elegant, sporting a crisp rusty brown saree with off-white border detailing that spread throughout the sides.
The rusty brown tone of her saree was a combination of two colours, brown and red, that hold a deeper significance. While the colour brown is often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety, red signifies warmth, love and power.
She paired the saree with a white shawl and white face mask. Sitharaman rounded up her look with a red bindi and tiny earings, which complimented her golden chain and bangles. Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, replacing her signature ‘bahi khata’, she opted to carry the documents in a tablet, which was wrapped in a red-colored cover with the national emblem emblazoned on it.
Ranging from donning gorgeous handloom sarees to ones made out of silk, Sitharaman’s outfit choices have made headlines on numerous occasions. For the uninitiated, the Union Finance Minister’s love for subtly elegant handloom and silk sarees is well known, and hence, it’s reasonable to assume that her sartorial choices are what distinguishes her appearance.
Sitharaman had kept her look simple for presenting the 2021-22 budget presentation last year. Donning a crisp red-colored saree with off-white detailing and gold border, she completed her look with a gold chain, bangles, and tiny earrings. She had carried the documents in a tablet, replacing it with ‘bahi khata’, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 was the first time when the Union Budget was delivered in a paperless format.
The Finance Minister had launched the ‘Union Budget Mobile App’ for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience. Prior to that, for the 2020-21 budget session, Sitharaman had worn a pristine yellow-gold silk saree with a blue border and a matching blouse. The documents were carried by her in a traditional ‘bahi khata’ (ledger), which she trademarked during the presentation of the 2019-20 budget. Her color of choice, which was yellow, is often associated with prosperity and is also considered to be auspicious for special occasions.
Sitharaman had drawn a lot of attention during her first budget presentation in 2019 when she skipped the customary colonial-era briefcase in favor of a traditional bahi khata, which is a form of ledger wrapped in a red-colored fabric. The Finance Ministers have preferred to carry the Budget documents in suitcases of various colors such as red velvet, black, and tan, although carrying them in a briefcase has been a practice since the British era.
Sitharaman made quite an impression during her budget presentation in 2019, draped in a warm pink-colored Mangalgiri saree with gold borders, a gold chain, tiny diamond studs, and a bindi on her forehead. This year, the Budget presentation will begin with a speech of the Finance Minister from around 11 am. The Budget Session of the parliament commenced on January 31 with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address.
The first part of the Budget Session of Parliament will be held from January 31 to February 11 and the second part will take place from March 14 to April 8.
