KANAKAVALLI JOURNAL

Riddhi Mukherjee, Kanakavalli’s November Vignette, is a doctoral student, a university professor, a voracious reader, and a lover of saris and all things beautiful.

Dr. Vidya Ram Pradeep, Kanakavalli's October Vignette, grew up in a family of doctors who loved art and beauty as much as they loved medicine. She reminisces about her grandfather’s sharp intellect, her grandmother's gorgeous silk saris and a home filled with stimulating conversation and beautiful objects.

Kanakavalli’s September Vignette, Sai Ravi traces her love for the kanjivaram to her mother and grandmother, whose elegance she grew up admiring. An investment banker living in Sydney and a strong role model for young women in the workforce, Sai reflects on the fluid work-life balance she has discovered.

Despite resisting Bharatanatyam dance classes as a little girl, Anita Ranjani, Kanakavalli’s August Vignette, now spends almost all of her time dancing, teaching, learning, and passing on the traditions of this classical art form that she has grown to love.

Radhika Bapat, Kanakavalli’s July Vignette, is extraordinarily multifaceted. She is a clinical psychologist who has worked at the forefront of this field in India, and is now also running a factory that blends alcohol. An avid reader and writer, she has not only published articles in academic journals, but has written a children’s book.

For Kanika Subbiah, who grew up in Chandigarh, Chennai’s sari culture was a revelation. In Kanakavalli’s June Vignette, Kanika describes her discovery of the kanjivaram, the evolution of her sense of fashion, and how Chennai has come to feel like home.