Do You Know Sitharaman's Budget Day Saree Is A Gift From Someone Special?

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wore a white Madhubani-painted saree to present her eighth consecutive budget in Parliament.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman met President Droupadi Murmu ahead of Budget presentation.

Source : PTI

Union Budget 2025: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wore a white Madhubani-painted saree to present her eighth consecutive budget in Parliament on Saturday. Interstingly, the saree was gifted to her by Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi, who had made a request that Sitharaman wear the saree on the day she would present the Union Budget 2025-26.

Who Is Dulari Devi?

An eminent Mithila artist, Dulari Devi was awarded Padma Shri by former President Ram Nath Kovind for Art. She is based out of Ranti, a small village in the state of Bihar. Hailing from a humble background, Dulari Devi did not receive a formal education. She took an interest in illustrating Madhubani art while working as a domestic help at the home of Madhubani artist Mahasundari Devi. Dulari Devi is skilled at illustrating two styles of Madhubani art, ‘Kachnhi' (line sketching) ‘and ‘Bharni’ (coloured).

She has participated in numerous exhibitions and has illustrated a book for Tara Books. Devi has been praised by PM Narendra Modi for her artwork in the past and she also gifted him an artwork.

Dulari Devi Ji is among those who has been conferred the #PeoplesPadma. She is a talented artist who hails from Madhubani in Bihar.

During the informal interaction with the awardees after the ceremony, she presented to me her artwork. Humbled by her gesture. My gratitude to her. pic.twitter.com/j0sPPIOGWR

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 11, 2021

A Look At Sitharaman's Sarees Over The Years

Over the years, Sitharaman's choice of sarees for Budget presentation has been an area of interest for many. Last year, she wore an off-white Mangalagiri saree with a bright magenta border. This saree comes from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. In 2023, Sitharaman was seen in a rich red silk saree with a black-and-gold temple border, a signature South Indian style.

In 2022, Sitharaman chose a deep brown Bomkai saree from Odisha, featuring silver zari work and intricate border patterns. Bomkai sarees are known for their detailed designs inspired by nature and mythology.

Sitharaman chose a colourful Pochampally ikat saree from Telangana, with a bold mix of red, off-white, and green in 2021.