‘Dream Come True’: Bihar Artist On Crafting FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Madhubani-Inspired Budget Day Saree

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman received the handloom saree during her visit to the Mithila Painting Institute in Saurath on November 29 last year.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid tribute to the Madhubani art of Bihar by wearing an off-white handloom silk saree adorned with fish-themed embroidery and a golden border while presenting the Union Budget 2025 on Saturday. The saree, crafted by Padma awardee Dulari Devi, was like a 'dream come true'.

"Sitharaman ji paid a great tribute to Madhubani art by wearing the saree gifted by me two months ago. While presenting her this saree at the Mithila Art Institute in Madhubani for a credit outreach event two months ago, I had requested her to wear it on the Budget Day. She accepted my request... it's like a dream come true for me," Devi, a renowned Madhubani artist from Bihar, told news agency PTI.

Devi stated that this saree took her over a month to design. She is a resident of Ranti village in Madhubani district, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 for her unique contributions to art.

Devi is skilled in both 'Kachnhi' (line sketching) and 'Bharni' (colored) styles of Madhubani painting. Experts have praised her work for seamlessly blending traditional community motifs with contemporary themes. Her contributions to the art form have been recognised in academic circles, with details of her work included in Maithili language course materials at select universities.

She has also completed murals for both central and state governments and actively teaches Madhubani art to children. Additionally, Devi serves as an instructor at the Mithila Art Institute in Madhubani. Her paintings capturing the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns have been acquired by several international universities.

Reacting to Sitharaman’s choice of attire, Bandana Preyashi, Secretary of Bihar’s Industries Department, shared on X, "Union Finance Minister adorns a Madhubani saree made by Padma Shri, Dulari Devi for presenting the Union Budget-2025 in Parliament. I had the privilege of meeting Dulari Devi and others when we had organised the Women and Art Exhibition at Bihar Museum, Patna. Exquisite work."

Madhubani art, a traditional folk art form from Bihar’s Mithila region, is renowned for its vivid colors and symbolic imagery.

Finance Minister's Attires In Previous Budgets

The Finance Minister with her different coloured sarees with special embroidering defines her different and unique attires that were used while presenting seven Union Budgets earlier, as per NDTV report.

For her debut Union Budget presentation in 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman donned a simple pink Mangalgiri saree with a gold border. Breaking tradition, she replaced the decades-old leather briefcase used for carrying Budget documents with a traditional 'bahi-khata' wrapped in red cloth.  

In 2020, she opted for a vibrant yellow-gold silk saree to present the Budget. The following year, she chose a red and off-white silk Pochampally saree featuring ikat patterns and a green border. Pochampally ikat is a traditional weave from Telangana.  

For the 2022 Budget, Sitharaman selected a rust-brown Bomkai saree with intricate off-white border detailing. In 2023, she wore a red and black saree with a temple border, adorned with Kasuti threadwork. Last year, the Finance Minister appeared in a blue tussar silk saree embellished with kantha handiwork. Tussar silk is prized for its unique texture and natural golden sheen.