Jasmine GateKaran Kumar Sachdev

'Jasmine Gate' Is A Photoseries Celebrating Sarees, Sisterhood, & Southern Culture

There is a quaint beauty to travelling a region through someone else’s gaze as it allows us to view different locations, people and cultures with an alternate lens. Capturing this experience, a photo series attempts to record a journey through South India with a group of friends. As a spectator we are welcomed to witness their intimate moments of connection and warmth as well as their observations of the surroundings.

Drawing inspiration from the travels through South India, this story captures the essence of real life narratives. The images reveal the beauty of friendship as they embrace the joy of a beach day trip in their sarees adorned with flowers — a nod to the timeless traditions of the South. This story is like a cherished memory, capturing the beauty that resides within the heart of South India.

Karan Kumar Sachdev

The silk sarees add another dimension to the message of simple joys and belonging. As they are an ode to the traditional handlooms of the South that are often passed down from one generation to another. Draped in varying these contemporary versions of Southern silk, these women embody the motif of womanhood that bonds them together, making a case for the ‘The Sisterhood of the Travelling Sarees’.

The intimate shots transport us to feel the cold breeze at the beach and experience the Southern charm present on the streets, as they capture the surrounding architecture and idiosyncrasies of the region's native culture. As the South Indian culture celebrates the eternal universe, the beauty of the body and femininity through dance, clothing, and sculptures, the series in turn, celebrates the Southern culture that's woven into the very fabric of the silk sarees.