Nirmala Sitharaman wears Tamil Nadu’s traditional Kattam Kanchipuram saree; what does it symbolise?

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the third Budget of the third Modi government in the Lok Sabha today at 11 a.m. This marks the first time since 1999 that the Union Budget is being presented on a Sunday. With today’s presentation, Sitharaman will create history by delivering the Budget for the ninth consecutive time. Earlier in the day, she met President Droupadi Murmu before arriving at Parliament.

On Budget day, the Finance Minister was seen wearing a Kanchipuram silk saree, reflecting Tamil Nadu’s rich handloom and weaving tradition. She wore a purple Kattam Kanchipuram saree with golden checks and a coffee-brown border, symbolising her connection to her home state, Tamil Nadu. In previous years as well, Sitharaman has presented all her Budgets wearing sarees representing different Indian handloom traditions.

In 2025, she presented the Budget wearing an off-white handloom silk saree with fish-themed embroidery and a golden border, chosen as a tribute to Madhubani art. The saree was designed by Padma Shri awardee and renowned artist Dulari Devi.

In 2024, Sitharaman wore a Mangalgiri saree made in Andhra Pradesh while presenting the Budget. The blue saree she wore during the interim Budget presentation in February last year also drew attention, featuring the famous Kantha stitch from West Bengal. That saree symbolised the government’s focus on strengthening India’s fisheries sector and boosting the economy.