Budget 2025: Nirmala Sitharaman Pays Tribute to Dalit Artist Dulari Devi by Donning Madhubani Saree
Budget 2025: Nirmala Sitharaman Pays Tribute to Dalit Artist Dulari Devi by Donning Madhubani Saree
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman wore a Madhubani saree while presenting Budget 2025, honoring Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi, a renowned Mithila artist from Bihar’s marginalized Dalit Mallaah community. The saree was a gift from Dulari Devi during Sitharaman’s visit to the Mithila Art Institute in Madhubani, where they discussed the rich heritage of Madhubani art. Devi had personally requested the Finance Minister to wear the saree on Budget Day.
Sitharaman’s saree choices during budget presentations often highlight India’s traditional textiles. In Budget 2024, she wore a white Mangalagiri silk saree with a magenta border, reflecting support for Andhra Pradesh. The Interim Budget 2024 saw her in a blue tussar silk saree with Kantha embroidery from West Bengal.
Her earlier budget appearances include a red temple saree (2023), a rusty brown Bomkai saree from Odisha (2022), a red and off-white Pochampally saree from Hyderabad (2021), and a yellow-gold silk saree with a blue border during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. Through her attire, Sitharaman continues to showcase India’s diverse handloom heritage.
