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The Age-Old Indian Sari-Drying Technique
31 January 2007
Hampi, Karnataka, India
We are sitting on the banks of the River Tunghabadra, which runs through Hampi. The owner of the guest house we're staying at, Suresh Guest House, told us that an elephant was supposed to be making its way past here, so we're waiting to catch a glimpse. So far, nothing, but we can afford to wait.
In the river below us, people bathe and swim. They also wash clothes. The process of doing laundry is interesting: clothes are wet, scrubbed on a rock, twisted, and then whipped repeatedly on a rock. When it comes to drying the larger pieces, they don't indulge in something as luxurious as a clothes line. Rather, they just hold the piece in the wind, flapping it and waiting for it to dry. Talk about patience! (see photo)