“My objective was to showcase sari apparel of Indian women.”
Madhusmita Jena wearing sari and running marathon [Photo:SNS]
A 41-year-old UK-based Odia woman took part in a 42.5 kilometer-long marathon by wearing a sari in Manchester city, drawing attention from one and all in the island nation.
Madhusmita Jena, having ancestral roots in Kusupur village in Cuttack district and now a British citizen, aroused the crowd’s curiosity as she trekked along the marathon route. Jena, who wore Sambalpuri sari, took four hours and 50 minutes to cover 42.5 kilometres.
“I was the lone participant to run the marathon wearing a sari. It was an exhilarating experience, which will be treasured in memory. My objective was to showcase sari apparel of Indian women,” she said over phone from Manchester.
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“It was difficult to cover the race by wearing a saree. However I completed the run with encouragement from the crowd,” she added.
“I used to wear a sari on summer days in Britain. I have proved the misconceptions wrong that sari-clad women can not run. Wearing a sari does not come in the way of my daily exercise,” she concluded.
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