• The Mandarin term “纱丽” is a transliteration of the Hindi word saree, which in turn came from a Sanskrit word meaning “long strip of cloth”.
• There are said to be hundreds of ways to wear a saree. According to the customs of the community, some drape it over the right shoulder while others drape it over the left; some pass the cloth between the legs, and others use it to cover the head. Sarees come in various lengths, usually between five and eight metres. On festive occasions, sarees made of silk are worn.
• Although the exact origins of the saree are unclear, ancient Indian pottery artifacts depict women wearing trousers and wrapping a longpiece of cloth around their whole body. This suggests that the saree has been worn in India since ancient times.
• The saree carries multiple symbolic meanings in Indian culture. As it is seamless, the saree symbolises purity. Wearing the saree also symbolises adulthood for Indian girls.

At the entrance of Sri Krishnan Temple, which has stood next to the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at Waterloo Street for over a hundred years, is a large incense burner that is otherwise found only in Chinese temples. The temple also enshrines a gold-plated Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) statue, which was created by Indian craftsmen and wears an Indian saree. (Lianhe Zaobao, 15/11/2019)

• Dr Rita R. Colwell, an aquatic microbiologist from the United States, discovered that the traditional saree worn by Bangladeshi women is flexible and breathable. She thus used it to filter polluted drinking water to slow the spread of cholera in 65 Bangladeshi villages. This discovery, for which she won the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2018, has had far-reaching impact and made great contributions to global public health.