Debanjana Chatterjee

The Aatpoure drape is one of the best-known Bengali traditions. It is worn across West Bengal and Bangladesh.

Debanjana wears a handwoven white Garad saree with a red border and small gold motifs. For her it feels more like home than clothing. Each time she drapes it she thinks of the generations of Bengali women who wore it before her.

With it she wears traditional gold jewelry, a large nath (nose ring), and a red bindi for the third eye. Sindoor (vermilion) and the bangles, shakha (white conch shell), pola (red coral), and loha (iron), mark that she is married. They also stand for divine feminine energy and for belonging.

She wears this for auspicious occasions. It brings back festivals and family gatherings.

DEBANJANA CHATTERJEE · AATPOURE DRAPE, WEST BENGAL, INDIA · MINNESOTA · ARCHIVE NOTE, 2026