Women queue up at 4 am for Mysore silk sarees

Hundreds of women braved the early morning chill in Bengaluru, lining up as early as 4 am to buy the much-sought-after Mysore silk sarees sold by the Karnataka State Silk Industries Corporation.
Mysore silk sarees, known for their rich tradition and geographical indication status, continue to attract buyers not only from Karnataka but also from other states.
Due to heavy demand, a token system has been in place for the past five years at official sales outlets.
On Tuesday, more than 500 people, including men and women, gathered outside the corporation’s Bengaluru showroom well before dawn. Wrapped in blankets and seated on chairs, customers waited for hours in the cold weather as staff struggled to manage the crowd. When the showroom opened at 10 am, tokens were issued to customers. Silk sarees priced between Rs. 23,000 and Rs. 2.5 lakh were sold, with a strict limit of one saree per person.
A notice displayed at the entrance informed buyers that they would not be allowed to select designs, and sarees would be allotted only to those who stood in the queue and received tokens.
Priyadarshini, a software engineer who bought a saree, said she had been purchasing Mysore silk sarees for the past ten years.
She said the sarees retain their elegance and look new even after years of use, adding that the long wait is forgotten once the saree is worn.
The overwhelming turnout once again highlighted the enduring appeal of Mysore silk sarees among traditional textile lovers.