Sudha Murty hasn’t bought a saree since her trip to Kashi 30 years ago. Here’s why

Sudha Murty

Billionaire philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty, who has authored over 150 books and is the Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, has not purchased a single saree in over 30 years and does not intend to buy one ever again either.

Thirty years ago, during a trip to Kashi, Varanasi, she stood by the banks of holy river Ganga and took a vow to never buy anything other than necessities such as medicines, food, etc.

Revealing why she took this decision, Murty said in an interview, that a person is expected to give up something dear to them when they visit Kashi. She said in the interview she gave to the Voice of Fashion that she used to love shopping, so she promised to Ganga that she would never shop sarees again in this lifetime.

The 73-year-old Rajya Sabha MP also pointed out in the interview that her decision was guided by her humble upbringing, as both her mother and her grandmother, lived on minimal possessions.

“When my mother passed away six years ago, it took us just half an hour to give away the things in her cupboard because she had just 8-10 sarees in it. When my grandma passed away 32 years ago, she had just four sarees. They travelled light on this earth, and since that has been part of my upbringing, I found it easier to adopt a simpler life with fewer possessions,” she said.

The sarees that Murty wears now are mostly gifted to her by her family or sometimes, the NGOs she works with. Among her most cherished sarees are two hand-embroidered ones that were gifted to her by some women whom she helped through the Infosys Foundation.