Union Budget 2025: Why Nirmala Sitharaman picked saree with Bihar's Madhubani art

Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s finance minister, is set to present her record eighth Budget and all eyes have turned towards her.

While financial pundits await the big announcements from the Budget, there’s also something for the fashion gurus — Nirmala Sitharaman’s sarees. At every Budget presentation, the finance minister has made a style statement with her choice of sarees and this year, it is no different.

For Budget 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has chosen a white kasavu saree with a golden border and an intricate Madhubani painting. It is being said that the saree was gifted to her by Dulari Devi, a Padma Shri awardee in 2021.

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Here’s a quick guide to who is Dulari Devi and the saree she gifted Finance Minister Nirmala.

All about Dulari Devi

Dulari Devi won the Padma Shri award in 2021 for her contribution to Madhubani form of art. Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila, is a distinct form of art practised in the Mithila region of Bihar, traditionally by upper-caste women. It is known for its vibrant colours and symbolic representations.

Born in extreme poverty, Devi was born into the marginalised Mallah community. Her first brush with Mithila painting came while working as a domestic help at Karpoori Devi’s house. Karpoori, for those who don’t know, is a famous painter.

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However, Devi’s Madhubani work is a bit unique. As Indian Express notes, instead of copying themes and motifs of upper castes, she pours her own self into her work, investing in her caste identity.

Since the beginning, Devi spreads awareness on issues like child marriage, Aids and foeticide through her paintings.

Dulari Devi and Nirmala’s saree

According to reports after winning the Padma Shri award in 2021, Dulari Devi met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as the latter visited Madhubani for a credit outreach activity at Mithila Art Institute. The two exchanged ideas on Madhubani painting and on that day Devi presented Sitharaman a saree and asked her to wear it for Budget day.

The saree is a beautiful white one with colourful Madhubani motifs and an intricate golden border. The finance minister paired the saree with a red blouse and a shawl, to display her love for handloom.

Nirmala Sitharaman also chose minimalist accessories, which included earrings, a chain and gold bangles, that perfectly complemented her saree.

According to a Moneycontrol report, the finance minister’s choice of saree could also be a hint of what the Budget may entail for the state of Bihar. Interestingly, the state of Bihar will go to the polls later this year and many note that Sitharaman’s choice of clothes could provide clues on what to expect.

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Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget sarees

Much has been said about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget sarees through the years. For her first Budget presentation in 2019, Sitharaman wore a simple pink Mangalgiri saree with a gold border.

The following year, in 2020, Sitharaman wore a bright yellow silk saree with a blue border, each colour carrying a special meaning. Moneycontrol reports that the yellow represented growth, hope, and new beginnings, while the blue stood for stability and peace. The saree sent a message of hope and recovery, especially as India faced challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Sitharaman presented the Budget wearing a red and off-white silk Pochampally saree with ikat patterns and a green border and the next year, she opted for a rust brown Bomkai saree with off-white border detailing.

Sitharaman wore a red and black temple border saree with Kasuti threadwork while presenting the Union Budget in 2023. And in 2024, she wore a blue tussar silk saree with kantha handiwork.

With inputs from agencies