The Indian saree may be an object of curiosity and amusement for the global community because of its unique size and how it is draped around with perfection. More than that, it has been scientifically found that this age old attire dating back to Indus Valley Civilisation is capable of helping the person who wears it with positive energy.

Many times, we come across ladies wearing the customary Indian sarees executing their jobs with élan and  perfection. Whether it be Sumitra Mahajan , the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or Sushma Swraj and Nirmala Sitaraman, union ministers ,  Latha Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle, India’s nightingales  or Sudha Murthy of Infosys, they stand out in their professional fields thanks to the positive energy they garner from the attire, the saree.

A team of researchers at Spiritual Science Research Foundation Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay, led by Dr Nandini Samant, a medical doctor turned scientist cum educationist, have found that  the nine yard saree wrapped around by  women  help  them to garner positive spiritual energy or Sattva  guna.  (Sattva, Raja and Tama are the very fabric of creation as per Indian philosophy). In contrast, wearing the skirt has a detrimental effect.

“We found that what we wear can affect us at a spiritual level.  Our studies were based on the findings of a comparative experiment in which energy generated in four women in the age group of 29 to 55 years  who were asked to wear first a skirt and then a saree,”  explained  Dr Samant.

The research team that included engineers in energy sciences measured the energy generated by the subjects upon wearing the skirt and saree using the Electro somato graphic technique, an instrument with which the energy levels could be recorded.

“The measurements found that the nine-yard saree (closely followed by the six-yard saree) is the most sattvik or spiritually beneficial female attire compared to other dress materials attire. The saree has a spiritual healing effect which could  be completely understood only if we have that  sixth-sense, also known as extra sensory perception” said Dr Samant, who headed the research team of the Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay under the Sanatan Sanstha, based in Ramnadthi, Ponda, Goa.

She said that when the energy levels of those wearing skirts and other western costumes were measured, it was found that they emitted more Raja-Tamoa  vibrations , and led to manifestations of negative energies.

Dr Samant, a doctor of medicine in psychiatry from University of Bombay, said that the conclusions from the studies showed that spiritual vibrations of clothes depend on factors such as the type of cloth, shape, colour, design, stitching , fit and other such factors. “As we wear a set of clothes throughout the day, the vibrations they emit influence our spiritual state which in turn can affect us at the physical, psychological and intellectual levels. Spiritually impure or Raja-Tama predominant clothes affect us negatively. The affected gross manifestations of this could include lethargy, lack of clarity of thought, a disturbed mind and an increase in personality defects. Spiritually positive clothes impart calmness, concentration, clarity of thought, confidence, vitality etc.,” says the research paper published by the SSRF which is being analysed by peers.  

Vijayashree  Ramesh, a Chennai based lawyer-cum-author, said that sh e was always comfortable in the traditional nine-yard saree followed by the six-yard. “I do not know any scientific reason but I am at home in saree. I prefer to wear saree all the time as I find it safe, secure and of course simple,” said Ramesh.  

Dr Samant said the Maharshi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalay (MAV) has also conducted research on dress worn by males attire and they have come across some interesting findings which would be released after review  by the community of scientists.

Prof B M Hegde, eminent cardiologist and chief editor of  “Journal of the Science of Healing Outcomes” said the SSRF MAV findings were important and should be studied further. “Energy plays a major role in our physical and mental systems. I accept the observations made by them because we ourselves have found that many medical disorders could be addressed with energy therapy,” said Prof  Hegde, a former vice chancellor of the elite Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.