Cholis are testimony to friendships in this village

AHMEDABAD: The stringed backlessbodices - cholis or kediyas - worn in Navratri are not just sexy pieces ofclothing. In a village in Banaskantha, they are souvenirs of friendship and comein myriad designs embellished with mirrors, sequins and colourfulmotifs.Tribal girls in this village value friendship so much thatthey immortalize it on their bodices. They get the names of their best friendsembroidered on their blouses while getting ready to dance to the beats of thedhol. Celebration of friendship is not limited to just the festive season. Womenare known to wear these blouses traditionally called 'jhulni', close to theirheart everyday of their life. In fact, young or old, almost all members of thefair sex get names of their different women friends embroidered alongside theirname.The logic is clear. Friends are an important support system whohelp deal with the ups and downs of life and one should remember them for theirselfless presence and support. "When women marry and face marital and socialproblems, they don't go complaining to their parents. They meet friends, discussissues and brainstorm best possible solutions. Women are closest to theirfriends," says Rukhiben, who is in her 20s and wears a blouse with her friendAnju's embroidered on it.Pooniben, another woman in her 30s, saysthat while most relationships come with preconceived notions, friends do notpass judgements on one another. "We have seen a man abandoning her wife andchildren, even parents, but women friends stand by each other," says Pooniben,who wears her friend Reniben's name.There are many tales in thisvillage, where women stood by each other to save their friends from husband'sbeating, in-laws' harassment and for child care. What's more, they are notbiased for their best friend and even get names of all friends stitched on theirdifferent blouses. "It is a unique expression of friendship followed in abackward society. They seem to have highly evolved ideas about valuedrelationships," said Sanjay Dave of Charkha who has worked extensively in thevillage.