Tarun Tahiliani's show inspired by the Kumbh Mela

Making an appearance, albeit a highly disguised one as a Sadhu, at the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Allahabad was ace designer Tarun Tahiliani.
"Oh I don't know how the word got out," exclaims Tahiliani on being questioned, and adds, "But it was a longheld wish of mine that got fulfilled. I have had a rather mixed, almost Westernized upbringing and frankly, I'm quite the philistine! But those few hours at the Kumbh...what do I say... We were there right around the time of the big snan. That abandon, the joy and that single minded purpose... It was amazing."
Spiritual experiences apart, Tahiliani who attended the Kumbh along with his cousin, says his primary purpose was to study the Sanyasi robes and the manner in which they drape themselves. And in this, he was assisted by ace fashion photographer Rohit Chawla. "Frankly, the sanyasi robes are about the only pure manner of draping left in the country today and I was keen to study the way they do it. I love drapes and at Sangam I interacted with the sadhus keenly. The sight when they walked out of sangam clad in those robes, it was so beautiful and inspiring. Who knows, maybe I will use that as an inspiration in my upcoming show."
But while Tahiliani himself says he is still mulling over the idea, Chawla assures us that Tahiliani is keen to base the show on Kumbh. "Oh yes, Kumbh was quite the inspiration and Tarun's next show will be inspired by it, even though the work on the show has been on for the last two months." In fact, Chawla and Tahiliani spent two days in Allahabad for the very purpose and Chawla says that the trip will be followed up by an exhibition of the photographs clicked there as well as Tahiliani's show.
Talking more about his experiences, Chawla says, "I have been following the Nagas from the Junagadh akhara for some years now and the two days at Kumbh gave me a chance to renew that association as well."