Karnataka - Bangalore   

An unforgettable Indian experience

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

FIRST TIME: Tennis stars Serena Williams, Venus Williams with other international players at a dinner in Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore: “I love the fabric and the feel. It is not heavy and is easy to wear even with the hot weather conditions in Bangalore,” gushed Serena Williams, tennis star, about her bright yellow sari.

She and 11 tennis players, including Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, were wearing saris and they sashayed down the makeshift runway here on Sunday.

Seeing the tennis players, who are here to participate in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, strut their stuff, Vijay Amritraj, former tennis ace, said, “I feel like I am in a Bond movie. I think I have been in the wrong profession for a long time.”

Jelena Jankovic from Serbia greeted the crowd with a “Namaste” and became an instant favourite. About her sari, she said, “It is the first time I am wearing a sari. It is very beautiful and hopefully, I will get another opportunity to wear it.”

Venus Williams also said she loved her sari. “However, the sad part is that I cannot tie it by myself. This may be the last time I will get to wear the sari,” she told the cheering crowd.

The tennis stars were treated to a total Indian experience. They were welcomed with colourful bandhani dupattas while Carnatic music played in the background. They could choose bindis and bangles from the colourful assortment kept just for them. A few stars, their managers and relatives had their palms read by a palmist. There even was a native fortune-teller, with his parrot. Cultural programmes had also been organised on the occasion.

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