These waterproof sarees by Hamam and Ogilvy ensure women’s safety from unwelcome attention at Kumbh

Millions of worshipers flock to the Kumbh Mela every year to bathe in the holy rivers. These pilgrims also include women, and if you search for photos of Kumbh Mela, not all, but some pictures are of women in sarees and peticots with water dripping off their bodies. Even though photography and recording are banned, it is hard to prevent lurkers from taking photographs amid a crowd of more than 30 million people and exposing women to unwanted gaze. As a result, Hamam decided to take action to ensure the safety of women by expanding its #GoSafeOutside campaign to the Kumbh Mela.

The soap brand teamed up with Ogilvy to introduce ‘waterproof sarees’ to protect women from being exposed in the presence of unwelcome onlookers. The sarees come with a layer of waterproofing treatment turning the fabric resistant to water. As a result, it’s an excellent choice for female devotees taking a holy plunge at the sacred Sangam. On the occasion of Basant Panchami, women were given the opportunity to wear the waterproof saree.

This is not the first case where Hamam took steps to encourage women empowerment; it even established CCTV hoardings in Chennai and conducted self-defence classes for young girls.

For the #GoSafeOutside campaign, the brand sponsored ‘women only’ changing rooms at Ganges Ghats. But, as if that wasn’t enough, Hamam introduced waterproof sarees, winning the hearts of countless women who travelled to the Kumbh Mela to take their sacred bath.

The man who came up with the idea of waterproof sarees, Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy, said, “Under our #GoSafeOutside platform, we initiated ‘The Waterproof Sarees’ at Kumbh. An innovative way of helping women preserve their modesty while taking the Holy Dip. Helping them take a bath in the river in the open without worrying about the preying eyes.”