An Indian-origin student has gone viral for wearing a lehenga to her graduation ceremony in Switzerland. Lakshmi Kumari, 25, chose a green and golden lehenga to commemorate the big day and honour her Indian roots. In a conversation with HT.com, Lakshmi explained that this was the first lehenga she has ever owned, and she worked extra hard to have it delivered to Switzerland in time for her graduation.
Lakshmi studied law at the University of Basel in Basel, Switzerland. The language of instruction for her course was German, in which she is not proficient.
“As I struggled with the language (because it's not my native language), I felt very proud after having completed my bachelors degree… I told myself, if I am able to complete my bachelors degree in a language that I am not fluent in I MUST wear something special for myself,” Lakshmi told HT.com.
And so came the idea of wearing a lehenga.
Lehenga in Switzerland
Lakshmi Kumari told HT.com that she is half Indian and half Finnish. “My father comes from India and I spent a lot of time there during my younger years,” she said.
“Growing up, I always felt connected to my roots, whether it be because I spent a lot of time in India or because I have an obsession with Bollywood movies - but I’ve never owned a lehenga! I’ve only ever seen them in Indian fashion shows,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}“Growing up, I always felt connected to my roots, whether it be because I spent a lot of time in India or because I have an obsession with Bollywood movies - but I’ve never owned a lehenga! I’ve only ever seen them in Indian fashion shows,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Determined to wear something special to her graduation, Lakshmi spent a lot of time browsing the internet until she found a website that would deliver a lehenga to Switzerland in time for the convocation. She ultimately decided on an Anisha Shetty creation, ordered it through Fabilicious Fashion and wore it to the convocation back in November.
Asked how her classmates and professors reacted to her choice of dress, Lakshmi told HT.com, “My classmates loved it! They all asked if it was traditional attire from India and I was so happy to tell them all the details!
“Even though I chose a lehenga that wasn't too flashy so that it could match the occasion, it was definitely an outfit that stood out because it's not an outfit you see often in Switzerland, except maybe in Bollywood movies.”