BY DNCA REPORTER, Vadodara, December 3, 2025
When over 5,000 women line up at Kirti Stambh on December 14 draped in sarees, it won't just be the city's biggest celebration of culture and fitness. It will be living proof that age is just a number and illness is just a chapter, not the whole story.
Meet 82-year-old Bhartiben Dave ,an ex healthcare professional.At an age when many struggle to walk a few steps without support, she is excitedly preparing her favourite cotton saree and sports shoes for the 3 km Saree गौरव Run. "People tell me to rest at home," she laughs, "but how can I miss this? I have worn sarees all my life; now I want to run in one!" For her, the run is not about speed; it's about showing the world that joy and movement have no expiry date.
Then there is Ms Darshana Thakkar, 51, entrepreneur, engineer, MBA, and National President of the Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI) Gujarat Council. By profession, she runs a successful consulting firm. By courage, she is currently fighting breast cancer while undergoing chemotherapy. Hair loss, weakness, weekly hospital visits; nothing has dampened her spirit. Darshana has openly declared, "If I can stand, I can walk. If I can walk, I can run in my saree with my sisters on December 14."
Her message to every woman battling any illness is simple yet thunderous: "Strong will power is the real medicine. Chemotherapy is treating my body; the Saree गौरव Run is healing my soul."
From homemakers and college girls to corporate professionals and senior citizens, from cancer warriors to octogenarian enthusiasts, the Federal Bank Saree गौरव Run 2025 has turned into something far bigger than an event. It has become a moving, breathing inspiration; a flowing river of sarees carrying stories of unbreakable spirit.
As Smt. Tejal Amin, Chairperson of MG Vadodara Marathon, rightly says, "When Dave Aunty and Darshana ben take those steps on December 14, every woman watching will realise: if they can, I definitely can."
So come December 14, when the streets of Vadodara fill with the sound of thousands of payals (anklets) and the rustle of sarees, remember: you won't just be watching a run.
You will be witnessing willpower winning, one graceful step at a time.
