Bengal’s sholar kaaj gets a Met Gala moment

Kolkata’s sholar kaaj has leapt from pujo décor to global couture. At the 2026 Met Gala, Diya Mehta Jatia wore a custom Mayyur Girotra ensemble that reimagined Bengal’s traditional sholapith craft as sculptural high fashion, layered over a gold-and-silver Kanjeevaram base and echoing the ivory-toned drama of daaker saaj. The look was further elevated with bespoke high jewellery by QWEEN, marking the label’s global debut, with rare statement gemstones including a 25-carat emerald and a 20-carat diamond adding a sharp, contemporary edge. “It’s an art form that’s slowly fading, which makes this process even more special. Our inspiration came directly from Shola, its textures, its delicacy, its quiet grandeur,” said Girotra. The look was brought to life by four Bengali Malakar artisans who spent weeks hand-sculpting its intricate elements. “It’s extremely intricate work—each detail is shaped like gold jewellery… for us, these outfits feel like a dream,” added artisan Pintu Molla.What is Shola, and who are the artisans behind it?Sholapith is the soft white pith of the shola plant (Aeschynomene aspera), a marshland species often called Indian cork. Traditionally practised by Bengal’s Malakar community, the craft is best known for Durga Puja décor, bridal topors and ritual ornamentation across districts like Murshidabad, Nadia and Hooghly. For the Met Gala look, four artisans from Kolkata adapted this fragile, non-textile material into wearable, couture-scale structures, a rare shift from ceremonial use to global fashion, placing one of Bengal’s most recognisable yet vulnerable crafts on an international stage.