Mumbai: A saree spanning 4,000 metres (the average length is between six and nine metres) was unveiled at the Royal Opera House in the city on Wednesday as part of a campaign to remove the marital rape exception from the criminal code.
Infinite Saree at Arts Festival
The ‘Infinite Saree’, a fiery amber piece of couture designed by Nivedita Saboo, will be displayed at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026, which will be held from January 31 to February 8. The garment is estimated to be the world's longest saree ever created.
Call for Legal Reform
During the unveiling, the audience—which included politicians, diplomats, activists, influencers, domestic abuse survivors, and allies—called for the removal of the marital rape exception from the Indian Penal Code.
Voices Woven Into Saree
During the inauguration, Supreet Singh, co-founder and chief executive officer of Red Dot Foundation, a not-for-profit advocacy for women's rights, said that every signature on the saree is a thread of courage and every fold a testament to a woman’s right to choose and refuse to be silenced. “It carries the voices of those who believe consent is a human right, not a marital privilege. We cannot afford further delays,” Singh said.
Culture Meets Justice
Saboo said the ‘Infinite Saree’ makes India’s oldest and most iconic garment its newest symbol of justice and change. “The Infinite Saree uses culture to challenge and create reform in culture. It honours one of India’s oldest symbols of womanhood, while turning it into a movement for equality and reform,” Saboo added.
Harsh Reality of Violence
According to activists, India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and recent reporting cite that nearly one in three Indian women has experienced spousal physical or sexual violence. The data also shows that around 18 per cent of married women say they are unable to refuse sex to their husbands, while one in five men admit they would become angry if their wives refused. Yet more than 90 per cent of women who suffer sexual violence never seek help or report it to anyone.
Survivor Speaks Out
Zaaria Patni, survivor and advocate, emphasised the collective power of solidarity. “Marital rape must no longer hide behind the guise of marriage,” she said, calling for urgent legal reform rooted in dignity and consent.
Saree Supports Court Case
The subject of marital rape is currently being heard by the Supreme Court of India. Red Dot Foundation said that the saree campaign is part of a broader effort to maintain public momentum and support legal advocacy ahead of the next hearing.
Campaign Ambassador Comments
Actor and campaign ambassador Rahul Bhat, who was present at the inauguration, said that though most of us grow up believing that home is the safest place for all, for many women, it is not. “And the hardest part to accept is that a woman can face violence from the very person she loves, and our laws still don’t fully protect her. Every woman deserves dignity, respect, and the basic right to feel safe, especially in her own home. This is not just a legal issue. It’s a human one,” said Bhat.
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The Legal Context
Marital Rape Exception
The country is currently debating a change in current laws that does not recognise non-consensual sex with a wife aged 18 or above as rape, leaving millions of married women without legal protection against sexual violence at home. While the Supreme Court criminalised sex with a wife under 18 in 2017, the exception continues for adult women.
Parliament Pushes Reform
After a split verdict by the Delhi High Court in 2022, the Supreme Court consolidated multiple petitions and initiated hearings in 2024, later deferring proceedings. In December 2025, Member of Parliament Dr Shashi Tharoor introduced a private member’s Bill in the Lok Sabha seeking its removal, calling it a colonial-era provision that undermines women’s rights to equality, dignity, and bodily autonomy.
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