The Infinite Saree is not just a piece of fabric. It is symbolic and screams that a woman's silence does not mean consent.
Supreet Singh, filmmaker and co-founder of the Red Dot Foundation, explains how the 4 km long Infinite Saree is a petition against all forms of sexual abuse, including marital rape.
A sari spanning 4,000 metres, officially the world's largest, is travelling to different places across India.
Look closer and you'll see signatures of women printed on it with a powerful petition against the current Indian law that does not recognise marital rape as a crime.
The sari says, 'Consent is a right and it shouldn't end at the altar.'
Who designed the Infinite Saree?
Created by Fashion Designer Nivedita Saboo, the 4 km sari features signatures of survivors printed in various Indian languages.
It was first unveiled at the Opera House in Mumbai on January 28, 2026.
The fiery ombre-coloured sari -- long enough to circle the base of the Taj Mahal 10 times -- will be draped across different historic venues in India.
It is currently displayed at the Elphinstone College courtyard in Mumbai, as a part of the ongoing annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
The purpose, according to the makers, is not to create a fashion statement.
"It is a symbolic call to unite survivors and like-minded individuals who are working towards the cause of protecting women from all kinds of abuse," explains Supreet K Singh, a former corporate employee who switched careers to advertising and filmmaking after reporting a case of harassment at work.
The filmmaker behind the concept of the Infinite Saree
"I had the courage to report it because my parents supported me and my decision.
"But the reality is very different for different people.
"Though one in three women are facing some kind of harassment, more than 85 per cent of them do not report it," Singh, filmmaker and co-founder of the United Nations-accredited non-profit, the Red Dot Foundation, which launched the Infinite Saree campaign, tells Divya Nair/Rediff.
The silence, Singh elaborates, has many layers.
"One is victim blaming -- there's family shame, societal pressure, peer pressure and, finally, the judiciary takes a long time. Besides, the authorities are not sensitive so basically nobody wants to give their identity. Even if they want to say, okay, something happened, they don't want their names to be attached to it."
The above reality led Singh to create Safe City -- an anonymous crowdsourced platform where women could report harassment without fear.
"We crowdsourced data on sexual harassment in public spaces anonymously. So if I face something wherever I am right now, like if I face groping, I would just go and put it there. The three questions Safe City asks are: What happened? Where did it happen? And what time did it happen?
"As soon as you give those answers, it starts getting pinned onto Google Maps, where, after a point in time (when enough people have reported the crime), you start seeing trends in public spaces. We then use this data with communities, with authorities, with law enforcement, to see how we can design interventions to create safer neighbourhoods," she explains.
What began as a crowdsourced activity gradually led to the Red Dot Foundation, which Singh co-founded with her partner ElsaMarie D'Silva.
Fighting the marital law exception
Apart from the Nirbhaya tragedy, there one particular incident that deeply rattled Singh and became the inspiration behind the Infinite Saree campaign.
"There was a case where a man brutally raped his wife; he had unnatural sex with her and the woman died. But the husband was acquitted due to the marital rape exception in the law. It disturbed me," she says.
"The exception implied that marriage grants a perpetuity of consent, allowing a man to go scot-free if his wife is over 18 years old."
This legal loophole, Singh explains, can ruin a woman's life.
"That means a woman's life doesn't matter. She can die but if she's the wife and she's above 18 years of age, the man can go free. You're basically saying when you are married, you've given your consent in perpetuity to your husband to do what he wants with you in the bedroom."
How Red Dot is training safety champions
Over the years, the Red Dot Foundation, with the help of corporate funding and community workshops, has identified survivors and provided them with emotional and legal aid.
"We train them to be 'safety champions' and educate them to be our first responders. These are young college students and Asha workers who know the law and basic rights. They help less privileged victims with legal knowledge that helps shift the burden of proof in domestic violence cases."
During the Covid pandemic, cases of violence against women had intensified and that's when this quiet movement got more momentum.
"Even after the pandemic, we got a lot of personal calls from women, saying, 'We are afraid of our husbands. And these are rich women," Singh says.
Violence and abuse, she highlights, have no economic boundaries.
"Earlier, people believed these things happened only in Dharavi (Mumbai's largest slum) or in middle-class homes. But it's not like that. There are rich women calling us from Worli (central Mumbai) and all sorts of places."
She recalls an incident where a rich married woman was being abused and felt helpless in her own home.
"She said my husband has been home for three months and he's started to get violent. My kids are small. I have a mother-in-law at home. I don't know what to do. I fear for my life."
Singh explains how she helped the woman escape and find a solution.
"I remember sitting with her and making a checklist of everything she needed to get out of the home -- from shelters to legal clinics and emergency housing.
"I was asking questions like: Can she stay safe in a beggar's home nearby till she gets help? Can somebody give her their flat?"
Some of these harrowing experiences made Singh realise that domestic violence and marital abuse laws need to be stronger.
How the sari became the symbol
When Singh began searching for a symbol to represent the fight against marital rape, the answer was almost immediate.
"To a married woman in India, the sari is the most common garment. It transcends region, religion and class.
"It's something their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters wear. So it's a garment everyone relates to with womanhood and, specifically, the marital status of a woman."
The filmmaker also drew inspiration from ancient Indian mythology to bring the message home.
"The story about this particular woman (referencing the character of Draupadi from the Mahabharata)... she was being disrobed in a court and then she prayed. Divinity (Lord Krishna) came and made her sari infinite. So they were not able to take her honour."
Cut to modern India. Singh believes "the law must become that divine protector.
"Your consent should not end at the altar."
Creating the world's longest petition on a sari
The Infinite Saree measures 4,000 metres and features the names of thousands of women who signed the petition demanding the removal of the marital rape exception.
"We printed those signatures on the sari. And on the sari's 12-metre pallu, we embroidered the whole story behind 'Why the Infinite Saree'?
While designing the sari, Singh and Designer Nivedita Saboo chose durability over sustainability.
"The sari had to travel across monuments and cities. I want to take it to Pune, Delhi, London... it has to be durable for sure."
Since its launch on January 28, 2026 -- it was displayed at Mumbai's Elphinstone College until February 8 as part of the Kala Ghoda Arts festival -- the response has been overwhelming.
"It's become a conversation. We have a lot of influencers who are taking interest. People are noticing that there's something wrong with the law."
And this awareness, Singh says, is the first victory.
See: The Infinite Saree on display at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival
How Rahul Bhat became a campaign ambassador
One of the campaign's highlights has been the support it has got from men.
"We were very excited about a male ally coming forward to be a campaign ambassador. We had a few celebrities in mind but actor Rahul Bhat volunteered immediately. The first time I told him about this, he said, 'I want to be attached to it. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it.'"
For Singh, this proactive attitude was crucial to the campaign because she feels "the change is not only for the women by the women but it is also for the women from the men."
India needs a new cultural conditioning
Singh believes the problem runs deeper than legislation.
"There is an issue with the social-cultural behaviour of our society.
"In every Indian home, boys -- even when they are very young -- are taught to protect the girls and women in their family even if they are older. So they grow up thinking they are their bodyguards and have the moral right to control the woman's choice of clothes, the time she steps out or comes home."
"After marriage, for generations, women have been told to keep quiet... just because it's the husband. Even when you report violence to the police or judiciary, they will advise you to ignore it, look away or give the perpetrator another chance.
"We have seen cases where the people in the judiciary casually ask the man, 'Nahi maaroge na?' and then counsel the wife to go home with him, saying, 'Usne bola nahi maarega.'"
Sharing her own personal journey of divorce by mutual consent, Singh reveals how the attitude of her lawyer made her feel more confident and trust herself.
"Though ours was a mutual divorce and my ex-husband is great, the counsel didn't look at him. She looked into my eyes and asked: Have you ever been hurt physically? I said, 'No'. That trust makes a lot of difference to women."
For real transformation to happen, Singh insists, the onus lies in moulding our parenting styles, social-cultural conditioning and mindsets.
"We need to educate our boys as much as our girls. Judicial reform, police sensitisation and community education must work together."
Want to support the Infinite Saree campaign?
In the coming weeks, Singh and her team plan to travel to different cities in India and get at least 50,000 signatures by International Women's Day, which falls on March 8.
"We are talking about pro-consent, pro-dignity and pro-respect, which people often forget when they are married. The marriage certificate is not a legal document to consent to unlawful sex.
If you wish to support the campaign against marital rape, you can sign the petition HERE (external link).
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