Bhubaneswar: Erstwhile Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was a brand ambassador of sorts for Sambalpuri sarees of Odisha. She made them popular in India and abroad and often wore them on her tours to Odisha and even to the USA. Indira was known to be a connoisseur of handloom sarees.

Indira Gandhi addressing a public rally during her last Odisha visit; About 320 never-seen-before pictures of Indira Gandhi are on display at the exhibition in New Delhi, open to public till 31 January 2018

On her final visit to Odisha from 29-30 October 1984, she was draped in a printed saree with solid borders and a full-sleeved blouse. She was assassinated the very next day by her bodyguards in her New Delhi residence.

This saree is currently being showcased at an exhibition titled 'Indira: A Life of Courage' that celebrates her hundredth birth anniversary. The exhibition features pictures and artifacts from the private and public life and times of the Iron Lady of India at Indira Gandhi Memorial museum in New Delhi and includes photographs of her peers, letters, her original wedding card, etc.