A dupatta is so much more than a beautiful piece of fabric.

A dupatta is sound—swooshing and swashing like a superhero cape.

A dupatta is scent—cinnamon and cardamom, crushed coriander and peppermint oil.

A dupatta is fun—playing peekaboo and building cushion forts with dupatta canopies.

Written by Marzieh Abbas and vividly brought to life by the artwork of Anu Chouhan, this is a loving and lyrical ode to the dupatta. These shawls—traditionally worn by women in various cultures of South Asia—are beautiful and colourful of course, but they're also fun, functional, and carry the sounds and smells of family and identity.

Illustrated by: Anu Chouhan