When I arrived in the mountains, I thought the dupatta was an elegant but impractical wardrobe staple of the pahari women. I mean, why on earth would you want this gauzy thing trailing after you, snagging on the stinging nettles, while you traipse around the place? Since then I’ve seen the dupatta double as a baby sling, sunshade, handkerchief, and hot pad for lifting boiling pots off the flame. That’s what I call real elegance. Or, as Tripura would say: Style.