Costumes
 |
Indians have been very fashionable
from the very ancient times if the sculptural evidence is anything to go by. Cotton cloth
has always been worn in India by the masses while the rich favored the use of silks.
Elaborate head-dresses and jewelry were even sported by men. The earlier dress code
revolved around wrapping the body with varied lengths of cloth.
Surprisingly, though styles were given a great deal of importance, stitching was not.
Women would use one length of piece as the blouse and tie the other round their waist as a
sari. These would accentuate their figures, making them look attractive. Indian men
usually wear shirt and trousers, but this varies in different parts of India. The typical
costume of the Indian women, are the Sari, Salwar Kameez and the Ghaghra Choli. The
diverse cultures and traditions have greatly influenced the styles of these costumes.
Sari, the six-yard length of cloth is still draped beautifully in the most intriguing
manner. It is worn with a stitched blouse. Usually six metre in length, the sari in its
most accepted form is worn with a blouse and petticoat. The sari is pleated in the front,
tucked into the waistband of the petticoat, and the end is flung over the shoulder,
displaying the pallav, which has intricate designs on it. There are regional variations in
the way it is worn. In the western states, the pallav is displayed in the front. In
Maharashtra, the sari is 9 metre long and is worn tucked between the legs. Half saris are
worn by young girls in the south and the northeastern regions.
Salwar Kameezes are worn mainly by the women of northern India but is favored all over
India by now. It includes a baggy pair of pyjamas called the Salwar, worn with a long and
flowing shirt called Kammez. The Kashmiri and the Himachali women wear a similar dress.
Theirs is thicker to suit to the climate and the embroidery done on them is particular to
the region. In Lucknow, the baggy pajamas are replaced by tight and long leggings that
form many folds at the ankles. These are called churidars, suggesting 'bangles'. So
comfortable is the dress that it is worn by most working women across India.
 |
The Ghaghra Cholis with their glittering mirror work is the most attractive. This
comprises of long pleated skirts, known as Ghaghra or Lehenga, and is worn with twin
blouses. The blouses have elaborate mirror work and patch work on them and are very
colorful. It is designed to leave the back and midriff bare. This type of dresses is
mainly by women in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat.
Variations of this dress are worn in the northeast and southern states. These are known as
half-saris. In Meghalaya, the women favor the jyensyem, a traditional dress consisting of
two ankle length pieces of cloth gathered at the shoulders. In Arunachal, Nagaland and
Mizoram they prefer a blouse and a length of cloth wound around the waist and running down
the ankle like a skirt, but more closely resembling the male Lungi of the south.
As for Indian men, the most favored dress is the western shirt and trousers. In the rural
areas, the lungi or dhoti (long piece of cloth wrapped around the legs) is worn. The
pyjama and Kurta (long shirt like with closed is worn at home during leisure. This garb is
also favored by Indian politicians, who sport spotlessly white kurta pyjamas.
Indian Languages
Ghara Embroidery
