Costumes of India – Traditional Costume of different States of India

Tamil Nadu , Kerala , Andhra Pradesh ,Karnataka ,Assam, Orrisa, Bihar, Mizoram,
Tripura,Nagaland, W.Bengal, Sikkim
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KERALA
In this region, the principal article of dress both for men and women is
mundu. It is a piece of white cloth, 2.3m in length and 1.4m in breadth which is worn
round the waist in the manner a lungi is worn. Most communities, both among Hindus
and Christians, tuck it inside on the right side of the waist while Muslims often do so,
on the left. The mundu reaches the ankle or nearly touches the ground. But it is
common to see men fold up the mundu from below up to the knees and tuck it in at
the front waist almost in the middle to allow free movements for the legs. It also
saves the garment from being soiled or getting wet during heavy rains. It is simple to
wear. One does not have to bother about adjusting the frontal pleats or back- tuck.
Since in a short wrapping, the garment is worn always with supporting under
garment. The traditional under garment has been konam or koupinam, a strip of cloth
passing between the thighs and attached, both at the back and at the front, to a waist
string. Konam has now generally been replaced by modern under wears. The tradition
upper garment for men is torthu or torthumundu, a short piece of cloth which is
thrown over the shoulders of folded and slung on one shoulder like a towel. But on
special occasion a cloth of better texture (parumundu), somewhat longer and broader,
is wrapped round the upper part of the body. The shirt, instead of the traditional wrap
is popular among the urban sections of the peoples. Even villagers are now using a
shirt while going out to public places.
There are also other modes of dressing in certain communities.
Namboothiris, Elayads and some others on religious occasions wear a long dhoti with
frontal pleats and back tuck. This style of wear is called thattu. Some communities of
both sexes while performing religious ceremonies follow this style of dressing. The
muslim men wear a mundu, white or coloured with a border. They sometimes tie the
mundu with a nool, a waist – string to which are attached some pieces of gold or
silver containing religious texts. They put on a small linen skull-cap. A few decades
ago it was customary for a government servant to wear a coat and headgear but this
practice has now disappeared.
 Women wear mundu as a lower garment. Most women of Hindu
community also wear an under garment called onnaramundu. It is a large piece of
cloth wound tightly round the loins and then round the legs separately and tucked in
at the back on the right side. Its serves like short tight drawers. The women wear
bodice and blouse generally coloured, as upper garment. Some wear a longer piece of
cloth of finer texture over the shoulder as an additional garment, while going out.
Namboothiris wear an under garment in a different style. A knee- length cloth is
fastened tightly round the loins and then passed between the legs and tucked in
behind at the waist. Another cloth is wrapped around the breast under the armpits
reaching upto the thigh. While going out they cover themselves up from neck to ankle
with a long piece of cloth. It reminds us of the style in which a Toda woman covers
herself. The dress of the Tamil Brahmins who have settled in Kerala is the same as
described earlier and shown in.

Christian women are accustomed to dress in white clothes in particular

manner. They wear a white long-sleeved jacket up to the waist and a long white
(6.4m long and 1.2 m broad), with or without coloured border, tied around the waist
with a number of fans like fringes behind. Jewish women used a red coloured cloth as
a lower garment and a jacket. The Muslim women’s dress consist of white or
coloured mundu , full or half sleeved jacket with tight neck and a scarf thrown over
the head and falling over the shoulders. Modern styles are slowly replacing the
tradition ones. A large number of women wear half- sari (neriyatu) in combination
with mundu and blouse. A large percentage of women, mostly younger generation in
different castes and communities, have adopted sari, petticoat and blouse of modern
design. They are moving towards a more or less uniform pattern of dressing, though
they are exceptions. It is however, seen that as they grow older, many of them revert
to the traditional from of dress.
TAMILNADU

In the tamil speaking, region dothi is known as vesti. It is worn with a

posterior tuck in three different ways. The panchagachcham mode of wear uses fine
tucking as indicated by the name. Dothi is worn in this manner on sacred occasions,
mostly by Brahmins. The more common mode of wearing of the Brahmins is known
as trikachcham, using only three tucking. The portion drawn up behind is partially
pleated for tucking in and one edge of the portion is left dangling. In another style of
wear, the lower edge of the dangling frontal pleats is also drawn up between the legs
and tucked in at the back by the side of the first posterior tuck. The working class
wears a dhoti of shorter length and breadth with posterior tuck and a few frontal
pleats. On the left side it reaches up to the mid-thigh and on the right up to the knee.
Sometimes the surplus right portion of the dhoti is gathered breadth wise and
wrapped round the waist.

But the most common way of wearing the dhoti is to wrap it in a simple
manner round the waist without the back tuck. This mode of wear requires a thick
short dhoti (ottevesti), 3.7m in length. Sometimes a dhoti of double the length
(rettaivesti) is converted into a short dhoti by folding it length wise. An underwear or
komanam (langoti) is worn underneath the dhoti. Muslim men of the older generation
continue their old mode of dress. They wear a coloured lungi and a shirt. The dress of
the Christians resembles that of the Hindus.

A scarf (angavastram) is used for the upper part of the body. It is put round the
shoulders. Sometimes it is wrapped round the waist as a kamarband. Some Brahmins
tuck in a small kerchief or piece of cloth at the waist; it comes handy for dusting a
place clean before squatting. The north Indian bandi or any close-fitting upper
garment is conspicuous by its absence in these southern regions. The Brahminical
classes remain bare-headed like the Brahmins in Andhra or the people in the eastern
regions. Even non-Brahmins now prefer to go about without covering their heads,
except in districts bordering Karnataka and Andhra where voluminous headgears may
be seen.

The length of the sari varies from6.4m (7yds) to 9m (10yds) depending on the
manner of wearing. The standard mode (madisar) of wearing the sari with a posterior
tuck requires not less than 7m. The sari is known as selai or pudavai. The style of
wearing the sari generally depends on the caste or the sect of a community. It is
customary for Brahmin women, to pass the inner end of the sari between legs and to
tuck in at the behind. The points at which the pleats are tucked in at the left hip as is
the fashion with the smartha and Iyer women. Vaishnava women, for instance the
Iyengars, do not use any ornamental fold. Among some castes the pleats are worn at
the right hip while among a few the pleats are displayed at the back of the waist as is
done by the Coorg women.
 Unlike the Maharashtrian women, the Tamil women conceal their back-tuck by
bringing the sari at least once more round the waist after the posterior tucking. The
ornamental pleats (kosavu) also get hidden under this second wrapping, only the
lower ends remain visible. The surplus portion of the sari that goes on the upper part
is called marapu. There are two styles of disposing of this upper portion. More often
the surplus portion is drawn form the left side over the bosom and the right shoulder
and then it is brought over the left side form the back for tucking in the edge in front
of the right hip as in the case of Iyer ladies. In the other style, the mode of wrapping
takes the opposite direction as in the case of Iyengar ladies. It is interesting to note
that in Karnataka that sari is universally carried over from the right hip to the left
shoulder. In Andhra two modes are prevalent but the Karnataka mode is more
preferred. In Tamil Nadu the mode of drawing the mode of drawing the sari over the
right shoulder appears to be far more common. The other mode of wearing the sari
without a posterior tuck is known as goodake for mambayakattu and is the style of
non-Brahmin women, though even Brahmin women adopt this mode on the non-
formal and non-ritual occasions. In this style the upper portion of the sari is taken
from the right hip to the left shoulder. It requires only 5.5m of sari. In the past this
mode was not very popular, but now it is fast coming into vogue among all classes,
particularly in the towns, thus leveling the sartorial social distinctions.

Ravikkai, a tight jacket used as an upper garment, is slowly giving place to

blouse of modern style. As in Andhra Pradesh, the women in Tamil Nadu do not use
their sari to cover their heads. Muslim ladies, however, cover their heads. The dress
of young girl consists of a long skirt pleated all round, a blouse and a half-sari
(davanni) which does not fully cover the skirt. One end of the half-sari is tucked into
the left side of the shirt and the other end after tacking round the back is slung back
over the shoulder.
 KARNATAKA

In Karnataka men use a dhoti called dhotara (3.7 to 4.6m long and 1.3m wide)
with a narrow coloured border on each of the length wise sides. It is draped round the
waist with a posterior tuck in the same manner as found in Maharashtra. In some
places, generally in the south of the state, younger men wrap a coloured or white
shorter piece of cloth (panche) in lungi-style, that is, without front pleats and back-
tuck. The style of wearing the lower garment is prevalent in all the four states of the
south. Shirt, jubba (similar to kurta) or banian covers the upper part of the body.
Elders often throw a piece of cloth (shalya or angavastra) over their shoulders. There
is a total absence of the type of turbans used by the Brahmins in Maharastra. But two
types of freshly folded headdress, the pheta and rumal were once in vogue like in
Maharastra. Rumal, a large square piece of cloth is less worn now. Pheta, the
characteristic headdress of the people of former Mysore state, is often bordered by a
lace. It is particularly worn in the south of Karnataka and is wound the head in a
triangular fashion. Many elderly people of the upper wear a voluminous white turban.
Cap is also occasionally worn in place of turban.

The dress of women consists of a sari called seere, and a tight-fitting short
jacket or blouse called kuppasa. One end of the sari is gathered into a bunch of frontal
pleats, while the other free end passing across the bosom is drawn over the left
shoulder so that it hangs behind or covers the back fully up to the right shoulder and
arm. Expect amongst Brahmins and some other caste, a portion of the sari is drawn
over the head. Some Brahmins sects, particularly Madhavas and Shrivaishnavas, wear
the sari in the kachcha style. Among the women of labouring classes, the posterior
tuck is common as it facilities free movement. Married women during some religious
functions use the inner loose end of the sari for tucking in at the back. In Karnataka,
the sari has a wider border (called acha) than in maharastra. In recent years the length
of a sari has been shortened to 4.6 to 5.5m. The upper garment is of a similar design
as found in Maharastra. The kuppasa is generally made of coloured cloth with gussets
and often has borders. The usual dress of a girl consists of a langa (skirt and a jacket).

Men of Muslim community generally wear dhoti, but elderly men sometime
used pyjamas instead. They are a skull-cap been tying turban. Muslim women wear
either sari and blouse or pyjamas and full sleeved shirt. The Moplahs who claim
decent from Arab trader of old, wear a white or striped cloth in lungi-style and put on
a shirt and a cap. Their women usually wear red or other coloured cloth or check
patterned sari in a lungi- fashion along with a full sleeved shirt. They wear silver
chains on their ankle and sometimes tie a piece of cloth on their forehead. The
Christian girls living in village wear white skirts over which a short saris worn in a
lungi-style, but married Christian women sari in usual fashion.

The coorgs have their own characteristics dress, for both their men and women.
Coorg men wear trousers, coat and shirt. But on festive occasion they come out with a
long coat of dark colour open in front and reaching below the knees. This sleeves of
the coat reach just below the elbows, exposing the arm of the white shirt worn
underneath the coat. On the right front a short Coorg knife with sliver or ivory handle
and fastened with a sliver chain, is stuck to the sash. A turban, large and flat at the
top, is worn covering the nape of the neck.

Coorg women wear the sari in a special style. First, one end of the sari is
wrapped round the waist and tied by a by a string after forming pleats and tucking
them at the back instead of in front. The other free end is bought from behind under
the right arm and passed under the left arm with its upper edge horizontally lined
from one armpit to the other above the bossom and the lower edge lying near the
ankle. The free end is then passed across the back, and its upper edge is pulled a little
over the right shoulder and knotted or pinned there with the upper edge of the front
portion. The women is covered with a coloured scraf, one side of the scraf lines the
forehead while its four corners are knotted together at the back allowing the ends to
fall on the shoulders.

ANDHRA PRADESH
The common dress of a men ion this region consists of dhoti, shirts or jubba
(kurta) and paibatta. The most common mode of wearing the dhoti is known as
gochipancha or panchakattu. The middle portion of the dhoti is adjusted along the
waist in such a manner that the portion of the right side is made longer than that of the
left side. The left portion is drawn up between the legs and tucked in the waist at the
back. In the old traditional style some portion of the edge hanging loose at the
posterior is spread out to cover the left side of the seat and again tucked in. The
longer portion of the dhoti on the right side is pleated and tucked in at the front. The
lower edge of the pleats are lifted up and tucked in at the front. The hind tucking is
called gochi and the front pleats are called kuchchela.

There is another style of wearing a short dhoti known as addapancha or

goodakattu. The short-dhoti about 2m long is simply wrapped round the waist and
held by side tucks without any frontal pleats or posterior tuck. It is a lungi-like wear
commonly adopted in the southern areas of the state and mostly worn by the younger
people as in Karnataka. Working class men generally wear this type of lower garment
and fold it up above the knees to facilitate easy movement of the legs.

For an upper garment, jubba is being replaced by a shirt. Most men in the
coastal region use a scarf called paibatta or kanduva. This piece of cloth about 2m in
length is usually folded and is put over one shoulder and then wound round the neck
and allowed to fall backward on the same shoulder. It is a prescribed item of dress for
ceremonial or religious occasions. In rural areas, poor people sling a hand women
towel over shoulder when they do not wear any upper garment. In villages the
Muslim men wear coloured and striped handloom lungi stitched at end, shirt or jubba
and towel. In towns, lungi is substituted by pyjamas and towel by cap. Sherwani is
worn on ceremonial occasions. Mode of dress of some Muslims and Christians
conforms closely to the Hindu pattern. Headdress on the Karnataka side of Andhra is
more voluminous than in Karnataka and is white. Brahmins generally prefer to move
about without any headdress.

Women wear sari (chira) and blouse (ravika). The sari is shorter than the one
favored in Maharastra, its length along 7.3m instead of 8.2m. Brahmins of Madhava,
Srivaishnava and some other continue to adhere to their customary style of wearing
sari with back-tuck known as billagochi. In this billagochi style, the end of the left
side portion of the sari is drawn up between the legs for a posterior tuck. Another
mode of wear with a posterior tuck is known as mattagochi, commonly current among
the labouring class. In mattagochi sari is worn in the usual goodakattu mode but the
front pleats are drawn up casually between the legs and tucked in at the back waist.
The side hanging of the sari is also taken up and tucked in at the sides. This
shortening of the vertical length of sari seems functional especially for work like
digging earthy, lifting bricks and climbing on scaffolds.

The standard mode of wearing sari among the non-Brahmins is without a

posterior tuck. As in found is north India. This style is called goodakattu but is
different from the goodakattu mode of male wear because the sari has the usual front
pleats. There are two different style of drawing up the surplus portion of te sari to
caver the upper part of the body. Generally, among Brahmins, the free end of the sari
is drawn up from the left side and taken over the left shoulder and the back or brought
in front under the right arm and tucked in at the left waist. Among other castes, the
process of draping the upper part of the body is just the reverse with the free end
passing over the right shoulder instead of left. In both the styles, it is not customary to
draw the end of the sari over the head. In this, it differs from the style of Karnataka
where the head is generally kept covered by ladies in non-Brahmins families. Earlier,
ravika, the upper garment, was like the Maharashtrian choli which fastens in front by
knotting two side flaps. Now ravika with modern cut is replacing the old style.
Female laborers in rural areas sometimes do not use ravika but fully cover their body
with the sari.

Grown-up girls wear ravika with a long skirt pleated all round and tied at one
end as a lower garments. Over the skirt they wear pamila (half-sari) measuring about
 2.3m. It is pleated three or four times and tucked into the left side of the skirt. The
remaining portion of the pamita is brought round from behind and drawn up over the
left shoulder with its end hanging at the back. The pamita does not fully cover the
skirt. Muslim women generally wear the same dress as the Hindu women, but some
wear salwar and kameez.

ASSAM

Long hidden behind red tape, Assam`s beauty is a fact that defies imagination.
The rarest of flora and fauna, blue hills and green tea, a bustling capital and black oil, it is
a beauty that soothes even as it disturbs. Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan bound Assam in
the north, Nagaland to the east, and Manipur and Mizoram to the south. In the southwest,
Assam touches the borders of West Bengal and Bangladesh.

There is one ensemble that can be called the traditional costume of the Assamese
women. It is known as the "mekhala and chadar". The dresses of most Assamese women,
whichever tribe they may belong to, can be called variations of the mekhala and chadar.

Assam is the home of several types of silks, the most prominent and prestigious
being muga, the golden silk exclusive only to this state. Muga apart, there is paat, as also
eri, the latter being used in manufacture of warm clothes for winter. Of a naturally rich
golden colour, muga is the finest of Indias wild silks. It is produced only in Assam.
 The women of Assam weave fairy tales in their looms. Skill to weave was the
primary qualification of a young girl for her eligibility for marriage. This perhaps
explains why Assam has the largest concentration of Handlooms and weavers in India.
One of the worlds finest artistic traditions finds expression in their exquisitely woven
`Eri`, `Muga` and `Pat` fabrics.

The traditional handloom silks still hold their own in world markets. They score
over factory-made silks in the richness of their textures and designs, in their individuality,
character and classic beauty. No two hand woven silks are exactly alike. Personality of
the weaver, her hereditary skill, her innate senses of colour and balances all help to create
a unique product

Today, India exports a wide variety of silks to Western Europe and the United
States, especially as exclusive furnishing fabrics. Boutiques and fashion houses,
designers and interior decorators have the advantage of getting custom-woven fabrics in
the designs, weaves and colours of their choice. A service that ensures an exclusive
product not easily repeatable by competitors. The Tribal on the other hand have a wide
variety of colourful costumes, some of which have earned International repute through
the export market.

Every Assamese woman can weave cloths on the loom. Weaving is an intrinsic
part of the traditional village life. Weaving in Assam is so replete with artistic sensibility
and so intimately linked to folk life that Gandhiji, during his famous tour to promote
khadi and swadeshi, was so moved that he remarked: "Assamese women weave fairy
tales in their clothes!"

Traditionally men folk of plains wear mill- made dhuties and small or big sized
sola/fatua (shirt) and vest or eri-chaddar. In villages, rich men use headgear. They use
japi (hat) while working in paddy fields. The young boys use dhuti, genji only on some
occasions but they prefer using western dresses. The Assamese wear bare foot. The
Assamese ladies enter the kitchen bare foot. The Assamese young boys use on occasion`s
headgears with their gomacha, which they tie to their hip, especially when they are
dancing in Bihu to cover the waist with the dhuti. Some young men use Khaddar clothes.

Assamese women use riha-mekhela-Sadar. The long flowing skirt up to the ankles
is known as mekhela and the upper garment riha. The red coloured pattern at the end of
the riha is graceful and symbolic. Designs are also found in the pari (border) of mekhela
and riha. It is said that the dress of mehkela and the riha chaddar has been adopted from
the Tibetan and Burmese women. Some are of the opinion that the long back saree was
the dress of the Assamese women. The bride of lower Assam use saree in the marriage
ceremony. However, some Assamese ladies have started using saree at home and outside,
as it is cheaper than mekhela chaddar. Ladies of Goalpara, Gouripur, and Dhubri area
prefer sari for both outside and for home.

The Bodo ladies of Kokrajhar, Darrang, Sonitpur etc. use Dakhna, which is
different from Mehkela-riha-Sador. Generally, dakhna has yellow colour body with some
design in brown colour etc. ladies do not use headgear. Married women cover their head
with one end of the riha-sador and it is called orni or ghumta. The Hindu married ladies
put vermilion on their forehead and on the parting of combed hair and wear bangles made
of shell. Women wear mekhela covering waist and ankle. Riha cover the upper part. They
wear sador to cover the upper part and use blouse and bodice. Assamese Muslims also
use same dresses except vermilion.

ORISSA
Orissa is the only state that showcases Indias wealth in its splendid temples,
shrines, glistening golden beaches and crowing architecture, sculptures and other diverse
arts and crafts. Orissa, India is known for its ethnic and traditional handcrafted items, be
it clothes, rugs or decorative items. The Tourism industry gets a major boost because of
these art forms as people come from far and wide to simply watch these amazingly
skillful artisans at work while they create these handcrafted items. If one plans to visit
any hilly area in Orissa, then good woolen clothing is recommended in winters.

Odissi dance costume

Odissi is the traditional dance of Orissa. The costume is similar to that of

traditional Bharathanatyam costume. Light cottons in summer and light woolens in
winter.. Odissi dance attire like other Indian Classical dance has a stitched costume
(pyjama style) made out of the special Orissa handloom sarees. The sarees have their
special borders and intricate designs that sets them apart from other sarees. Earlier, there
were no stitched costumes but only the sarees used to be draped around. But over a
period of time, the stitched costume has been used more frequently because of its
convenience.

Orissa is recognized in India for its handlooms, especially the Orissa saris (six
yard material draped around as clothing for Indian women). The saris usually have bright
eye-catching color combinations, such as the ones you see displayed in the titles, banners
and borders above, and different patterns, animals, etc repeated over the length of the
saris. The state is also known for the intricate silver filigree jewellery. In Odissi dance,
both the sari and jewellery are showcased in the attire.

Originally, the Orissa saris were draped around the dancers in a specific manner
for the costume. However, due to time constraints and for greater ease and neatness,
costumes are now stitched in that specific manner, so that the dancers could easily change
into different costumes during a program. In Orissa there are many different designs and
motifs woven in cotton and silk to create the distinctive saris of Orissa - Bomkai,
Teliarumaal, Sambalpuri which are cherished by women in India

Hand looms

Orissa is a thickly tribal inhabited state, consisting of sixty two tribes living in
different parts of the state - in the highlands, forests, valleys and in the foot hills. Each
tribal community has separate mode of living and they differ significantly in their dress.
To the tribals, dress is a cultural need and it is also a part of their tradition.

Among the tribals the use of dress is very significant and worthwhile. The tribals
do not use dress just merely to hide their nakedness rather it reflects the racial feeling and
their cultural identity. The tribals use separate costumes at the time of festivals and
ceremonies. In a specific tribe the dresses from birth to old age has immense variety.

The costumes of the male members of the tribe and the females are also different.
It is a fact that the female community pays more attention in covering their body. In some
tribal communities the women folk want their male partners to be dressed elegantly and
impressively. A tribal woman also wears a variety of dresses from her birth to death
corresponding to different stages of her life. For instance, a Dhangedi (a maiden) adorns
with fine clothes to attract the attention of others while the Gurumai, the priestess wears
formal clothes to worship the goddess for the betterment of her community. Dress also
helps them in many adversities and also helps to propitiate gods and goddesses who
safeguard them against the malevolent atrocities of the ghosts, spirits, etc.

The tribals also use dress according to the position of individual in the society like
the clan`s head, the priest, and the revenue collector etc. The dress that they use at the
time of marriage, birth, death, worship etc. are also different. They use dresses keeping in
view the occasion, age, sex and other factors.

Different tribal communities use different kind of dresses, differing in their colour
and size. Their dresses are designed keeping in view their necessity and their
surrounding. The socio-cultural and the religious views of the tribals slightly contribute
for the variety in their dresses. There are several tribes like the Bondo and Gadaba who
weave their own clothes. While the other tribes purchase their dress from another
community or the neighbouring Damas or Panas. These people manufacture the costumes
of a specific tribe and sell them in the weekly village market. Sometimes these weavers
are being paid in cash or in kind in the form of agricultural products
 The tribal costumes are very simple and it provides immense comfort to the
wearer. Generally, in the Kandha community the Dongria Kandha, the Kutia Kandha and
the Desia Kandha, Lanjia Saora and the Santhals depend on other communities (non-
tribal artisans) for their clothes. Lanjia Saora and some other tribal community make
threads by themselves and give it to the Damas to weave for them. And again they
purchase that cloth from the Damas by cash or kind. While the Bondo and the Didayi, the
Gadabas weave their own clothes though the Dangrias purchase the cloth from the
neighbouring Damas. They knit fine needle work on it and use it.

The handloom sarees of Orissa can be broadly classified into four groups. They
are ikat, bomkai, bandha and pasapalli. The ikat sarees are made in deep colours like
blue, majenta, red, with ikat or tie and dye patterns on them. They are beautiful and eye-
catching. Traditionally, the women of Orissa dress in sari with ikat patterns. These types
of sarees are made at Nuapatna, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bargarh.

The paintings are done on tussar silk also. Sambalpur and Cuttacki sarees of
Orissa are famous across the country and the motifs printed on these sarees by the
process of tie and dye also make for unique aesthetic expressions of Orissa's
craftspersons. When at Orissa, you are sure to get floored by the bomkai sarees.
However, over the years, the bomkai sarees have undergone a vast change. Nowadays,
vegetable dyes are being replaced with chemical dyes. Bomkai sarees are marked by the
intricate embroidery works in the border and pallu.

Then there are heavy Berhampuri silks, with their plain narrow borders. The
pasapalli saris have black and white squares on them, which is the replica of chessboard.
Golden threads are used to enhance the pattern in the cotton and tussar silk saris. All
these sarees weave a culture of exclusivity and elegance into the costumes of Orissa.
The private enterprises and the weaving co-operatives are doing a flourishing business in
Orissa. The Sambalpuri is a well-known handloom society in Orissa.

The state of Orissa is also known for its silver filigree jewellery, which can make
for an elegant style statement in this age of loud fashions. Orissa has a sizeable
population of the tribals, and their colourful dresses and jewellery are also an integral part
of the costumes of Orissa. Wearing them can give you the feel of wearing a slice of
Orissa's primeval culture.
BIHAR
Bihar, the land that has inculcated traditional old values to the core, is noted for
its hand woven textiles in the field of costume. Particularly, the rustic crowd of Bihar
adheres to the traditional pattern of dresses and jewellery. Though most of the population
of the state still remains in rural areas the costumes worn by them are still traditional. The
clothes for the people of different religions are a bit divergent. The senior male citizens of
Bihar, irrespective of Hindu or Muslim, favour tradition, when it comes to costumes. If a
Hindu elderly person prefers Dhoti (an Indian loin cloth), a Muslim person might dress
himself in Lungi (a type of petticoat for men) or Pyjama (loose trousers). As an upper
garment, men usually go for Kurta (loose, normally cotton, Indian, T-shirts), and shirts.

However, the men resort to attractive apparels for ceremonies, festivals and social
gatherings. Kurtas, Churidar, Pyjamas and Sherwani are the ideal costumes, chosen for
such special occasions, where accurate attitude owes a lot to an impressive dressing style.

The Muslims, Sikhs, and Christian males are habituated in luxuriating in the
fragrance of perfumes and "attar" on an every day basis. It is interesting to note that men
of Bihar inhabit a penchant for ornaments. They decorate themselves with bala or bali
(bangles) in Shahabads, Kanausi in Patna and Gaya. Again Gowalas (the milkmen) flaunt
themselves in Kundals (earrings). However, malas or bead necklaces are on the rise these
days, than, the other ornaments.

The costume of the women folk of Bihar is chosen carefully in keeping with
tradition. As per tradition, married women, smear the hair- parting zone with powder of
Sindoor or vermillion. Tikli, a forehead-adorning little ornament is added to the hair-
partitioning area. On the forehead, a Bihari married woman, be she an urban or a rural
one, usually applies bindi. A lot of Bihari women, love applying Kajal i.e. eye-pencil, or
antimony eye-make-up called Surma, to improve the appeal of their eyes. They also
indulge in flattering their senses with soothing aromatic oils that leave them perfumed,
and refreshed, in the mind and body. Tattoo-paintings are broadly prevalent among Bihari
women. They give detailed attention to their hands, and beautify them with Mehendi-
designs (a kind of tattooing, done with colors fetched from herbal product like, amla or
shikakai).

Ornaments with elaborate designs and extravagant look, such as Chandrahar,

Tilri, Panchlari, Satlari, and Sikri are the common accessories, accompanying a woman in
Bihar. Indeed, the plethora of accessories, replicate upon the craze for jewellery and
ornaments. Women`s passions for jewellery are not restricted to necklaces only. They
buy and wear myriad ornaments for arms, wrists and fingers. The most popular are
bangles, rings, for hands and the anklets (worn around ankles).

Beauty-consciousness is an inherent characteristic of feminine nature. And in this

respect, even the tribal women of Bihar, are not lagging behind. Even the men participate
in these regular grooming-sessions. Tribal people, inclusive of both men and women,
wrap a thin strip of cloth round the waist. By rule, they maintain two pieces, of cloth, one
for home-use and the other for going out. Their men are accustomed to wearing Dhotis,
whereas women attire themselves in sarees.

Drawing tattoo on the forehead, arms and legs is very much in vogue among tribal
population. This is especially in harmony with their belief in magic. To sum up,
simplicity is the mantra which provides an aura of elegance to the costume of this tribal
elegance of Bihar. The costumes of Bihar, thus exhibit the richness, refinement and
immeasurable worth of a heritage that remains ever-glorious, even in the face of changing
times.
MIZORAM

There are many traditional dresses of Mizo women. The most favorite and
common among them is the Puan, which is very similar to a Churidar Kurta with three
pieces- a legging, top clothing and a head cloth which resembles dupattas. On the
occasion of weddings and other festivals, the Mizo women wear 'Puanchei'. It has many
varieties such as `Chapchar Kut`, `Mim Kut` and `Pawl Kut`. Puanchei has two parts-
straight long skirt type clothing and a shirt or top that is worn above it. They are
traditionally bright in color with checkered patterns. The headdress, worn during dances,
is the most attractive feature of this Mizo Lusei dress. This headgear is made of a coronal
which is built from brass and colored cane. There are porcupine quills on this head dress
and upper edges of these quills are added with green wing-feathers of the common parrot.
Some very attractive blouses are also worn by the women of Mizoram such as Kawrchei
and Ngotekherh. They are usually worn along with `Puanchei` while performing various
Mizo dances.

The Mizoram men believe in simplicity, when it comes to deciding their

traditional costume. They drape themselves in an almost. 7 feet long and 5 feet wide
cloth-piece. It reaches the left shoulder to the back and then passes under the right arm, to
cover the chest, with the remaining end concealing the left shoulder.

In cold season, some additional attire is worn, one on top of the other, along with
a white coat, comes down from the throat enveloping till the thighs. White and red bands,
invested with designs adorn the sleeves of these coats. During the hot months, people tie
these clothes around the waist to feel comfortable. Moreover, at times to avoid the
blazing sun, a Lusei man contrives a piece of cloth as a turban or Pagri. The entire
costume of the Lusei men is made of cotton, cultivated in the region itself. Usually, the
costumes come in white colour, but sometimes men want to wear other shades, for
example, blue colour bestowed with stripes. There is hardly any difference existing in the
costumes of the ordinary Lusei and the head of the community. Only during festive
occasions, the costume is different.

The traditional costume of the Lusei women is the dark blue cotton petticoat,
worn round the waist and tightly held by a girdle or belt of brass wire. This is uniform,
worn by all women, stretches itself upto the knees. This petticoat is topped off by short
white jacket and a cloth, wrapped in the same way as the men`s. However, the
resplendent item in the Lusei girl`s costume is the headgear, worn during dances. This
headdress is composed of a coronal, built from brass and colored cane, endowed with
porcupine quills, and upper edges of these quills are added green wing-feathers of the
common parrot, carrying at their tips tussocks of wing covers of green beetles.
SIKKIM

THE LEPCHAS
The original inhabitants of Sikkim are said to be Lepchas. They existed much
before the Bhutias and Nepalese migrated to the state. Before adopting Buddhism or
Christianity as their religion, the earliest Lepcha settlers were believers in the bone faith
or mune faith. This faith was basically based on spirits, good and bad. They worshipped
spirits of mountains, rivers and forests which was but natural for a tribe that co-existed so
harmoniously with the rich natural surroundings. The Lepcha (Zongu) folklore is rich
with stories. The Lepcha population is concentrated in the central part of the Sikkim.
This is the area that encompasses the confluence of Lachen and Lachung rivers and
Dickchu.

Life in a Lepcha dwelling is very simple. The male Lepcha wears a dress called
a "pagi" made of cotton, which is stripped. The female Lepcha wear a two piece dress.
The Lepchas speak the language lepcha, although this language is not very well
developed but is rich in vocabulary related to the flora & fauna of Sikkim. Lepchas are
very good at archery. The polyandry marriages are permitted amongst the Lepchas.
THE BHUTIAS
These are the people of Tibetan origin. They migrated to Sikkim perhaps
somewhere after the fifteenth century through the state of Sikkim. In Northen Sikkim,
where they are the major inhabitants, they are known as the Lachenpas and
Lachungpas. The language spoken by the bhutias is sikkimese. Bhutia villages are as
large as those compared to those of Lepchas. A Bhutia house called "Khin" is usually of
rectangular shape.

The traditional dress of the male member is known as the "Bakhu" which is a
loose cloak type garment with full sleeves. The ladies dress consists of a silken "Honju"
which is a full sleeve blouse and a loose gown type garment. The ladies are very fond of
heavy jewelry made of pure gold.
THE NEPALESE
The Nepalese appeared on the Sikkim scene much after the Lepchas & Bhutias.
They migrated in large numbers and soon became the dominant community. The
Nepalese now constitute more than 80 % of the total population. The Nepali settlers
introduced the terraced system of cultivation. Cardamom was an important cash crop
introduced by the Nepalis'. Except for the Sherpas & Tamangs who are Buddhists, the
Nepalis' are orthodox Hindus with the usual cast system.

The Nepali language is spoken and understood all over the state. This language
is similar to Hindi and uses the Devangri script. The traditional male nepali dress
consists of long double breast garment flowing below the waist and a trouser known as
"Daura Suruwal". The female dress consist of a double breasted garment with
strings to tie on both the sides at four places, which is shorter than the Daura and is
known as "Chow Bandi Choli". They also wear a shawl known as "Majetro". The
"Khukri" which has become a synonym to the Nepali (Gurkha) culture, is a very
sharp edged, angled, heavy weapon carried in a wooden or leather scabbard known as
"Daab".
WEST BENGAL
The costumes of West Bengal reflect the state's rich cultural traditions. The
traditional costume of the women of West Bengal is saree, though salwar kameez and
western wears are also gaining in popularity. The women of West Bengal prefer to adorn
themselves with a variety of colourful sarees, which they wear in a characteristically
Bengali fashion. Both silk and cotton sarees are very much popular in West Bengal.
Among the silk sarees, Baluchari sarees have achieved a legendary reputation.

They are the products of wonderful craftsmanship of the weavers of West Bengal,
which endow the wearer with a seminal style statement. Daccai sarees are also quite
famous and popular both within and outside West Bengal. In fact, West Bengal has an
exquisite weaving tradition, which has given its sarees a unique appeal. Shantipur in
Nadia district, Begumpur in Hooghly district, Kenjekura in Bankura district are weavers'
havens.

The traditional costumes for the men of West Bengal are dhoti and panjabi. The
former is a lower garment, while the latter is an upper garment. Panjabi is similar to
kurtas that are worn in north India as upper garments. The dhoti and panjabi can be of
cotton as well as silk. However, very few Bengali men of this generation and even its
earlier generation wear dhoti and panjabi, except on formal occasions like weddings or
Durga Puja. In day-to-day usage, they prefer to wear western wear in work and leisure.

Besides handlooms, West Bengal is also known for its intricate needlework,
which even in this information age is practiced by the women of West Bengal in homes.
Colourful kanthas are the products of this painstaking but emotionally rewarding
embroidery and needlework. These multi-coloured patchwork quilts, stitched from often
discarded pieces of garments, are not only beautiful to look, but useful. They can serve as
bedspreads, as mirror-wraps or as plain quilts to ward away mild winters. Sometimes
these kanthas have illustrated artworks stitched on them, which adds to their aesthetic
appeal.

NAGALAND
Costumes of Nagaland mainly comprise shawls which are an extensively used
item of the state. The Nagas are classified into sixteen tribes speaking different dialects,
customs and traditional costumes. Among the men, the costume mainly consists of a
short wrap-around skirt and a feathered headdress. Naga women have different styles of
wearing a skirt, called mekhla, which vary with the respective tribes. For example, the
women of the Ao tribe wear a piece of cloth wrapped around their waists like a skirt with
a hand-woven top or blouse. In some cases, just a single piece of cloth is used to wrap the
body starting from the bosom and reaching up to the knees. The pattern mainly consists
of red and black stripes with small yellow motifs on the black stripes.

The traditional shawls are the most prominent as well as popular traditional
clothing of Nagaland. The women of Aos clan of Nagaland wear a skirt- one and a
quarter metre long. Around 2/3 of the skirt length is draped around the waist and the
outer edge is used for securing the dress. These skirts are of varied types and differ
according to villages and clans. Some of the popular types of Ao skirts include Azu
jangnup su- with red and yellow-black stripes; Ngami su- the fish tail skirt; and
Yongzujangau- the cucumber seed skirt which is woven in red threads on a black base.
The women of Angami clan mostly wear a plain blue cloth and a white cloth with black
marginal bands of varying breadth . They can also be seen in men`s garment. Casually,
these Angami women wear a petticoat called neikhro, a sleeveless top called vatchi, and a
white skirt called pfemhou. The vibrant colors and patterns are the distinctive
characteristics of the Naga women's clothing.

COSTUMES OF TRIPURA

Tripura, the frontier hilly state of the North-East, is the land of skilled weavers,
gifted with proper know-how .The women of the local tribes, such as the Khakloo, the
Halam, the Lushei and the Kuki-Chin tribe , excel in the art of weaving, as is attested in
the diligent traditional costumes, which they diligently preserve.

Halam

The tribals prefer to wear clothes made by themselves. The texture of such clothes
is thick. The men wear turbans and a narrow piece of cloth as a lower garment. Most of
the time, the upper part of the body remains uncovered. However, they wear shirts when
they go out. The women wear along piece of cloth as the lower garment, which is known
as pachchra. They cover their breasts with a small piece of cloth called risha, which is
embroidered with various designs. Some of the tribals occasionally wear shoes. The tribal
men and women are casual in the matter of their hairdressing.

Young boys and girls present quite a different picture as far as the dress is
concerned. The boys prefer to wear shirts and pants. The girls feel shy of wearing the
risha, and prefer to wear the blouses, which they purchase, from the market. However
wearing risha in the marriages is still customary among many of the tribals.

Khakloo

The Khakloo are a small, little known tribe who claim agnative relationship with
the Purum Tipra- a dominant community that ruled the Tripura state for several centuries.
They make their own clothes. The cotton is grown in the jhoom. Women do spinning and
weaving only. It is forbidden for men to take any part in the operation, as it is feared that
any man who participates in spinning or weaving will be struck by lightning. Similarly,
there is a taboo on women in basket making: it is believed that if any women makes a
basket, the male will be idle and timid and as a result he will not be successful in hunting.

In dress, the Khakloo do not differ from their neighbours. The typical dress of the
Khakloo and their neighbours is simple but suitable for the hilly habitat. The infants are
hardly given clothes except when it becomes essential in the winter and rainy season. The
children put on a lion cloth. The working dress of an adult male is a napkin (rikutu
Gamcha), a self-woven shirt (Kubai). When the sun is very strong, a pagri (turban) is
sometimes used. In the winter, a wrapper is used.

The woman covers her lower part with a larger piece of cloth called Rinai. This
cloth is fastened round the waist and falls down to the knee. She covers her upper part
with a short piece of cloth. This is breast cloth called Risa passing under the arms and
drawn tight over the breasts. Women folk also are found to use some kind of headdresses
while at work outside. The necks of women are profusely decorated with strings of beads
and coins.

Lushei

The women are no more addicted to fine clothes than their men-folk. All women
wear the same costume; a dark blue cotton cloth, just long enough to go round the
wearer’s waist with a slight over-lap, and held up by a girdle of brass wire or string,
serves as a petticoat which only reaches to the knee, the only other garment being a short
white jacket and a cloth which is worn in the same manner as the men. On gala days, the
only addition to the costume is a picturesque head- dress worn by girls while dancing.
This consists of a chaplet made of brass and coloured cane, into which are inserted
porcupine quills and to the upper ends of these are fixed the green wing-feathers of the
common parrot, tipped with tufts of red wool.

Kuki-Chin tribe

The clothes the Kuki women wove in the past had designs that were copied from
the skins of snakes. They were called by different names like Thangang, Saipi-khup,
Ponmongvom, and Khamtang. These clothes in the olden days were not allowed to be
woven by the commoners. Only the chief’s and the official’s families were allowed to
weave these clothes. It was also forbidden to put on these cloths while crossing a big
river. It was feared that the cloth might attract snakes to the weavers. The commoners
were called chaga. The word denoted the common folk excluding the chief and his
officers. In course of time, the priesthood came into vogue.