India is a land of culture and heritage. Diverse communities live in India. As correctly said, India is the perfect example of a land with ‘unity in diversity.’
Various forms of traditions followed customs believed, food made, languages spoken, and clothing worn.
Indians are known for their rich traditional beliefs and attires. Traditional attires may include the extravagant Sabyasachi lehenga or a simple khadi Gramin dhoti.
Indian wardrobes also vary from one state to another, from one region to another. Every place has its unique clothes and style.
Indian traditional clothes speak a lot about the region’s culture, traditions, ethics, values, climate, etc. The various traditional clothing in India is given at a glance below-
01. Mekhela
Mekhela Chador is typical of the state of Assam. The women wear it in Assam.
It is a saree consisting of two pieces of cloth. One piece is worn on the top and the other from the waist below. The bottom half is prominently known as ‘mekhela.’ It is cylindrical in shape.
The chador is tucked from one end into the mekhela, and the other is wrapped around the body’s upper portion like a palla.
In current times fitted blouses are worn on the top, but traditionally a cloth known as Riha is worn on the top. Women of all ages wear them.
Assam is known for its world-famous quality of silk. Sualkuchi is situated in Assam and is a famous town for silk production.
Mekhelas are woven here from Muga, Eri, and Pat silk.
02. Saree
A saree is a garment worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. It is an unstitched drape that ranges from 5 to 9 meters.
It is draped around the waist with one, and the other end is draped over the shoulder. The waist remains partly bare.
There are multiple styles in which a saree is draped. Some common ways of draping saree are the Nivi
drape, Bengal and Odisha drape, the Gujarati and Rajasthani drape, Nauvari drape, Nepali drape, Himalayan drape, Kerala drape, etc.
There are 80 recorded drapes of a saree. The history of draping saree dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization.
There is multiple fabric from which the saree is made. They are silk, cotton, linen, chiffon, and georgette. Various Indian fashion designers have revolutionized Saree draping.
The Nivi-style drape was created during the colonial era in India. It is the most popular drape in current times. It represented Victorian Era fashion in India.
Almost every region of India has a separate saree drape.
03. Kurta
Kurta is the traditional menswear of India. There are various forms of it. In Bengal, it is known as Panjabi. An adorned and festive version of the kurta is the sherwani.
Men wear it during festivals and special occasions with pajamas. Sometimes pagri is added during special events. It is a loose collarless shirt not only in India but in many regions of South Asia.
The history of the kurta goes back to the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni. The attire probably has come from Central Asia.
There are various styles of kurtas. Local embroidery adds a regional outlook to a traditional kurta.
The Kantha embroidery of Bengal, Punjab’s crochet designs, Punjab’s phulkari, the Bandhni dying of Rajasthan, and the Sindhi kurtas are some examples of kurtas.
04. Lungi
Lungi is a men’s outfit worn primarily in Southern parts of India. It is great to escape the summer heat and highly comfortable to wear. It is an unstitched piece of cloth.
They are made up of silk as well as cotton. Men in South India usually pair it with slim-fit shirts.
It is a comfortable garment famous in Bangladesh, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma.
The Keralian white lungi has golden embellishments as the border and is worn on ceremonial occasions. Regular lungis are colorful.
05. Dhoti
Dhoti is another traditional outfit of India. It is a men’s bottom wear and was worn extensively during ancient times.
It is a loincloth wrapped around hips and thighs with one end, brought between the legs and tucked into the waistband. It represents hollow loose trousers.
Usually, a minimum of 4.5 meters is required for the dhotis. Dhoti is considered a counterpart of the saree.
It is worn for ceremonial occasions in India. It has evolved from the ancient ‘antria’ worn during ancient times. In Indian mythology, Gods are depicted wearing dhotis.
06. Ghagra Choli
Ghagra Choli is a trendy Indian attire worn by women. It is prevalent in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Indian fashion designers and the film industry have given the traditional Ghagra Choli a new look. Various Ghagra Choli is available in the market based on the occasion.
There are heavily embroidered Ghagra Choli. Ghagra Choli is the traditional dress worn during Navratri. The one worn in Navratri usually has mirror embellishments.
An Odhni or dupatta is added to add grace to the outfit. It combines a long skirt known as Ghagara on lehenga and Choli, the blouse.
Various fabrics like silk, cotton, khadi, net, chiffon, brocade, satin, and georgette are used for making lehengas or Ghagra Choli.
They have heavy embroideries; in North India, Ghagra Choli or lehenga forms the bridal attire. It is also worn during the Garba festival order Navratri in Gujarat.
07. Salwar Kameez
The salwar is also known as churidar and is paired with the Kameez. Women across India wear it, and it is a famous traditional dress.
Kameez is varied from ankle-length Anarkali suits to short Kurtis. They come in various prints, patterns, embroideries, and fabrics. It’s teamed up with a churidar.
The salwar kameez was introduced in South Asia after the arrival of the Persians. There are a lot of forms to it.
Punjabi women mostly wear Kameez with a loose version of the churidar known as Patiala. Patiala’s pants are baggy and loose.
08. Turban
Turban is another traditional attire worn by the people in India. It is a piece of cloth turned into headgear. It signifies religious importance for several communities.
It also depicts courage and honor for the Sikhs, Maharashtrians, and Rajasthan royal families, all tying turbans on their heads.
For the Rajpoots, it signifies royalty. There are a lot of different ways in which it can be worn. The origin of turbans is yet to be discovered.
Men mostly wear turbans.
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09. Kediya
Kediya is a traditional kurta paired up with a dhoti or chorno. Men in Gujarat wear it.
It is a traditional dress of Gujarati and is mainly worn during the Garba of Navaratri.
It is a kind of Angrakkha kurta with frills around it. Men add a turban to complete the look. The headgear is also known as Phento.
It is trendy in the rural regions of Gujrat. Gujrati men add a lot of gold and silver jewelry to accentuate the look.
10. Pathani Suit
Pathani Suit is famous in India and worldwide and is worn by men on special occasions. It has an aura of sophistication and royalness. It is trendy in South Asian culture.
It was initially a Muslim attire, but it is worn worldwide by people of different religions and cultures.
The Pathani Suit is a three-piece garment comprising a kurta, a waistcoat or vest, and a salwar (loose trousers). It is also called a Kabul suit or a Khan suit.
It has evolved from a traditional pathani dress called the Perahan Tunbaan. Perahan is similar to kurta and Tunbaan to a salwar.
Bollywood actors in multiple movies have worn this outfit. The king of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, wore Pathani suits for his iconic role of an underworld mafia in the film Raees.
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11. Taranga
Taranga is a headgear worn by native Kashmiri women. It is a bright, vibrant, usually red-colored headdress with exquisitely detailed embroidery work.
The cap is worn with a dupatta flowing from the head to give it a feminine look. It is worn during wedding ceremonies in Kashmir.
The dupattas are stitched with the cap at the back and flow down towards the heels. Lots of jewelry is worn along with the Taranga.
An aesthetically beautiful Kashmiri woman would ideally wear a Pheran with Taranga and lots of silver jewelry.
It keeps the head and neck warm in the chilly cold weather of Kashmir. Silver trinkets are used to tighten up the Taranga.
12. Kashmiri shawl
Kashmiri shawls are a famous export from India. This distinctive shawl is renowned for its finish. In Kashmir, authentic pashmina wool is available, valued for its warmth, lightweight, and finish.
The shawl was made initially for the Mughals and the nobility.
When the British ruled over India in the eighteenth century, this pashmina was used by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Empress Josephine of France. She popularized this as a symbol of luxury and exotic.
There Kashmir started to mass-produce. These shawls are presently sold at high rates and exported worldwide.
13. Bandhgala
Bandhgala, or Jodhpuri, is a formal suit from the state of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India. Jodhpuri was extremely popularised during the British Raj in India.
It has a Western feel to it. It is a coat worn with trousers. Sometimes a vest is also added. It has a Western cut with Indian hand embroidery on it.
The Bandhgala is worn mainly during formal gatherings and weddings. It is made out of mostly silk. Jodhpuri can be plain or with jacquard, zardozi, or jamewari work on them.
14. Phiran
Phiran is a traditional Kashmiri attire worn by both Kashmiri men and women. It is a long cloak made out of wool. Phiran has become famous across borders.
It was initially designed to protect the body from the chilly winters of Kashmir. The origin dates back to the Mughal Era. The attire has a royal and regal feel to it.
Currently, various styles of phirans are available in the market. They have intricate embellishments and ornate zari works, which give them a majestic look.
Phirans worn by the Hindu Kashmiri women are ankle length with narrow sleeves. Women belonging to the Muslim society of Kashmir have phirans of knee-length and broad leaves.
Phirans are also worn in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kashmiri Phirans are made of natural wool; hence, they are pricier.
15. Jainsen
Jainsen is an unstitched garment made of mulberry silk and draped around the body.
It is the traditional dress of women in Meghalaya. Mulberry silk is cultivated in Meghalaya and woven out of it.
The dress has a tribal feel to it. Women belonging to the Khasi tribe wear a blouse along with Jainsen.
Their body is covered by the jainsen, from their waist to their ankles. The tap-moh Khlieh cotton shawl is paired with these Meghalaya dresses. The older women of the tribe wear Jainkup. It’s a woolen cloth garment.
16. Sharara
The Sharara is a replacement for the traditional Ghagra. It has pleated loose ornate trousers. It is worn with the long Kameez and paired with a dupatta.
It is a traditional Lucknowi attire that originated during the time of the Nawabs. It has created a vast hype these days. It is worn all over the world by women.
It is trendy in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Knee area is known as the Gota in Urdu and is often elaborated with intricate zari and zardozi work. It is mainly made out of silk brocade.
These are just a few pieces from the treasure trove of Indian traditional attires. Consider having these pieces in your wardrobe, as they accentuate your look.
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