India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the 5th millennium B.C in the Indus Valley civilization where cotton was spun, woven, and dyed. Clothing in India is dependent upon the different ethnicity, geography, climate, and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. With different cultures prevalent in the different states of India, it is only evident that each region will have its own separate identity- food, language, dress, etc. Here are each of the 29 states of India and their dresses names which are simply stunning.
Assam - Mekhela Sador For Women And Dhoti And Kurta For Men
The Assamese women take pride in their graceful attire of mekhela sador made from lustrous silk variants paat or muga and eri. Equivalently, Assamese men keep their look toned down with the simple but elegant pairing of dhoti and kurta, complete with a traditional handwoven scarf called the gamusa.
Punjab - Patiala Salwars And Churidars For Women And Kurta And Muktsari Pajamas For Men
The traditional dress of the Punjabis reflects this enthusiasm and free-spirited nature. Women wear colorful ghagras which are now mostly replaced by salwar suits. The Punjabi men generally wear kurta and muktsari pajamas, that which has replaced the more traditional tehmats.
Jammu And Kashmir - Pheran Is Common To Men And Women
Traditional dress code of Jammu and Kashmir to be essentially winter clothes and equally steeped in a delightful fusion of bright colors. Pheran is the traditional wear of the state, common to men and women, both Hindus and Muslims with some variations.
Kerala - Mundum Neriyathum For Women And Mundu For Men
Keralian women wear the traditional off white sari with a golden border called the Mundum neriyathum. The Mundus for females are generally more elaborate, with embellishment and embroideries done on them. Women of the state also wear embellished benarasi or Kanchipuram silk sarees.
Andhra Pradesh - Sarees For Women And Dhoti Or Lungi With A Kurta For Men
Andhra women wear original handloom sarees, mostly silk that lends a rich texture and color to them. The younger women generally wear a two-piece traditional sari called the Langa Voni and the males of the state wear either dhoti or lungi with a kurta.
Haryana - Ghagra Choli For Women And Dhoti- Kurta Ensemble For Men
A special type of ghagra choli is the traditional dress for women, that which includes a long ankle-length skirt called the daaman, a Kurti, and a chunder as odhni. Men in Haryana generally sport an all-white Dhoti- kurta ensemble, accompanied by the traditional headgear called Pagri and equally traditional footwear called jutis.
Tamil Nadu - Sarees For Women And Lungis Along With Shirt And Angavastra For Men
Kanchipuram or Kanjivaram sarees, which are the traditional wear for the womenfolk of the state. These rich culture sarees called Pavada comprise a full-length short blouse called Ravaikai and a shawl, which are mostly worn by the younger girls. While the men in Tamil Nadu dress up in Lungis along with a shirt and Angavastra.
Gujarat - Chaniyo Choli For Women And Churidar Pajamas And Kurtas For Men
Women folk of Gujarat wear the traditional dress called the Chaniyo Choli that is a three-piece attire with a ghagra, choli, and a head veil. Chaniyo is the lower part of the dress and is a petticoat like ghagra embedded with glass pieces. Gujarati men wear dhotis or churidar pajamas and kurtas or bandis, traditionally called Chorno and Kediyu.
Arunachal Pradesh - Weaved Jacket Over A Sleeveless Chemise For Women And Ungis With A Sleeveless Silk Shirt For Men
The females wear full sleeves weaved coat like a jacket over a sleeveless chemise which is kept in place with a belt tied over it and is worn with a slip or waistcloth called the Mushaik. The attire for the males is green lungis interwoven with red, yellow, and white stripes and paired with a sleeveless silk shirt, the edges of which are pinned to the shoulder area.
Maharashtra - For Women And Dhotar For Men
Known as Nauwari Saadi or Lugda, the sarees are worn up to knee-length with cholis are remarkable for their characteristic style. Maharashtrian men traditionally wear dhotis known as Dhotar, which they pair with a tight fit short-sleeved shirt called Pheta and accompanied by headdresses called Pagadi.
Chhattisgarh - Lugda With Polkha For Women
Women from the Indian state of Chhattisgarh wear sarees in the typical Kachmora style native to the region. Traditionally, the saree is known as Lugda and is worn with a blouse called Polkha.
Goa - Nav Vari For Women And Half Pants And Beach Shirts For Men
Women wear lengthy, stone studded nine-yard sarees called Nav Vari, the men keep it casual with half pants and beach shirts, along with hats. Goan women also wear the traditional costume called Pano Bhaju that has a sarong or lungi worn under a blouse.
Nagaland - Angami For Women And Ratapfe For Men
Traditional dress for Naga women is the Angami, that which comprises a sleeveless top vatchi worn over the petticoat neikhro and a white skirt pfemhou. Naga men’s angami costume has a kilt and a wrapper, enhanced by a traditional shawl called the Ratapfe.
Himachal Pradesh - Kurtas, Rahide, And Ghagra For Women And Coarse Kurtas Paired With Dhotis For Men
Himachali women on the other hand kurtas, rahide, and Ghagra Lehenga Choli, along with scarves and shawls. The men are party to coarse kurtas paired with dhotis or churidar pyjamas and the typical Himachali cap called the pagri.
Jharkhand - Parthan And Panchi For Women And Jharkhand For Men
The non-tribal men go for common clothing like kurtas and shirts paired with pyjamas and salwars, the tribal men dress in a unique garment called the Bhagwan. The tribal women have the upper garment Parthan and the lower part Panchi as their traditional attire.
Meghalaya - Jainsen Or Dhara For Women And Dhoti For Men
Khasi females dress up in the Jainsen or Dhara, an unstitched garment that goes around the body lending it a cylindrical shape. The males of the Khasi tribe also wear an unstitched piece of dhoti like cloth around their waist, which is topped by a longish sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by thongs in front.
Madhya Pradesh - Bandhej Sarees For Women And Dhoti And Kurta For Men
The men stick to wearing dhoti and kurta or shirts with a specific type of jacket called the Bandi or Mirzai and an equally unique headgear, a turban called the Safa. The womenfolk of the state stick to wearing a lehenga with choli and a special type of orhni called the Lugra.
Manipur - Phanek For Women And Dhoti And Jacket For Men
The women of the state wear a sarong wrapped around the chest as a skirt that is called the Phanek. A horizontally and woven shawl or dupatta called the Innaphi goes around the upper body to complete the traditional female attire. The menfolk of the state of Manipur wears a dhoti and jacket as their traditional dress.
Rajasthan - Kanchli For Women And Dhotis Or Churidar Pyjama For Men
The men of the state wear dhotis or churidar pyjama, kurta, angarkha, patka or kamarband, and white paggar or safa which is a kind of turban. Rajasthani women dress up in long skirts called ghagras with blouses called kanchli or Kurtis and cover their heads with odhnis.
Odisha - Katak And Sambalpuri Sarees For Women And Dhoti For Men
Sarees with beautiful border called Dhardia are worn with the pallu covering the bosom and then the free end going over the other shoulder. The Oriya men too have simple preferences sticking to dhoti or dhooti, kurta, and gamucha as their traditional wear.
Tripura - Risa For Women And Rikutu For Men
Women dress up their upper body in Risa which covers the chest and Rikutu which covers the entire torso. While the dress for the lower half of the body is called the Rigwnai. The Rikutu is also worn by the men of Tripura to cover the loin. The upper male body is covered in a shirt ‘kamchwlwi borok’ along with a gamucha known as Kubai.
Uttar Pradesh - Ghagra Choli For Women And Kurta For Men
Women in Uttar Pradesh wear either ghagra choli, salwar kameez, or sarees. The men generally are clad in lungi or pajamas and kurta along with headgear such as Topis or Pagris, while Sherwanis are worn during festive occasions.
Telangana - Sarees For Women And Pancha For Men
Telangana has sarees, Langa vonis, salwar kameez as the traditional attires for women in the state while the males wear the traditional dhoti called the Pancha.
Mizoram - Puan With Puanchei For Women
Mizo men wear a 7 feet by 5 feet cloth over their body, which is paired with a white-colored coat with red bands that covers from the throat to the thighs. The traditional dress of the Mizo women is a delightful black and white shaded attire known as the ‘Puan’ paired with ‘Puanchei’ or a blouse called the Kawrechi.
Sikkim - Dumvum For Women And Bakhu Or Kho For Men
The men wear a dress called Bakhu or Kho with a pair of loosely fitted trousers teamed up with a leather belt and embroidered leather boots. While the women wear the outfit over a full-sleeved silk blouse known as honju and fastened with a silk or cotton.
West Bengal - Sanatpuri Saree For Women And Dhoti For Men
The traditional attire of the state is sarees for women. The sarees are generally Sanatpuri style and are white or off white with bright red borders. The Bengali men wear dhoti or Panjabi and kurta as their traditional dress.
Uttarakhand - Odhni For Women And Dhoti, Churidar For Men
Women of the state of Uttarakhand wear long skirts known as ghagra along with a choli and odhni. While the men wear dhoti, churidar or lungi along with a shirt or kurta, and topped off with a gol topi or Jawahar topi.
Bihar - Tussar Silk Sarees For Women And Dhoti And Kurta For Men
Bihar’s ethnic attire has dhoti and kurta or mirjai as the traditional wear for men and Tussar silk sarees worn in Seedha Aanchal style as the traditional dress for women.
Karnataka - Silk Sarees For Women And Panche For Men
Silk sarees are the conventional traditional wear for the womenfolk of the state, where the style of draping the saree varies, along with variations in regions across the state. The traditional dress for Kannada men is a type of dhoti known as Panche, worn under the waist below a shirt, and topped off with the conventional headdress Mysore Para.
