Indian clothing has always amazed with its colorfulness and mystery. The robes of women attracted the eye with their silhouettes and colors. As well as, in fact, the clothes of men who wore a variety of hats. At the same time, each color, pattern and pattern had its own specific meaning.
Briefly about the culture of clothing in India
Now there is a lot of controversy about what Indian clothing was originally. Some argue that initially, regardless of gender, both men and women wore dhoti. And since the XIV century, women's traditional clothing has also come - incredibly beautiful saris, which can charm anyone.
One of the versions of what outfits could look like in Ancient IndiaThere is also a lot of controversy over how women dressed: many say that earlier, when Indian national dress included only dhoti, women walked with an open chest. But after the times of colonization, the first choli appeared, as well as skirts that began to be worn under the sari.
A separate legend accompanies the appearance of the sari. They say that the ancient king, having lost all his property in a game of chance, in an attempt to win back, put his young wife as a bet. But, this did not help him, and he lost again. The winner wanted to disgrace the king even more and decided to undress his wife in public. However, Krishna did not leave the young beauty in trouble, and no matter how much the winner of the king unwound her sari, he could not find its end. So the women of India got a long sari, which personified their chastity and meekness.
Modern sarees are as beautiful as this legend
Women's robes
Both men's and women's clothing in this country has its own rules and traditions of wearing. The most common robes are sari, hagra choli, shalwar kameez, churidar kurta, pattu pavadai and mekhela chador.
Sari is a traditional national women's clothing. It is worn by both young and more mature ladies from different classes. Another costume that Indian women, especially unmarried women, love so much is hagra and choli.
A hagra is nothing more than a long skirt, while a choli is a short blouse. We can say with confidence that everyone saw such outfits in colorful Indian films. And if earlier this outfit was available only to women from the upper classes, now it is popular all over the planet.
Shalwars are incredibly comfortable harem pants that gather at the ankle cuff. They are usually worn with a kameez, which is a fitted shirt with slits on the sides.
In India, some girls add a third component to this costume - a veil that falls from the head and shoulders. Some argue that this is not a purely Indian costume, but rather Mongolian.
Traditional female image of India
Sari - as the main attribute of the female image
This is one of the most beautiful and at the same time simple outfits. After all, in fact, the secret is that a sari is nothing more than a long piece of fabric that needs only to be properly wrapped. Its length is usually from 4.5 to 9 meters of fabric. And the width reaches about a meter.
One of the advantages of a sari is the variety of colors and patterns.
An interesting fact: sari fabrics were woven exclusively by men. In some cases, one robe took more than six months of work. Fabrics were dyed with natural dyes only.
This robe can be worn in several ways. It is from age and belonging to a certain class that it depends on how and what a woman should wear a sari. Such a suit has two more important elements - two borders (one on the upper section of the fabric, the other on the bottom). The way they are decorated also speaks volumes. The edge of the fabric, which is usually worn over the shoulder, is also an important element. It is he who is trying to decorate the most.
How to wear a sari
It was also important to observe the color scheme. For example, if a woman is left a widow, she should wear a white sari with a complete absence of any jewelry for some time as a sign of mourning. The yellow suit was intended for women in the first week after childbirth, and the red one with various embroidery and gold was considered a wedding sari. The most ordinary girls from the lower classes had to wear a blue sari.
Men's robes
Dhoti is a traditional dress for both women and men. Like the sari, this men's suit is a piece of fabric that can reach 2 to 5 meters in length.
A kind of dhoti is also lungi, which can be of two types:
- open;
- stitched.
An open lungi is an ordinary piece of silk or cotton fabric or linen. A stitched lungi is a suit in which both ends of the fabric are sewn together. The length of these robes reaches the ankles.
How to tie lungi
Another variety of lungi is mundu, which is distinguished by its color: it is absolutely white. Another popular suit for men is Shervani. It is a long jacket with a stand-up collar that fastens with buttons. The length of such a robe usually reaches the knees, although in some cases you can find a longer version - up to the ankles.
Shervani is not inferior in beauty to women's attire
Men's hats
Men's fashion in India is replete with a large number of hats for the stronger sex.
The most popular are:
- dastar;
- pheta;
- mysore-peta;
- rajasthani pagari.
The first of these headdresses is traditional for young and mature Indians and Sikhs. It is identified with faith and spirituality. It is also believed to protect the hair of Sikhs, which they are forbidden to cut, from prying eyes. Over time, this dress has changed, because everyone tried to create their own unique style.
Dastar can be called a religious headdress
Pheta is nothing more than a turban. In ancient times, this piece of clothing was considered a must for men. Nowadays, it can be seen only at solemn events and festivities.
Phetas usually look pretty simple.
But there are more sophisticated options.
Mysore Peta got its name from the city of Mysore. At first, this piece of clothing was worn mainly by vagrants, but over time it has become a symbol of the culture and traditions of this city. This headdress is worn for graduation instead of the usual cap at the local educational institution.
Indian men in mysore peta
An interesting fact: it is believed that the exchange of turbans with male representatives is a sign of true friendship.
Rajasthani pagaris are very diverse, both in color and in style. For men, this item shows his caste, home region and position in society. In a way, this turban replaces Indians with a passport.
In Rajasthan you will see the largest variety of turbans
Meaning of colors
The color scheme, the designs that decorate the ends of the fabrics on the sari and other garments, the patterns play an important role in creating the image of both men and women. Each color means something specific.
For example, red is the most solemn. It is present on the robes of the bride, and on numerous decorations in temples, and even the color of spices in India is orange-red. The pure orange color symbolizes fire, as well as the purity that comes from being tested by fire. For a man, this is a symbol of renunciation of worldly pleasures, and for women, it is eternal youth, femininity and the comfort of a home.
The blue color symbolizes the flowering of strength, masculinity and power. Many deities had a blue suit or skin. Although in some areas this color indicates that its owner of this garment is a person from a lower caste. This is primarily due to the fact that only poor people were engaged in obtaining blue dye.
Anyway, the blue outfits look great
Indian clothing in white combines a mixture of all colors. This color can be found on the sari of women who have just been widowed: it personifies their fidelity and asceticism. Also, white color speaks of purity, peace and holiness.
Traditional white men's suit
Of particular importance are patterns and drawings. The most common images on clothes are drawings of animals: elephant, mango and fish. The fish represents abundance, the elephant represents power, and the mango represents fertility.
The influence of modern trends on Indian robes
Today, Indian clothing, both for men and women, is incredibly popular all over the world.
Famous designers often use certain items from Indian culture to create incredible images. The colorful sari suit from such designers as GiorgioArmani, RudolphoValentino, VivienneWestwood deserves special attention. They created sari dresses that won't spoil any style and at the same time will effectively complement the image.
Modern designer sari
For women, such attire is a chance to feel like a real magarini (i.e., the wife of a rich rajah). These outfits are willingly used by girls all over the world, showing their sophistication and sense of taste. The male half can try on a colorful elongated suit or a mysterious turban.
Jacqueline Fernandez fashion show
A turban is a male and female headdress at the same time. Widespread in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India and many Asian countries. He is also fashionable in Russia.
Often a turban is called a turban. Currently, turbans are popular among European women. Famous designers at their shows complement the images of models with this headdress.
The simplest turban is an unsewn piece of fabric, a long piece of cloth wound in the form of a turban around a skullcap or kuloch. It is a scarf made of light material, which is repeatedly wrapped over the hair around the head. The turban was distributed throughout the East, from Egypt to India, especially among the Muslim peoples. However, it has been known here since ancient times. At that time, this headdress was worn by Muslim men.
An obligatory condition for winding a turban was an open forehead.
In Islam, clothing has always been regulated in one way or another. In historical treatises, it is noted that a person’s clothing, starting from the head, must correspond to muruvva, an ancient Arabic concept that denotes a set of such qualities as valor, decency, and loyalty to one’s tribe. At the same time, turban has long been given special importance in the Arab-Muslim world, including among the ulema (from the Arab ulema - scientist). They refer to hadiths - legends about the deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, which mention that the Prophet himself ordered to wear a turban.
One of the hadiths says that while preaching in the mosque, he wore a black turban and its end fell on his shoulders. Hadiths disagree about the exact length and color of this turban. Some hadiths mention that the length of the turban of the prophet was 7 cubits, that is, approximately 2.5-3 meters. It is said that the Prophet gave his favorite turban to his closest companion, his son-in-law and cousin Ali.
Under the founders of the Baghdad caliphate, the Abbasids, the black color of the turban became the most common. Since then, its size, color and shape have reflected the position of a person in society and his religion. Since the 13th century, Christians were ordered to wear a blue turban, Jews - yellow, fire worshipers - red. In the event of an unexpected death of a person, his turban was used as a kind of shroud in which the body was wrapped.
Historians report that in Egypt in the 15th-16th centuries the sultan wore the largest turban in the country. In it, he showed off at receptions and other solemn ceremonies in the palace, and, as a rule, he sat, because the magnificent and weighty headdress interfered with movement. During the outings to the people, the supreme ruler wore another, much lighter turban. Among the emirs and viziers, she was more modest than that of the monarch, but the nobility successfully competed among themselves in the beauty of the dresses. Officials, military, policemen wore simpler turbans, depending on their position. Woe was to the vain fashionista whose head was crowned with a turban that did not correspond to his rank: such an upstart could be beaten with sticks.
Orientalist and linguist, academician N.Ya.Marr argued that there were at least a thousand (!) Ways of tying a turban in the world. In the modern Arab world, the shape, color, manners of wearing a turban are also very diverse. She has a different number of folds, a knot in front or behind, the end hangs down on the side or on the back, etc. All these nuances in one way or another testify to the profession, age and place of residence of the owner of the turban.
During the Middle Ages, the favorite flower of the ruling nobility in Turkey and Iran was the tulip, and it was often worn in the folds of a turban. Among the Turks, a turban (a word of Persian origin) is called a turban. Europeans took the name of the turban - "turban" for the name of a flower of the lily family, and so it entered all European languages, including through French - into Russian.
In the Gulf countries, the turban is most common in Oman. In Sudan, the entire population prefers a white turban. In addition to the turban-imam, in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula they wear kashada - this is a type of turban made of thin silk decorated with golden patterns. It is tied over a small fin or rakiya cap, usually by middle-aged or elderly people.
In Iraq, there are seven different ways of winding a turban, which differ in the number of folds, their shape, each has its own name: garuviya, shablyauvia, etc. The color of the turban can determine the belonging of its owner to one or another Kurdish tribe. At the same time, a turban in a red cage is mainly worn in the north, and in black - residents of the south of the country. 
The variety of these headdresses can be observed in the sacred Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. On the days of Muslim holidays, a colorful and smartly dressed crowd of local residents, pupils of religious schools, pilgrims from various regions of Iraq and other Muslim countries seethe here at the main mosques.
The method of tying and the color of the turban distinguishes visitors from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, from Africa. For example, among Indian Muslims, the end of the turban falls on the chest. Today, green or black turbans in the Arab world are usually worn by direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
Boys with bandages on their heads scurry about in the crowd. These are usually children of priests. Previously, the first dressing in a turban was considered as an important event in the life of a Muslim child. On this occasion, guests were invited and refreshments were arranged. Now the ceremony has been simplified: the turban is simply tied in the mosque.
In Egypt and other Arab countries, a turban is an obligatory attribute of pupils of religious educational institutions and clergymen. Egyptian fellahs often hide money between the folds of the turban, and therefore, when they are going to buy something, they unfold their headdress for a long time and carefully so as not to lose the coins. 
Turbans made from fine wool in the Egyptian city of Asyut are famous. In the Arabian Peninsula, this scarf is called a gutra. Traditional gutra is usually triangular in shape with sides ranging from 90 to 100 centimeters. Today in UAE stores you can find a whole range of these scarves - at least 20-25 different types. They differ not only in the material and quality of the thread, but also in the pattern and pattern. Some prefer a smooth scarf, others with a wide border around the edges, others insist on a varied, unique pattern of gutra with tassels that hang down the edges.
In Morocco, Mauritania, in the west of Algeria, nomads of a number of tribes wear a turban dyed in bright indigo.
But the most colorful turban today is undoubtedly among the Tuareg people living in the very center of the Sahara, in the south of Algeria and in neighboring countries.
In unfolded form, the length of its cloth reaches five to six meters. In the local dialect, the turban is called tagelmust. The Saharan inhabitants cover with it not only the head, but also the neck and shoulders, leaving narrow slits for the eyes.
The turban not only protects the Tuareg from the sweltering sun, dust and fierce sandstorms. She is a symbol of the courage and courage of the ancestors. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, the Tuaregs, free inhabitants of the Sahara expanses, in their frightening tagelmusts on camels, armed with swords and leather shields, made dashing raids on caravan routes.
Today, ornamented Tuareg swords made by artisans can be bought at a local souvenir shop, riding camels peacefully pluck a desert thorn near the tents of nomads, but all adult Tuareg still wear tagelmust.
According to local belief, this headdress protects "from the evil eye and evil spirit." Therefore, the Tuareg do not part with him on the street and even at home, in the family circle. But Tuareg women, unlike other Muslim women in Algeria, go bareheaded.
Paying tribute to tradition, some leaders of the Arab countries for their meetings with the people and on trips around the country put on a national costume with a traditional turban.
Over time, turbans migrated to the wardrobes of women and men of all classes and nationalities.
In the late 1790s, Egyptian women began to wear turbans. Around the same period in Central Asia they were forbidden to be worn by day laborers and beggars. The turban was used both in ceremonial clothes and at home.
In the 1600s, turbans in Europe were worn by noble men and women, until it became a mass trend among the common people. The turban was worn, for example, by the poet Alexander Pope. 
By the end of the 1700s, European women adopted and adapted certain elements of the dress from the Ottoman Empire, they became part of their elaborate costumes. Women of fashion went to masquerades in hairstyles with a spectacular turban (à la turque). This headdress was decorated with pearls or precious stones, flowers or feathers; these expensive details were supposed to emphasize the wealth and high social status of the owners.
During the second half of the 18th century, the shape of the turban varied greatly.
Marie Antoinette (picture on the right): 
The really big fashion for turbans in the West began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when trade with India developed. The turban has evolved into a Western fashion accessory. The queen of France, Marie Antoinette, loved turbans. Even after her death on the guillotine, the turban remained the main accessory in both France and England.
But the turban received truly worldwide recognition thanks to the overthrow of the Victorian style. This luminary of design art became famous not only for sending women's corsets into oblivion, but also for his commitment to this unusual headdress.
With his light hand, at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the turban becomes the most popular and at the same time universal headdress. It looks equally organic with an evening dress and with a suit for walking, with a fur cape and with a light summer dress. 
In the XX, this headdress began to appear on television, most often it was used by silent film actresses. An unusual scarf tied around her head and bright makeup showed the true beauty of the faces of the heroines of the films.
In the 1970s, turbans tied over loose hair came into fashion. At the same time, turban hats appeared on store shelves, which young girls used to create an everyday look.
At that time, this accessory was preferred by such actresses as Barbara Streisand, Bianca Jagger and Ava Garder. They tied turbans to go out to social events.
Some time later, turbans fell out of fashion. But in 2000 they returned again, first to the catwalks, and then to the city streets. Very often, turbans were worn by stars, thanks to which the headdress became popular again.
Avtar Singh Mauni, a 60-year-old resident of the Indian city of Patiala, is the owner of the largest turban in the world. When a pious Sikh unfolds his giant 45-kilogram headdress, the length of the cloth is 645 meters. This is the length of 13 Olympic pools, if they are arranged in one row.
The traditional headdress of the followers of Sikhism is turbans. Their matter, which is used from their creation, when unfolded is only 5-7 meters. But not in the case of the largest turban, a resident of the Indian city of Patiala Avtara Mauni.
Mauni started with an ordinary turban, then made a "modest" turban 151 meters long and gradually increased its length. To achieve the current size of the headgear, it took the Sikh as much as 16 years.
It takes Singh Mauni 6 hours to wrap a turban around his head. Needless to say, it is problematic for him to gather somewhere.
In addition to the lengthy camps, the Sikh has another problem - he has to carry a huge extra weight on himself. The fabric of his turban alone weighs 30 kg. Another 15 kg is "pulled" by metal ornaments on the turban. In addition, he also carries a sword and bracelets with a total weight of about 40 kg. A Sikh has to ride only on a motorcycle, because his turban simply does not fit into any car.
Despite the fact that Mauni has to carry an extra 85 kg every day, the 60-year-old man is very proud of his unusual turban and claims that he does not consider it a burden. Mr. Mauni is a local celebrity, and as soon as he appears on the street, he is immediately surrounded by a crowd with cameras. Singh has also become a living source of inspiration for Punjabi youth, who have recently begun to forget the ancient traditions of their people.
India is an extraordinary country with amazing people. And she's on the list.
Many people have developed and established a stereotype that all Eastern men should wear a complex design of a long strip of fabric called a turban on their heads. Similar headdresses are common among the peoples inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula, the northern part of the African continent, in Asia, and also in India. Moreover, this is not at all a simple piece of clothing that has an ancient origin. The Indian turban is part of the culture and traditions, it is endowed with a secret, mystical sacred meaning.
Indian turban - the multi-layered wisdom of being
The word turban itself is of Persian origin, and it simply meant a rather long piece of fabric, which was intended to be wrapped around the head in a special way. In Sanskrit, the turban is called pak, but in northern India, in the state of Punjab, where the notorious keepers of ancient knowledge, the Sikh caste, live, this headdress is called pagri or simply pag. In a respectful version, the name will sound like dastaar.
In ancient times, even before crowns were invented, noble people wore turbans made of thin, muslin fabric, which served as a sign that you were an intelligent person, endowed with wisdom, high spirituality and power. It was in the folds of their turbans, which sometimes reached a weight of 25–30 kilograms, that aristocrats kept precious stones and gold, seals and secret documents. In addition, wearing a turban on the head completely blocked the attacker's ability to take control of the Ajna chakra, that is, the main energy flow, because the fabric had to be exclusively natural, the most expensive and high quality.
As a gift from ancestors - a heritage preserved for centuries
Modern followers of the Sikh teachings received an Indian turban, which they carefully carried through many centuries of their unique history. The turban has a very serious meaning for today's members of the Khalsa, who are required to always carry with them the real signs of their own belonging. The first sign is cache, that is, hair, mustache, and also a beard, which scissors have never touched. Men always take care of their hair in perfect order, carefully look after it, and everyday life they stab it in a high hairstyle, which is covered with a turban to protect and store it.
Boys can simply collect their cash in a high ponytail, but for a man who already has a beard or mustache, and even more so for a married man, appearing in public without a turban is a real shame. Most often, modern turbans are 3-7 meters long, but everything is individual and depends on personal desires, and even on the degree of initiation.
The Meaning of the Color of Sikh Turbans
The dazzling white turban may only be worn by members of the Namdhari caste. A characteristic distinguishing feature of such a headdress is direct winding, without an angle above the forehead. If Sikhs from other castes wear a white pagri, this means that they are in mourning.
Pinkish and pale orange turbans can be worn for a wedding, both for your own and for the celebration of friends or relatives, this is a festive dastaar.
The toxic yellow color of a turban or paga is suitable for the spring festival of Baisakhi.
The warriors of the Akali sect used to wear exclusively black, like a raven's wing, turbans, but now they have changed them to steel or dark blue.
Red, orange, green turbans are a kind of daily wear that can be varied in your own way.
Khaki turbans are included in the military uniform of the Sikhs who serve in the Indian army.
Reading 4 min. Views 2.8k. Published on 07/17/2013
Despite the persistent influence of Western civilizations on the culture of the Indians, they still remain faithful to their traditions. This causes sincere admiration and respect. The most ancient nation does not forget its roots and carries the wisdom of its ancestors through the ages.
Traditional men's clothing in India is part of their mosaic knowledge and carries hidden symbolism.
Dhoti
Dhoti - traditional men's clothing in India. This is a very common type of dress among Indian men and boys. Dhoti is a kind of loincloth. A straight piece of plain fabric reaches a length of 2m to 5m.
This cloth is wrapped and draped around the hips, waist and legs. One end of such a bandage is passed between the legs of a man, and this technique creates a semblance of bloomers from an ordinary loincloth. It is also worn as a wrap skirt. Hold at the waist with a belt.
The length of the dhoti depends on the caste. Representatives of the higher castes wear long dhotis, and men from the lower castes wear short ones. Today, in the cities, men prefer to wear trousers or shorts, and the dhoti remains the favorite garment of the village men.
Lungi (sargon)
This is a kind of dhoti. Lungi exists in two versions:
- Open. This is a regular fabric made of silk or cotton.
- Stitched. Here the two open ends of the fabric are sewn together. It turns out a tube.
Mundu is a type of lungi. It is completely white. Mundu and lungi in their length reach the ankles. They can be tucked to the waist and thereby reduce the length to the level of the knees.
These actions are necessary when a man is busy working in the field. They also open knees in temples or next to a dignitary, showing their respect.
Although lungi is considered men's clothing, older, mature women wear them with pleasure. They combine them with other types of clothing.
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Shervani
This long jacket with stand-up collar. Fastens with buttons. The standard length of the chevrani reaches the knees, although it can reach the ankles.
This jacket is considered festive. It is worn with churidar pants. Churidar are harem pants that are quite loose around the hips, but narrow around the ankles and completely fit them. Often gold or silver embroidery is allowed on it.
traditional headwear
Dastar
Pagri or datar is a traditional turban for Indians and Sikhs. This headdress is considered a symbol of faith, a symbol of spirituality and honor. Dastar is designed to protect from prying eyes the long hair of the Sikhs, which they are not allowed to cut. Over time, the standard dastar began to change, as different Sikh communities created their own unique style.
Phet
In the Marathi language, this is called a turban. This is a traditional headdress in the Indian state of Maharashtra. In the distant past, the pheta turban was considered an obligatory attribute of men's clothing, and in the modern world it is used as a festive attribute for special occasions.
mysore peta
It is named after the city of Mysore, which is located in the state of Karnataka. Initially, local vagabonds were required to wear this attribute when ceremonies, processions and various festivities were held in the city. Over time, this headdress has become a symbol of the cultural tradition of the city of Mysore. So, graduates of the local university at the graduation ceremony do not wear the traditional square hat, but the Mysore Peta.