The interesting and brilliantly bright state of Rajasthan is identical with imposing forts, lakes, dignified palaces, camels, sand dunes and of course, the people of Rajasthan who are dressed up in dazzlingly decorated attire. In opposition to the milieu of grimy land and scorching sun, the state of Rajasthan brims with lavish shades of colors, the glitter of mirror work garments, silver, precious stones, and the luster of silk and colorful cotton kaleidoscope!! So as to include a touch of color and life to the colorless landscape, the populace of Rajasthan exhibit first choice for dazzling set of clothes. Starting from the local villagers of Rajasthan, to the majestic crowned heads, the number one preferred colors of Rajasthanis are intense red, energetic green, dazzling orange and alluring yellow that are tinted by a sumptuous use of gleaming gold & silver ‘gota' or ‘zari'. The dyers who belong to Rajasthan and bordering Gujarat were extremely talented craftsmen starting from ancient history. Even today, their incomparable dexterity is apparent in the attire chosen and worn by Rajasthansis. Hence, the lifestyle of Rajasthanis is curtailed without the acquaintance of their ornaments and garments. At present, the attire of the Rajasthanis has the likeness of the outfit of the earlier period. For sure, costumes articulate our personality and make a distinction from one another.
The vividness of colors:
The daily wear of Rajasthanis includes saris, odhnis & turbans. These garments are made from block printed fabrics or made from “tie-and-dye” methods. Mostly, Men and women of Rajasthan dress up in traditional attire that is influenced by their weather conditions, financial system, grade and the vocation. The time-honored costumes of Hindus include ‘dhoti', ‘potia’, ‘angrakha', ‘banda', ‘pachewara', ‘bugatari', ‘dhabla', and ‘khol'. The traditional attire of Muslims such as, achkan, ‘burga' and 'tilak are rapidly modernizing into salwars, ‘bushirt', saris, ‘skirts' and pants.
Traditional Rajasthan Turbans:
Turban, the major head covering of Rajasthani men is made with a unique pattern and vibrant designs. It is worn by Rajasthani men based on a specific geographical area premeditated to go well with topography and weather conditions. Often, ‘odhnis' & turbans are made from either block printed fabrics or by using ‘tie-and-dye’ methods. The traditional Rajasthan turban, known as ‘pencha', ‘pagari', ‘safa’ or ‘sela' depends on the style. Basically, different styles of turban indicate a specific district and social group. The variations in turban are understood by diverse names like ‘pagari' & ‘safa'. In actual fact, there are more than 1,000 kinds and styles of turbans in Rajasthan. Each kind represents the caste, social group and province of the person who wears it. Turbans come in different sizes, shapes and Shades. Specific turbans are worn on particular events only.
Common attire of Rajasthani Men:
The different turbans such as ‘pencha', ‘pagari', ‘safa' or ‘sela' is worn with the upper garment ‘achakan' or ‘angrakha' and the lower garment ‘pyjama' or ‘dhoti'. Typically, a ‘pagari' is a 82 feet long, 8 inches wide turban. On the other hand, a ‘safa' is a much shorter and broader turban. A common man wears turban made of single color, while men of high status wear turbans of different patterns and colors in line with the events.
Common Attire of Rajasthani Women:
The widespread costume of the Rajasthani women comprise sari or ‘odhani', ‘kanchli' or ‘kunchuki' or ‘choli', ‘ghaghra' or ‘ghaghri' or ‘lahanga'. Above and beyond, the celebrated women of Rajasthan wear ‘Dupatta' & ‘patka'. Rajasthani women wear sandals or “chappals ” or “Jutees” . However, women who belong to noble families wear decorated sandals that are ornamented with gold threads & sparking stars. Odhni is a 10 feet long and 5 feet wide dress. One corner of odhni is tucked inside the skirt while the other corner is used to cover the head and the right shoulder of a woman. An ‘odhni' with a yellow background and a central lotus design in red color is known as a ‘pila'. Pila is a time-honored souvenir of a parent to her daughter on the birth of a grandson.
The Sumptuous Attire of Royals of Rajasthan:
Splendid Regal Wardrobe:
The prosperous and luxurious costumes of the monarchs were made under the painstaking consideration of extraordinary garment sectors that is re responsible for designing the majestic attire. However, the ‘Chhapakhana' and ‘Ranghkhana’ were the divisions that were responsible of printing and dyeing the textiles. The ‘siwankhana' made sure that the clothing of the royal families was perfect and of eloquent couture. The ‘toshakhanand' and ‘kapaddwadra' were the 2 extraordinary garment departments that were responsible for the the daily wear and official attire of the erstwhile Maharajas of Rajasthan.
Time-honored Rajput Attire:
Long ago, the courageous Rajput kings, on account of their intimacy with the Mughal rulers dressed up in rich, vibrant colors. Opulently brocade fabrics from Gujarat and Banaras, embellished and natural fiber Kashmiri shawls and subtle cottons from Dhaka and Chanderi were bought at expensive prices for making special costumes for Maharajas.
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