Traditional Costumes of Rajasthan for Men and Women

Traditional Costumes of Rajasthan for Men and Women

Clothing of Rajasthan is really outstanding and lively, showing the spirit of the inhabitants, their religion and culture. This is simply exceptional to see how they wear unique and fabulous dresses. Both men and women put on colorful and beautifully designed costumes to show the great ambiance of this northwestern state of India.


Appealing clothing and jewelries for people are worn by considering the desert land and the surrounding atmosphere. From head-to-toe everything such as turban, jewelries, footwear and clothing reflect the religion, identity and the social and economic status of Rajasthanis. The costumes of Rajasthani people are designed by keeping in mind the weather and local conditions.

Costumes of Women in Rajasthan

Women of Rajasthan wear a long skirt called Ghaghra, Choli or Kurti (blouses and tops) with an Odhini. The Ghaghra reaches above the ankle that has a narrow waist increasing the flared and width to the base. Ghaghra is commonly unfolded from the lower end such as usual skirts. The pleats and width are the symbol of health of females. Ghaghras can be found in diverse styles and colors. They are very famous among women in Rajasthan, mostly made of cotton, colored and designed with Laharia, Chunari and Mothra prints.

Odhni

The one corner of Odhni is properly tucked inside the skirt and the other end is worn over the right shoulder or the head. The motifs and colors which are available on this dress are especially to caste, kind of dress and worn occasionally. Both Muslim and Hindu women wear this clothing. Odhni can be found in different colors and styles and it is commonly selected as per the color of the particular skirt that is worn with it.




Accessories of Rajasthan

Beautiful Rajasthani jewelleries are designed uniquely and stylishly embellished with diamonds, emeralds and expensive stones. Men also wear earrings with a pearl necklace or gold chain, a thick and big bracelet is also worn around their neck.

Females from tribes such as Meena, Gayari and Bhil put on different kinds of jewelleries. Females of Raikas and Rabaris adorn with beautiful silver jewelleries. A number of designs are related to natural elements such as moon, leaves, sun and flowers.

Royal Clothing of Rajasthan

The regional style and taste can be seen in Royal dresses of Rajasthan. The luxurious and rich costumes were designed beautifully by the special people during ancient times. In order to take care of the dresses of king and queen, there were two specific sections, namely Kapaddwadra and Toshakhanand. Rajput kings loved to wear high-class dresses. Hence they were colorful and designer clothing. Rich materials were used to design royal cloths from Gujarat and Varanasi, and woven and embroidered Kashmiri shawls were preferred by Royal men and women.

Footwear of Rajasthan 

Most of the shoes are designed from sheep, camel or goat, which are called as Mojaris or Jootis. These shoes are beautifully crafted with stunning embroidery over velvet or brocade.








Costumes of Men in Rajasthan

The turban called Pagri, Pyjamas, Angarkha, Dhoti, Waistband (Patka) and Kamarbandh are integral clothing of men in Rajasthan.



Pagri

Pagri (turban) is an important part of men’s costume in Rajasthan. The way turban is worn comprises a unique significance to Rajasthani men as it is a symbol of the region and caste from where the individual belongs. Turbans can be found in different colors, shapes and sizes. Additionally, special types of Pagris are designed during big events and festivals. People living in Udaipur are habitual of tiring a flat Pagri over their head, while people of Jaipur prefer an angular Pagri. Jodhpur men like to wear Safa having curved bands. More than 1000 types of Pagris are worn by men in Rajasthan. A normal Pagari is commonly eight inches wide and eighty two feet long. Most of the common men in Rajasthan wear only one color of Pagri, whereas rich men wear colorful and designer turbans.


Pyjama or Dhoti 

Pyjamas or Dhotis are used for covering the lower part of the men’s body. It is a piece of cloth that needs a little practice to wear it in an appropriate way. Dhoti is worn as regular dress which commonly has white color. During some special events, men wear Zari border and Silk Dhotis.










Angarkha

It is a body protector commonly designed by cotton. During festivals in this part of the world, people wear designer Angarkhas. There are 2 main types of Angarkhas i.e. long Angarkha and Kamari Angarkha. These can be found easily in many markets throughout Rajasthan.








Patka

It is a beautiful garment commonly worn by royal families or higher classes, which is made of cotton. In medieval times, the clothing was worn all around the waist but now it can be seen less among youngsters. However Brahmins also use to wear Patka with traditional dupattas. 

Rajasthani Dance

The dances of Rajasthan are so inviting and engaging that they are bound to induce you to tap a foot or two along with the dancers. Rajasthani dances are essentially folk dances tracing their origin to rural customs and traditions. What is more interesting is that keeping alive the numerous dance forms are not the professional dancers but the ordinary rural men and women of Rajasthan. The dancers practicing these dance forms are, till date, religiously following the age old traditions and that's where, the beauty of these dances lies. Apart from the simple expressions and daring movements that add beauty to the dances, there are the vibrant and colorful costumes adorned by the dancers. For the dancers of Rajasthan, the Thar Desert is the centre stage which enhances the beauty of the dances at the backdrop of the setting sun. Some of the folk dances of Rajasthan are illustrated herein.

Kalbelia Dance
This ancient dance form is performed by women of the Kalbelia community who, by profession, are snake charmers and trade in snake venom. This ancient dance form has dance movements similar to the movements of the serpents and hence, even the costumes are black colored. Interestingly, women dance on the music produced by the 'Been', an instrument used to charm the snakes. This is an extremely sensuous dance form which completely enthralls the onlookers.

Ghoomar Dance
Traditionally, out of bound of men, this dance form was performed solely by Rajput women on auspicious occasions. Only the women perform it with their faces covered by a veil. They dance while singing traditional songs and perform circular movements gracefully and charmingly.

Chari Dance
This traditional dance form requires lots of skill and patience as this dance is performed with pots on the head and lamps in the hand of the dancers. In such a state, the dancers perform several flexible and graceful movements of the body. This dance is performed on gay occasions, like marriage or birth of a child.

Kacchi-Ghodi Dance
Kacchi-Ghodi, or the dummy horse dance, originated from the bandit regions of Shekhawati. The dancers are elaborately dressed, and so are the dummy horses, which perform sword fighting sequences with utmost vigor. A ballad singer usually sings the tales of chivalrous men. This dance form is generally performed on gay occasions.

Fire Dance
This is an extremely difficult dance to perform which is carried out by the Banjara community. The dance involves breathtaking fire stunts wherein the dancers perform by holding fire rods in their hands and filling up their mouths with kerosene. The fire rods are also moved on their heads and legs by the dancers.

Terah Taal (Thirteen Beat) Dance
The Terah Taal dance is a beautiful musical dance in which the dancers place manjeeras (little brass discs) on their waist, legs, hands and forehead, at least thirteen places on their body. This dance is performed as a kind of ritual to please Baba Ramdeo, a local deity of Rajasthan.

Other Dances
Several other folk dances performed by the local tribesmen of Rajasthan include Drum dance, Jhoria, Matka-bhawai, Kathputli (puppet dance), Raika etc. which are executed on particular occasions and are associated with a particular tribe.

Rajasthani Painting

Various forms of painting is also a major part in Rajasthani Art. The Rajasthani School of Painting mainly include murals and miniature that flourish during 16th and 18th century. Paintings with the use of strong colours reflect the Rajput culture. The earlier paintings were generally based on the subjects related to royal life style, religious and secular. Most of the paintings have the theme of Krishna Leela and other Hindu religious subjects.
The miniature painting of Rajasthan is the most characteristic paintings of Rajasthan generally executed in paper, marble, ivory, wood & cloth. The most important schools related to this category are the Bundi School, the Kishangarh School, Mewar School, Amber School and the Marwar School.
The phad and the Pichwais are two forms of cloth paintings in Rajasthhan. These were generally associated with the legends of Krishna and historic themes. These were generally done in colours obtained from natural minerals & vegetable, with red and yellow predominating.

Maharo Rajasthan

Rajasthan has a central place in enriching the Indian culture as a whole. The land of princes is an enigmatic state where tradition and history blend with contemporary lifestyle. The culture of the state is a result of its 5000-year old history and the varied topography of the desert land. Rajasthan has a diverse population belonging to different castes, tribes, and religions, which embellish the culture by their unique customs and beliefs. The rich cultural heritage of the state is reflected in its impressive folk music and dances, different languages and dialects, the majestic forts, palaces, mansions and divinely holy places of religious worship, its multihued fairs and festivals, its tempting cuisines, and, above all, its inviting and cheerful people. Rajasthan is truly one such stop to experience all the hues of a healthy culture.

Interestingly, you can own the rainbow Rajasthan culture in the form of various gorgeous and startling commodities, stunningly representing the same. The markets are overflowed by products reflecting the culture of Rajasthan, like tie & die textiles, intricately carved wooden furniture with alluring motifs, block print textiles, lavish Bandhej saris & kurtis, zari & embroidered saris, luxurious and royal hand knotted carpets & durries, astonishing blue pottery, captivating mojaris & jutis, and so on. You can easily find them while strolling in any market in Rajasthan. To dive completely into the colors of Rajasthan, people adorably tie colorful pagris on their heads. Every nook and corner of Rajasthan delights and compels visitors to fall in love with it. Read further to truly get acquainted with the rich and bewitching culture of Rajasthan.

Peoples
The inhabitants of Rajasthan are friendly and amiable who welcome every visitor with open arms. Like the whole of India, Rajasthan also displays unity in diversity. The moment you enter this vivacious state, the warm and jolly nature of Rajasthani people will impress you deeply. In terms of demography, Rajasthan is a diverse state with people categorized on the basis of birth or occupation. Some parts of the state are thickly populated, while others are sparsely inhabited.

Dances
The dances of Rajasthan are so inviting and engaging that they are bound to induce you to tap a foot or two along with the dancers. Rajasthani dances are essentially folk dances tracing their origin to rural customs and traditions. What is more interesting is that keeping alive the numerous dance forms are not the professional dancers but the ordinary rural men and women of Rajasthan.


Music
If the majestic forts and palaces are the body of Rajasthan, then the folk music is the soul of the "Land of the Princes". The folk music gives the people of Rajasthan a means of forgetting the tough living conditions in the desert and even adds a charm to the desert land. The Rajasthan style of music has made significant contribution in enriching the Indian music as a whole.

Cuisine
Cuisine from time immemorial has given a distinct identity to a region simultaneously echoing the cultural of the same. A place where cooking food is considered an art form, one can only imagine what a lip-smacking treat is awaiting a man in love with authentic food. Rajasthan is one such state that offers sumptuous and simply irresistible delicacies, leaving you asking for more.

History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan dates back to pre-historic times as one finds settlements dating to this period in Rajasthan. Archaeological excavations establish a relation with the Harappan culture trailing back to 1000 BC. Rajasthan has also had Paleolithic settlements as one finds paintings in some areas of Rajasthan tracking back to this period.

Gta

Aezakmi