Indian national costume

The national costumes of India amaze with their brilliance and brightness. They are incredibly beautiful and luxurious.

Indians have been making clothes for a long time. Historical information that has come down to us from the 5th millennium BC in the form of rock paintings, objects found by archaeologists, indicates that even in those distant times, the population of India could produce cotton fabric. Cotton was the optimal raw material, and the clothes were comfortable and suitable for the hot climate of the subtropics.

Social inequality manifested itself in the presence of varnas (estates). Belonging to a certain varna dictated all the conditions of life. Each varna had its own suit and the fabric from which it was made. So, the lower class did not have the right to wear clothes made of linen. Only priests (Brahmins) and warriors (Kshatriyas) had this right. The nobility wore clothes made of silk and muslin, often decorated with gold embroidery, natural fur - sable, ermine, beaver.

The development of trade routes had a positive impact on the development of Indian weaving skills. New dyes and fabrics appeared. Indigo was introduced to Roman traders, and silk was introduced to China.

Color is of great importance in Indian clothing. Each color and pattern has its own secret meaning. For a European, Indian fabric is a riot of bright colors and motifs intertwined. A resident of India will see in it much more than, for example, a floral or geometric motif.

India is a state where people of various faiths live. The population professing Islam prefers floral ornaments on fabric. The most popular element is the lotus, a sacred flower, which is the personification of wisdom, harmony and creativity. It is believed that the lotus can fulfill the most secret desires.

Pomegranate and mango fruits, cypress, palm, carnation are no less favorite plant patterns.

Very interesting geometric patterns on the fabric. Each of them has its own sacred meaning:

• The triangle with the tip located upwards is a male symbol, it means fire.
• A triangle with a downward pointing point is a female sign, symbolizes mercy, water.
• Circle - development and integrity. Together with the fiery flame - birth.
• The octagon is protection.
• The square is a symbol of honesty, stability and your own home.
• The cross is energy, the connection of heaven and earth.

Cotton and silk are the main types of fabrics used by the Indians.

Cashmere shawls are decorated with gold and silver threads and embroidery.

Brocade is popular in India. Men's caftans and hats are sewn from it.

The Indian costume is an abundance of folds that smoothly fall and form beautiful draperies.

A tunic and harem pants are an outfit for women in the northwestern part of India, called salwar kameez.The film industry often uses this type of clothing in their films, as it combines both traditional and modern clothing styles. Bollywood stars look great in shalwar kameez.

A long skirt with numerous folds, a tight-fitting blouse with short sleeves and a deep neckline is a lehenga-choli (by the name of the constituent components). This type of clothing is often worn by unmarried women.

Little girls in the southern provinces of India wear pattu-pavadai, a conical-shaped silk dress with a gold stripe running down the bottom of the product.

Jewelry is an integral part of the Indian costume. There is a characteristic feature that makes Indian jewelry recognizable all over the world. They are symmetrical, despite the seemingly scattered ornamentation, multi-colored stones and colors.

Women wear strands of jewelry on their heads that hang down in the form of a pendant on their foreheads: shringar-patti, tika.

The bracelets worn by Indian married women are called churi. For their manufacture, ivory, corals, glass, precious metals are used. The number of bracelets on one hand reaches 24.

The decoration on the neck is called haar. Indians believe that they bring good luck, keep love, protect from the evil eye.

Traditional Indian shoes are sandals (chappals) or leather shoes. Representatives of the upper castes wore shoes with colored heels.

Sari and choli is a traditional women's costume. Despite the influence of the Greeks, Persians and Mongols, this type of clothing has not undergone any obvious changes and is currently popular in India. The colors of the saree are very bright and saturated.

The male costume consists of a loincloth (dhoti), a shirt and a cape. Representatives of the highest varna had the right to wear a sacred cord - three threads that girded the back and chest over the left shoulder.

The Raja's attire was luxurious: silk, richly decorated with gold and precious stones.

The latest trends and trends in the fashion world could not but affect the costume of a resident of India today. On the streets of cities you can meet women in traditional clothes and in jeans and a top.

Modern style combines tradition and innovation. This is manifested in the use of various fabrics and mixing elements of clothing: a turban fits perfectly into a business suit, jeans are combined with a kurta, and dhoti with sneakers.

For classical Indian dance, Mohiniattas need: white clothes trimmed with gold and red border; pleated skirt; decorations in the form of a flower garland or gold beads.

Bollywood style requires bright and colorful costumes. At the same time, they should have the same length and shape.The soloist is somewhat different from the general mass, being some exception.