India is a large country where many ethnic groups mingle and co-exist. And, of course, each ethnic group has its own official national costume and a whole list of various traditional garments. Let’s see what folk pieces of clothes are used in which states of India. If you think Indian women wear only sarees and men only dhoti and kurta, read this and find out so much more about Indian clothing traditions. There are plenty of wonderful Indian garments.
Andhra Pradesh state – sari, pancha, dhoti, kurta.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Pancha is a men’s wrap-around cotton skirt-like garment.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Arunachal Pradesh – gurdam, mushaik.
Gurdam is a traditional skull-cap filled with yak hair.
Mushaik is a traditional female waistcoat or vest.
Assam – dhoti, kurta, gamocha.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Gamocha (gamucha) is a piece of cloth wrapped around the lower part of the body. It’s a male garment. Usually, the pattern on the gamucha is checkered or striped.
Bihar – dhoti, kurta, sari (seedha aanchal style).
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Chhattisgarh – lugda, polkha.
Lugda is a variation of sari.
Polkha (polka) is a short female top.
Goa – nav vari.
Nav vari or nauvari is a specific style of sari.
Gujarat – ghagra, choli, chrono kediyu.
Ghagra is a three-piece Indian outfit for women consisting of a long skirt, a blouse or choli, and a dupatta or stole.
Choli is a short female blouse or bodice. It usually reaches only to a midriff and is tight-fitting. The sleeves can be short, three-quarter, or long, but some choli are sleeveless altogether.
Chrono are baggy trousers, usually paired with a kediyu.
Kediyu is a heavily embroidered top. It can be worn with chrono or churidar pants.
Haryana – pagri, jutis, daaman odhni.
Pagri is a Hindu turban for men and women.
Jutis are traditional ornate Indian shoes.
Daaman and odhni are types of Indian folk skirts.
Himachal Pradesh – rahide, kurta, ghagra / lehenga choli.
Rahide is a long female headscarf. It has plenty of variations in color, fabric, print, etc. It is often woolen to warm up the head of a woman.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Ghagra choli or lehenga choli is a three-piece female outfit that consists of a long skirt, a blouse or choli, and a dupatta or stole.
Jammu and Kashmir union territory – taranga.
Taranga is a typical ceremonial headscarf. It is often used by brides.
Jharkhand – tussar silk sari, parthan and panchi, bhagwan.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Indian sari
Parthan and panchi is the tribal attire of the local region. It is similar to a sari.
Bhagwan is a male folk garment. It is a long piece of cloth draped around the body to create an outfit.
Karnataka – sari, panche.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Pancha (panche) is a men’s wrap-around cotton skirt-like garment.
Kerala – lungi, mundum neriyathum.
Lungi is a piece of cotton or silk cloth used as a skirt-like garment. It can be wrapped around the body or stitched and worn like a skirt. Both variants of usage are popular among Indian men. Some women in India wear lungi as well.
Mundum neriyathum is a traditional women’s attire. It is one of the oldest styles of a sari. It consists of a mundu or lower garment and a neriyathu or upper garment. Sometimes, these pieces are worn traditionally or mundu can be paired with a blouse, while neriyathu is thrown over one shoulder.
Madhya Pradesh – lugra, bandi or mirzai, safa.
Lugra is a piece of cloth worn around the head and shoulders of a woman.
Bandi is a men’s vest-jacket. It is also called a “Nehru vest”.
Mirzai is a male folk jacket.
Safa is a turban worn by men in Madhya Pradesh state.
Maharashtra – nauvari sari, dhotar, pheta, pagdi.
Nauvari sari is a variation of a sari.
Dhotar is the same as dhoti. Male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Pheta is a specific type of a turban.
Pagdi is another variation of men’s Indian turban.
Manipur – bundi, dhoti, phanek, innaphi.
Bundi is a traditional jacket (“Nehru jacket”) with a stand-up collar.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Phanek, innaphi, and sarong form a costume of Manipuri women. The sarong is a stiff skirt of a certain shape, the phanek is a wrap-around cloth, and the innaphi is a shawl.
Meghalaya – dakmanda, dhara or jainsen.
Dakmanda is a short, unstitched cloth worn like a wrap-around skirt by Indian women.
Dhara or jainsen is a traditional women’s garment. The design can be rather complicated. While jainsen often consists of several pieces of fabric intricately draped around the body to create a cylindrical shape, dhara usually is a one-piece garment.
Mizoram – puanchei, kawrechi.
Puanchei is a unique traditional women’s outfit worn in Mizoram state. It is a colorful handwoven garment.
Kawrechi is another hand-woven Indian piece of clothing. It is a cotton blouse adorned with bright patterns.
Nagaland – lohe, neikhro.
Lohe is a traditional shawl of Angami people who live in Nagaland state. It is black with red, yellow, or other stripes.
Neikhro is a skirt of the local tribal women with a specific pattern.
Odisha – dhoti, kurta and gamucha, sambalpuri sari.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Gamocha (gamucha) is a piece of cloth wrapped around the lower part of the body. It’s a male garment. Usually, the pattern on the gamucha is checkered or striped.
Sambalpuri sari is a style of a sari. Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Panjab – patiala salwar, churidaar, kurta and muktsari pajama.
Patiala salwar are specific baggy trousers originating from Patiala City. They are ankle-length, loose, and tied at the ankle.
Churidaar (churidaar) – female loose trousers, similar to salwar, but churidaar are loose up to the knee and tight from the knee to the ankle.
Kurta pajama is a set consisting of a kurta (loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic) and a pajama (loose comfy trousers).
Muktsari pajama is a set consisting of a muktsari kurta (a variation of a kurta) and a pajama.
Rajastan – ghagra with blouse, dhoti or churidaar pajama, kanchli, kurta, angarkha, patka, paggar or safa.
Ghagra is a three-piece Indian outfit for women consisting of a long skirt, a blouse or choli, and a dupatta or stole.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Churidaar pajama is a long (mid-calf length) shirt worn with traditional trousers.
Indian couple in wedding clothing
Kanchli is a short women’s top. The same as “choli”.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Angarkha is a male upper garment. It overlaps and is tied to the left or right shoulder.
Patka is a head covering worn under a turban. It is a small piece of cloth wrapped around the head to keep the hair and the turban clean.
Paggar (pagri, pagari) is a specific turban worn by men and women.
Safa is a turban worn by men.
Sikkim – bakhu or kho, honju and fastened.
Bakhu or kho is a folk dress worn by Bhutia, ethnic Sikkimese people of Sikkim. It is a loose, sleeveless, cloak-like garment fastened at the neck on one side and near the waist with a silk or cotton belt.
Honju and fastened is a long-sleeved silk blouse worn by women.
Tamil Nadu – kanjivaram sari, pavada, dhavani, veshti and shirt, ravaikai and shawl.
Kanjivaram sari is a variation of a sari.
Pavada is a long skirt, same as “lehenga”.
Dhavani is a female cone-shaped long flowing skirt.
Veshti is a male wrap-around skirt-like garment. It is a long piece of cotton fabric.
Ravaikai is a long women’s shirt worn with a shawl.
Telangana – sari, salwar kameez, pancha, langa voni.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Salwar kameez is a traditional set of clothing that consists of salwar trousers and a kameez (long shirt or tunic).
Pancha (panche) is a men’s wrap-around cotton skirt-like garment.
Langa voni is a folk dress used by young girls. It is a half-sari or two-piece sari.
Tripura – risa and rikutu, rigwnai, kamchwlwi borok.
Risa and rikutu is a female garment for the upper body. It consists of a risa (top that covers a chest) and a rikutu (sort of a blouse that covers the upper body).
Rigwnai is a women’s wrap-around garment.
Kamchwlwi borok is a men’s garment for the upper body.
Uttar Pradesh – ghagra choli, salwar kameez, sari, lungi, pajama and kurta.
Ghagra choli or lehenga choli is a three-piece female outfit that consists of a long skirt, a blouse or choli, and a dupatta or stole.
Salwar kameez is a traditional set of clothing that consists of salwar trousers and a kameez (long shirt or tunic).
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Lungi is a piece of cotton or silk cloth used as a skirt-like garment. It can be wrapped around the body or stitched and worn like a skirt. Both variants of usage are popular among Indian men. Some women in India wear lungi as well.
Pajama are loose comfortable trousers.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
Uttarakhand – ghagra, choli and odhni, dhoti, jawahar topi, churidar or lungi, shirt or kurta.
Ghagra is a three-piece Indian outfit for women consisting of a long skirt, a blouse or choli, and a dupatta or stole.
Choli and odhni are Indian top and skirt.
Indian choli blouse
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Jawahar topi is a male traditional jacket.
Churidaar (churidaar) – female loose trousers, similar to salwar, but churidaar are loose up to the knee and tight from the knee to the ankle.
Lungi is a piece of cotton or silk cloth used as a skirt-like garment. It can be wrapped around the body or stitched and worn like a skirt. Both variants of usage are popular among Indian men. Some women in India wear lungi as well.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.
West Bengal – sari with bright red border, dhoti, panjabi and kurta.
Sari (saree) – the most popular women’s outfit in India. Sari is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of sari and each region or state has its own typical drapings of a sari. This garment is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat.
Dhoti is a male wrap-around garment, a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long.
Panjabi is a straight-cut traditional kurta.
Kurta is a loose collarless below-the-knee-length shirt or tunic. It can be worn by men and women.