GHAGRA CHOLI

GHAGRA CHOLI

Ghagra choli or Ghagra choli, which is also known as Lehenga choli, is the traditional clothing of women in Rajasthan^[1][2] Gujarat,^[3] Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sindh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Hindi speaking Terai region of Nepal. It was also traditionally worn in the Punjab (with the kurti and salwar).^[4] It is a combination outfit of a Lehenga, tight Choli and a Dupatta.\

Parts

Choli

A choli (Hindi: चोली), (ravike in South India Telugu: రవికె, Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ) is a midriff-baring blouse shell garment in the Indian sari costume worn in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other countries where the sari is worn. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the hot South Asian summers.

Lehenga

Lehenga or Ghagra^[5] is a form of skirt which is long, embroidered and pleated. It is worn as the bottom portion of a Gagra choli. It is secured at the waist and leaves the lower back and midriff bare.^[6] The ancient version of skirt or Ghagri evolved from Bhairnivasani, which in turn evolved from the Antariya when stitched on one side became tabular and was worn gathered together at the waist, and held by a girdle. This was one of the earliest forms of a clumsily stitched skirt. It was worn using drawstring or nada. The ghagri was a narrow skirt six feet long the same length as original antariya. This style can still be seen worn by Jain nuns in India.

Dupatta

The Dupatta is a shawl or large scarf that is worn together with the lehenga and the choli. Until the early 21st century dupatta was the most decorative part of gagra choli, while rest of the garment was more simplistic, especially the gagra as everyday wear. Dupatta is worn in many regional styles across India. Most common style since early medieval times was to pleate the dupatta on the one end and tucking it into the front of the gagra and wrapping it across the waist and over the shoulder or head, similar to the way sari is worn. While women who worked in the farms tucked both ends of dupatta into their choli.

Fabrics

The lehengas are made of a number of fabrics such as Silk, Cotton, Khadi,^[7] Georgette, Crape, Net, Satin, Brocade and Chiffon.^[8] Even though designers have successfully used the various kinds of fabrics for making the lehenga, silk is still the most preferred fabric.

Decorative stitching

Kutch embroidery is an evolving expression of the craft and textile traditions of the Rabaris, a nomadic tribe in Gujarat. Kutch embroidery is unique in the sense that a net is woven on a cloth using thread.The net is then filled in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes.This embroidery follows its own traditional design logic and juxtaposition of colours and motifs.^[10] The Rohanas tribals of Kutch specialise in skirt work. The Sodhas use a geometric style for their embroidery. The Garacia Jats are experts in tiny embroidery on the yoke, which intermingles with red, orange, blue and green threads. The Dhanetah Jats love embroidering broad pear-shaped mirrors using orange, black, yellow and red in chain stitch.^[7]

Festive attire

The lehenga choli is the favourite female apparel worn during festivals, weddings or special events in India. This is due to traditions as well as of the fact that it is available in a number of fabrics with many different decorative choices.^[11] Traditionally the sari and the lehenga choli are the most popular garments for the bride in India.^[12] But it is a common bridal attire mostly in North India and is also the traditional wear of Garba festival in Gujarat.^[13]