HISTORY OF FASHION

RAJASTHAN & HARYANA

 Foundation of Rajasthan
Rajasthan was inhabited long before 2500 BC and the Indus Valley Civilization
had its foundation here in north Rajasthan itself. The Bhil and the Mina tribes
.
were the earliest dwellers of this area
Rajasthan, the largest state of India was formed on 30 March 1949 with Jaipur
as the state capital.
Once known as the 'Land of the Kings', the state still retains the glory and
richness of those times with its marvelous monuments, colorful traditions and
customs.
It covers most of the area of the Great Indian desert (Thar Desert) with one
edge paralleling the Sutlej - Indus river valley along with its border with
Pakistan.
It borders Pakistan to the west, the Indian state of Gujarat to the southwest,
Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast
and Punjab to the north.Rajasthani and
Hindi are the widely used languages in the state. 
Foundation of Rajasthan
 Families of Rajasthan
When India became independent 23 princely states were
combined to form the State of Rajasthan or the abode of rajas
and now has become the foremost destination in India.

The families :
the first and now

The Sun Family :

Sisodias of Marwar (Chittaur & Udaipur)

Rathores of Jodhpur and Bikaner
Kachhwahas of Amber and Jaipur

The Moon family:

Bhattis of Jaisalmer
 Folk music & Dance of
Rajasthan
The people of Rajasthan live life to the hilt. Each region
has its own folk entertainment, the dance styles differ as
do the songs. Interestingly enough, even the musical
instruments are different.

Of considerable significance are the devotional songs and

the communities who render these songs.

Professional performers like the Bhaats, Dholis, Mirasis,

Nats, Bhopas and Bhands are omnipresent across the
state. They are patronized by the villagers who participate
actively in the shows put up by these traveling
entertainers.

Some of the better known forms of entertainment are:

 Folk music & Dance of
Rajasthan
Ghoomar Dance: This is basically a community dance for
women and performed on. auspicious occasions. Derived from
the word ghoomna, piroutte, this is a very simple dance where
the ladies move gently, gracefully in circles.

Gait Ghoomar: This is one of the many dance-forms of the Bhil

tribals. Performed during Holi festival, this is among a few
performances where both men and women dance together.

Gait: Another Holi dance but performed only by men. This

becomes Dandia Gair in Jodhpur and Geendad in Shekhawati.

Chart Dance: This is popular in the Kisherigarh region and

involves dancing with a chari, or pot, on one’s head. A lighted
lamp is then placed on the pot.
 Folk music & Dance of
Rajasthan
Kachhi Ghodi: This is a dance performed on dummy horses.
Men in elaborate costumes ride the equally well decorated
dummy horses. Holding naked swords, these dancers move
rhythmically to the beating of drums and fifes.

Fire Dance: The Jasnathis of Bikaner and Chum are renowned

for their tantric powers and this dance is in keeping with
their lifestyle.

Drum Dance: This is a professional dance-form from Jalore.

Five men with huge drums round their necks, some with
huge cymbals accompany a dancer who holds a naked sword
in his mouth and performs vigorously by twirling three
painted sticks.
 Folk music & Dance of
Rajasthan
Teerah Taali: The Kamad community of Pokhran and Deedwana
perform this dance in honour of theft deity, Baba Ramdeo.

Kathputli: Puppet plays based on popular legends are

performed by skilled puppeteers. Displaying his skill in
making the puppets’ act and dance, the puppeteer is
accompanied by a woman, usually his wife, who plays the
dholak, or drum and sings the ballad.

Pabuji Ki Phach: A 14th century folk hero, Pabuji is revered

by the Bhopa community. The phad, or scroll, which is about
10 metres long, highlights the life and heroic deed of Pabuji.
 Folk music & Dance of
Rajasthan
Maand: Rajasthan’s most sophisticated style of folk music
and has come a long way from the time it was only sung in
royal courts, in praise of the Rajput rulers.

Professional singers still sing the haunting ballads of Moomal

Mahendra, Dhola-Maru and other legendary lovers and
heroes.
 Festivals of Rajasthan

Rajasthan Festivals are a symbol of the vivacious spirit of the

people of the state. Numerous festivals fill up this dull
state with bright colors.

Festivals in Rajasthan, India are celebrated with great

pomp and show. Right from Hindu festivals to Muslim
festivals, all are celebrated with equal enthusiasm.

Folk music and dance is a feature of almost every festival in

Rajasthan. The romance, chivalry, etc of the royal bygone
era comes back to life through these festivals.
 Festivals of Rajasthan
– Brij Festival
– Camel Festival
– Desert Festival
– Gangaur Festival
– Kajli Teej
– Marwar Festival
– Mewar Festival
– Summer Festival
– Teej Festival
– Elephant Festival
– Ganesh Chaturthi
– Kite Festival
– Kota Dussehra
– Shekhawati Festival
 Costumes of Rajasthan
• Rajasthan costumes are very bright colored and gaudy. The
monotonous dull-colored of the sand becomes vibrant and
cheery with the bright colors attire worn by the people.

• It makes up for the blossoming flowers which is absent in the

desert areas. People here in Rajasthan love to decorate
themselves not only with heavy ornaments but also
everything from turbans, clothes, footwear etc.

• The Rajasthani attire is made well to go with the climatic

condition of the place and is very well defined. Their costume
includes angarakha, pagri (turban), dhoti, pajamas, patka
(waistband) and kamarbandh for men. Women costumes
include Ghagra (skirt), choli (blouse), kurti (top) and odhani.
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Men’s costume
• Turban : It is a headgear for men in Rajasthan. The way it is tied and the
color reflect the caste and also the region from where the man is from.
People from Jaipur wear angular pagri while people from Udaipur wear
flat pagri. Jodhpur head gear called “safa” is distinct with curved bands.
Turban which you get here is of different size, shape and color. “Pagri”
has length of 82 feet and width is 8 inch. “Safa”is broader and shorter.

• Angarakha : It is worn in the upper part of the body. It comes in different

colors and also in different cuts. Two main types are long angarakha
reaching below knees and the other is frock style and is waist length.

• Dhoti : Pajama or Dhoti is a costume worn to cover the lower part of the
body which generally is 4m by 1m cotton cloth, need to be tied properly
which comes with practice. White dhoti is the basic trend but dhoti of silk
and with a zari border in it is also worn is special occasion.
Costumes of Rajasthan
Men’s costume
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Men’s costume
• The traditional dresses being ‘potia’,
• ‘dhoti’, ‘banda’, ‘angrakha’, ‘bugatari’,
• ‘pachewara’, ‘khol’, ‘dhabla’, amongst Hindus; and
‘tilak’, ‘burga’, ‘achkan’ amongst Muslims, which
are fast changing now with ‘bushirt’, ‘salwar’ and
‘skirts’, saris and pants accordingly.

Turban, the head dress of Rajasthani men, is a

differential pattern, of each geographical region
designed to suit terrain and climatic influence. All
over Rajasthan, the ‘bandhni’, the tie-and-dye sari
and turban reign supreme.
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Men’s costume

Traditional textiles
Rajasthani daily wear such as saris, ‘odhnis’ and turbans
are often made from textiles using either blockprinted or
tie-and-dye techniques.
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Women’s costume
Women's Attire
The standard design is a four-piece dress which includes
the ‘ghagra’ (skirt), the ‘odhni’ (head cloth), the ‘kurti’ (a
short blouse) and the ‘kanchi’ (a long, loose blouse).
Odhni
It is 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, One corner is tucked in
the skirt while the other end is taken over the head and
right shoulder. Colours and motifs are particular to caste,
type of costume and occasion. Both Hindu and Muslims
women wear ‘odhnis’.
Pila
An ‘odhni’ with a yellow background and a central lotus
motif in red called a ‘pila’, is a traditional gift of parent to
their daughter on the birth of a son. The vibrant and
colourful land of Rajasthan, with hospitable and well-
attired men and women add a splash of colour to the
otherwise parched landscape.
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Jewelry
Rajasthanis are very fond of jewellery. Wealthy class wears gold
ornaments studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies while
the others wear chunky silver ornaments. Jaipur is famed for
producing exquisite gold ornaments as well as beautiful
costume jewelry. An entire market, Johari Bazar, at Jaipur is
dedicated to making jewelry.
Women of Gayari, Mina and Bhil tribal communities wear brass
ornaments made by a community called Bharawa.
Rabaris of Sirohi region and Raikas of Jodhpur wear heavy
silver jewellery, often studded with inexpensive glass pieces.
These have charming patterns based on sun, moon and
flowers, seeds and leaves found in the region.
Besides metal jewelry, Rajasthan is also proficient in the art of
making lac jewellery. The jewellery is often decorated with
small glass pieces. In South Rajasthan, women wear bangles
made of coconut shell, these also have silver strip set in a
groove in the centre.
 Costumes of Rajasthan
Jewelry
•
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is among the richest states in the country as far as the field of
arts and crafts is concerned. Stone, clay, leather, wood, ivory, lac,
glass, brass, silver, gold and textiles were given the most brilliant
forms.

Jaipur meenakari is famed for its delicacy and its use of colours.
Pratapgarh and Nathdwara are two other centres which produce fine
quality enamel work.
Jewelery: Rajasthan is rich in jewellery, each area having its own
unique style. Some of the traditional designs are rakhri, tirnaniyan,
bala, bajuband, gajra, gokhru, jod, etc. Tribal women wear heavy,
simply crafted jewellery and seem to carry the weight (almost up to
five kgs) without much discomfort almost all the time. Men too wear
their share of ornaments in the form of chockers and earrings.

Ivory: The ivory bangles that most Rajasthani women wear are
considered auspicious. Ivory is also inlaid and shaped into intricate
items of great beauty. Miniature paintings were also executed on
ivory.
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan

Lac and Glass: Lac bangles are made in bright colors and sometimes inlaid
with glass. Other decorative and functional items are also available.

Sandalwood and Wood: Carved wood is presented in a wide range of objects

and is simple and inexpensive.

Stone: Statues on religious themes are carved all over Rajasthan and in
several cities there are still entire lanes where the stone carvers can be
seen giving final touches to statues or even pillars. Other crafts like blue
pottery, hand block printing, tie and dye, terracotta sculptures, painting on
camel hide, embroidery, cloth painting, carpets, durries, inlay work on
brass and wood are to be found all over Rajasthan.

• Leather : In Rajasthan bags, joothis, pouches, saddles, furniture is made up

of leather. The leather goes through many stages before giving the final
output, the stages are like beating, tanning and then dying of the leather.
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan

• Some of the other crafts are like paper craft, painting on

camel hide, carpets, cloth painting, inlay work on wood
and brass, hand block printing, tie and dye fabric,
embroidery, terracotta sculptures and many more is found
in Rajasthan Arts and Crafts.
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan
Bandhini
• Rajasthan, which has developed a different range of
colors, has mastered another technique in which the
background is in light color while the patterns are in dark
colors. This done by dyeing sections of the saree in the
desired color with the use of a piece of a felt and then
tying. The cloth is bleached and only the tied sections
retain the colors. After this is the background color is dyed
and the finished bandhani emerges, with dark colored
doted pattern on a light background. The red chundari,
which is used as a veil by young married women in rural
areas, is never dyed in fast colors bandhanis.
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan
Bandhini
• Rajasthan has a number of tie and dye centers. The most
famous are the Jodhpur, Jaipur and Sikar. Sikar produces
some of the finest bandhanis and they produce a range of
patterns, which are made for different communities in
Rajasthan, Haryana and even Punjab.
 Arts & Crafts of Rajasthan
Bandhini
• Another form of tie and die, which is a speciality of
Rajasthan is the lahriya and mothra. Here the opposite end
of the length of the cloth are pulled and rolled together.
They are tied and dyed in different colors producing
diagonal multi-colored lines. When the same process is
repeated by using the opposite ends, a check, mothra is
created. This done only in Jaipur and Jodhpur. Recently,
the dyers of Ahmedabad have started to do simple lahriya.
This technique was used generally for turbans made for
Rajput in Rajasthan .
 Rajasthan Cuisines
• Rajasthani cooking was influenced by the war-like lifestyle of its
inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this region. Food
that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating
was preferred, more out of necessity than choice.

• Scarcity of water, fresh green vegetables have had their effect on

cooking. In the desert belt of Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner, cooks
use a minimum of water and prefer, instead, to use more milk,
buttermilk and clarified butter.

• Dried lentils, beans from indigenous plants like sangri, ker etc. are
liberally used. Gram flour is a major ingredient here and is used to
make some of the delicacies like gatta ki sabzi, pakodi; powdered
lentils are used for mangodi, papad. Bajra and corn are used all
over the state for preparations of rabdi, khichdi and rotis. Various
chutneys are made from locally available spices like turmeric,
coriander, mint and garlic.
 Rajasthan Cuisines
Perhaps the best known Rajasthani food is the combination of
dal, bati and churma but for the adventurous traveller,
willing to experiment, there is a lot of variety available.
Besides, each region is distinguished by its popular sweet -
Mawa Kachori from Jodhpur, Malpuas from Pushkar,
Rasogullas from Bikaner, Ghevar from Jaipur..to name a
few.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death

BIRTH Garbhadharan (Conception)

• In Rajasthan nine important ceremonies mark the birth of a
child. The first is the Garbhadhan ceremony. When a bride
conceives for the first time, it is considered a good omen
for the family. Near and dear. ones visit the girl and they
sing together to the accompaniment of a dholak and
express their unbounded joy. The songs are significant and
many describe the changes that occur in the body of the
girl and the resultant changes in her mood and behaviour
and also her likes and dislikes.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death

BIRTH
Athmaasa (Eight Month of Conception)
When the girl enters the eighth month of her conception, the
Athmaasa ceremony is performed to ensure the safety of
the child in the moment. Relatives
. assemble at the girl's
residence and pray to the family deity for the safe delivery
and they go to the temple of their Istyadeva (favorite
deity) to seek his blessings. This is an occasion for night-
long music session and the most interesting part of this
ceremony is that the expectant girl is treated as the queen
of the family. She is invited to lavish dinners by relatives
and she is the virtual heroine of the community for at least
one month.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
BIRTH
Jatkarama (Birth) Ceremony
• When a child is born, the birth ceremony is performed by feeding
the baby with a spoonful of honey mixed with ghee. If the child is
male, an elderly woman of the family beats a copper thali to
announce the birth.
•  People who possess guns, fire several shots to mark the birth of
the male child. The entire locality
. comes to congratulate the
family. The family priest is invited to note down the time and
date of birth of the boy so that his horoscope can be prepared.
Sweets are sent to friends and relatives and night-long music
sessions are held to celebrate the occasion. 
• The birth of a female child has never been welcomed in
Rajasthan. The birth of a daughter is greeted with sorrow and
grief. The mother sobs and cries in the arms of their husband and
prays for another child. No songs, no sweets and no ceremonies
not even a letter to relatives to inform them of the daughter's
arrival.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
BIRTH

In royal families, the birth of son was a historic event. Some

Maharajas used to feast the entire population of their
capital town. The Maharajas of Jaipur would invite the
whole of Jaipur and feasting continued for days, until every
citizen was fed. On the birth. anniversaries of the
Maharajas, sweets were distributed throughout the state
to all school children.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Marriage
In Rajasthan from the engagement  to the marriage there are a long
chain of ceremonies. The most important of them are, the Sagai,
Tika, Toran-bandana, Saptapadi and Gauna. There are numerous
minor ceremonies which have been traditionally observed in rural
areas. The educated in urban areas are gradually giving up these
cumbersome rituals.
.
Sagai (Engagement)
The engagement ceremony is brief and simple. When the family priest
informs the parents of the boy and the girl that the horoscopes tally
the marriage is settled. The father of the girl then sends the boy's
father a coconut , a coloured turban, clothes, ornaments, dry fruits,
sweets, paan etc. In some families, the engagement ceremony is
performed by presenting only a coconut and some money, the
coconut being the main symbol of engagement.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Marriage

• Tika
• The next most important ceremony is the Tika or Tilak. On an
auspicious day, representatives of the bride's family come to the
bridegroom's house and perform the Tika ceremony. They put a
vermilion mark on the bridegroom's forehead and offer caps, clothes
and sweets, as presents from the. father of the bride. The relatives
and friends of the bridegroom assemble to watch this ceremony.
Later they are given a grand feast to mark the occasion.

•  In some castes and communities, small doses of opium are

distributed to the people who come to watch the Tika ceremony.
Those who take the opium, are supposed to give evidence in case
the marriage ceremony is not solemnized due to some unforeseen
conflict between the contracting parties.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Marriage

• Toran Bandana( Reception)

• This colourful ceremony is performed at the bride's house, when the

bridegroom arrives with his marriage procession. He comes riding a
horse with a sword in hand. Seated on the horse he touches the Toran
(a wooden crown which hangs at .the main entrance to the house ) with
his sword seven times. The mother of the bride receives the
bridegroom and anoints his forehead with curd and mustard. In
Rajasthan, the mother's symbol is milk, while the mother-in-law is
curd. A mother always reminds her son of the milk he had from her and
a mother-in-law of the curd she gave him. While the mother-in-law
greets the bridegroom with curd, the bride hits him with a garland of
sweets.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Marriage

Saptapadi(Marriage)

• Under a beautifully decorated canopy, havan is performed and

the bridegroom takes the hand of the bride and the oath of
marriage in the name of God.
• Then the bride and bridegroom go round the fire seven times
.
(Saptapadi). During the first three rounds, the bride leads the
bridegroom and in the last four rounds, the bridegroom leads
the bride.

• During these marriage rounds the priest recites mantras from

the Vedas. During the first three rounds, the bride belongs to
her own family but with the fourth round, she becomes the wife
of the groom. A song commonly sung on this occasion relates
this transfer.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Dowry System

• Marriage is a very expensive affair in Rajasthan because of

the dowry system. The dowry is often unbearable burden on
the parents of the girl who have to pay a large sum to get
their daughter married. The parents of the girl are virtually
ruined because they have to. take loans on exorbitant
interest from money-lenders and to repay the loans and the
interest, they have to sell their property. During medieval
times, because of this evil system, many people killed their
female offspring as soon as they were born. 
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Nata (Re-Marriage)

• After divorce, one could marry again. In some castes the

Nata system is in vogue, especially among the Rajputs, Jats,
Gujjars, Meenas and Bhils. According to this system, a wife
can divorce her husband and live with another man of her
choice as his wife, without going
. through the formalities of a
marriage. This system is very popular in the rural areas
because it does not entail any expenditure. This is marriage
by mutual consent without the pomp and show of marriage.
A widow can also live with a man as his wife without a formal
wedding ceremony. This is known as Nata in Rajasthan.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Death
• There are three main funeral ceremonies in Rajasthan. They are
Antyeshthi, Tiya and Mausar.
• Antyeshthi (Cremation)
• When a person dies, he or she is taken in a funeral procession to the
cremation ground. If the deceased was quite old, a band leads the
procession. The eldest son, or a near relative, lights the funeral pure.
The mourners then throw fagots in the fire as a symbol of active
participation in the cremation.
.
• When a rich person dies, coins are scattered all the way from the house
to the cremation ground. Beggars and the poor pick up the coins. This is
called Bakher. It is mainly a Rajasthani custom.
• The bereaved family goes into mourning for twelve days. Professional
weepers cry everyday at the residence of the deceased person. In
Rajasthan there is a class of professional weepers who can be called to
weep wherever a death occurs.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Death
Tiya
• On the third day after the death, the relatives go to the
cremation ground and collect the ashes which they later
immerse in Pushkar Lake or the Ganga. On this day, relatives
and friends assemble at the dead person's house and
perform havan while Vedic hymns
. are recited by the family
priest.
 Birth ,Marriage & Death
Death

Mausar (Death Feast) 

• On the twelfth day, a grand feast is given in honor of the
dead. Hundreds of people are invited and this costs the
family a good deal of money.. Sometimes the poor have to
take loans and incur heavy debts which they are unable to
repay. Now the young often refuse to give this death feast
which they consider wasteful. So, some old men and women
give their death feasts in advance for fear that their sons
and relatives may not hold it after their death. The state
government has banned death feasts because they are
considered a curse for the poor