Clothing

The traditional dress for the men is the dhoti and kurta --the kurta being the long tunic and dhoti worn below it.A turban is worn on the head in different styles depending up on the place in India. 

The dhoti is a long unstitched garment of 5 -6 yards in length. It is knotted at the waist and wrapped around the legs and is ankle length. 

This dhoti kurta is worn by the men for important religious functions and in weddings. At such times, it is a silk dhoti kurta ensemble. 

The men wear the formal western shirt and trousers 
                        at all other times.

Traditionally, the women wear a saree. You can also see the women wearing a  salwar kameez or the churidar kameez.

Churidar kameez

Salwar kameez

Young women do wear the western style of trousers and shirt, jeans and tops etc.                  

The saree--is a 5 1/2 meters in length and 1 meter wide long flowing single piece of seamless material that is draped around the woman's body to make her look                                              elegant and feminine. 

It is worn over a petticoat, wrapped around the waist and is a full length dress that falls at the feet. It has pleats and one end is worn over a shoulder. It is worn together with a blouse.     

It is a very graceful garment almost like the 'toga' of ancient Romans in looks and is worn differently in the various states of India.

There are sarees for different occasions e.g. daily wear, party wear and for weddings.

The sarees worn for weddings are mostly rich silk sarees or sarees with embellishments like expensive crystals, semi-precious or precious stones,beads, have glossy zari embroidery and thread work. The fabric of a saree can be cotton,silk or chiffon.  

The saree has remained as the most preferred garment for weddings. It has many styles based on its weaving, fabric and design. It makes a woman feel wonderful and feminine. 

No wonder this simple but graceful garment has kept the world enthralled in its timelessness. 

The land and its states

Now let me tell you about the land and its people.... India has a vast and varied terrain. It has the lofty snow covered  Himalayas in the north, the Thar desert in the west,flat plains,hills and rivers in the south, the Indo-Gangetic plains with the rivers in the east, the flat plateau in central  India and the hilly terrain in the North-east. India is a peninsula with the Arabian Sea in the west, Indian  Ocean in the south and the Bay of Bengal to the east.                                    

   You find that as varied as its topography is the climate with its wide range of weather conditions including snow, desert, beaches and places with heavy rainfall.

There are twenty-nine states and seven union territories. Each state has its distinct language, cuisine and its customs.


So isn't it interesting to see and experience India ?