Summary of
Family Customs in India
India's Main Page
Family
Customs in India
Family
is important in India, and is what their life is centered
around. It is common for several generations to live in
the same house as an extended family.
When
a woman marries, she leaves her birth family, many times
without seeing them again, and goes to her husband's village
and becomes part of his family.
There
is significant discrimination toward girls and women.
While young girls are expected to help with the women's work
(which consists of fetching water, preparing meals, cleaning,
and caring for animals) as well as care for their younger
siblings; boys have it much easier.
They
may be required to herd goats and other animals to and from
the fields, but in general have it much easier than their
female counterparts and this discrimination doesn't end with
adulthood.
A
simple draped cloth is still the basic attire for many
Indians. The women wear a sari, which is worn
with a blouse underneath, with the material ranging from
cotton to silk. Men generally wear a dhoti, which
can be worn full length or as "pants" depending on
the region. In northern India, western clothing has
replaced that of the traditional for men, while women still
wear saris or other Indian styles of dress. In rare
cases women will wear slacks and blouses, but that is
generally among the elite.
Clothing
To the foreign traveler, one of
the powerful attractions in India is the colorful
and diversified attire of its people. The silk saris,
brightly mirrored cholis, colorful lehangas
and the traditional salwar-kameez have
fascinated many a traveler over the centuries.
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Attire
for Women
For a single length of material,
the sari must be the most versatile garment
in existence. It is only one of the many traditional
garments worn by women, yet it has somehow become
the national dress of Indian women. A sari is
a rectangular piece of cloth which is five to six
yards in length. The style, color and texture of
this cloth varies and it might be made from cotton,
silk or one of the several man-made materials. The sari
has an ageless charm since it is not cut or tailored
for a particular size. This garment can fit any size
and if worn properly can accentuate or conceal. This
supremely graceful attire can also be worn in
several ways and its manner of wearing as well as
its color and texture are indicative of the status,
age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.
The tightly fitted, short blouse
worn under a sari is a choli. The choli
evolved as a form of clothing in 10th century AD and
the first cholis were only front covering;
the back was always bare. Bodices of this type are
still common in the state of Rajasthan.
Apart from the choli,
women in Rajasthan wear a form of pleated skirt
known as the ghagra or lehanga. This
skirt is secured at the waist and leaves the back
and midriff bare. The heads are however covered by a
length of fine cotton known as orhni or dupatta.
Another popular attire of women
in India is the salwar-kameez. This dress
evolved as a comfortable and respectable garment for
women in Kashmir and Punjab, but is now immensely
popular in all regions of India. Salwars are
pajama-like trousers drawn tightly in at the waist
and the ankles. Over the salwars, women wear
a long and loose tunic known as a kameez. One
might occasionally come across women wearing a churidar
instead of a salwar. A churidar is similar to
the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips,
thighs and ankles. Over this, one might wear a
collarless or mandarin-collar tunic called a kurta.
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Attire
for Men
Though the majority of Indian
women wear traditional costumes, the men in India
can be found in more conventional western clothing.
Shirts and trousers are worn by men from all regions
in India. However, men in villages are still more
comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas,
lungis, dhotis and pyjamas.
The traditional lungi originated
in the south and today it is worn by men and women
alike. It is simply a short length of material worn
around the thighs rather like a sarong. A dhoti
is a longer lungi but with an additional length of
material pulled up between the legs. Pyjama-like
trousers worn by the villagers are known as the lenga.
Indian dressing styles are marked
by many variations, both religious and regional and
one is likely to witness a plethora of colors,
textures and styles in garments worn by the Indians.
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