Figure 1.--.

The clothing worn in ancient India was very diverse. This was due the long period of involved and the range of climatic conditionsfrom the temperate north to the tropical south. India has played a major role in the hisory of fahion and textile. It was in ancient India that cotton was first cultivated. Many Indian terms are important fashion and garment terms, including dungarees, khakis, pajamas, and may other terms. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of ancient Indian clothing is that it is still widely worn in modern India. The clothing and garmnts of ancient India are the only styles from the ancient world still widely worn today. Here it is probably the suitability for the climate and low cost and simpliciy that are the key factors. It is the fashion of the Vedic era that have proved the most important. Clothing in the Vedic era was often extensively embroidered and embelished with precious metals and jewels.

Climate

A key concern in an assessment of Indian clothing, both ancient and modern, is climate. The majority of India - at least the populated areas - is tropical or subtropical. In moist hot climates, it is difficult to keep the skin dry all the day, especially during working or playing. A HBC reader reports, "My experiences stem from South India. I experienced such climate in Kerala about 10° North of the equator - in moist climate in Kerala and more dry climate in Tamil Nadu. I have heard that when in the 18th century British soldiers lived in this area, many died as a consequence of the too tight uniforms in fashion in those days. More died from overheating, permantly too much moisture on the body including growth of fungi and other parasites than of combat. The skin could not breathe and be kept dry. So the body was left in a totally unnatural and unhealthy condition." The dress of ancient Indians, still commonly worn in many areas, was much more adapted to the climate. Although much has changed in India, the climate has not changed and because the heat is such a major factor, this has been an importnt factor in the perpetuation of ancient styles.

Information

T here seem to be few witnesses such as printed pictures or sculptures. Basically I suppose that the situation was not very different from what we have described form modern times. The best witness I have seen was on the temples of Khajuraho. These temples seem to have served in indian middle ages not so much as a place for the parish to pray to the godhead but as a spirito-therapeutic device - before being allowed to meet the goodhead in the central part of the temple, at the altar, you should cleanse you mind, your psyche and your spirit. This may take several days or even longer ... This is a very different approach from western religions such as Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. It is a Tantra apporoach, a tantric approach.

So what can we learn from the temples as they still exist, some of them in exellent condition? All the thousands of humans sculptured on the temples´outer surface wear clothes that differ totally from present days Indian clothes, or even clothes worn by them 100 or 200 years ago. The Khajuraho culture must have been very very different from the modern brahminical (hinduistic), islamic and christian cultures. The Khajuraho culture must have been much less - if at all - prudish than the present Indian culture or any western culture. And these clothes are often erotic. There is some meaning behind, of course. The temples have been by far too expensive to serve as a pornographic means. Once there existed about 90 of this kind - built between 800 and 1200 AD, 20 still exist. What did people wear on the temple images? Much ornaments over the whole body, a kind of lungi or more often some loose piece of long cloth around the waist, obviously made of silk. Most of them wear a kind of garter belt and garters and some kind of long stockings or similar things. All this is shown to the public and much adorned with jewels and the like - all in stone. Many of them ar naked and seep to be involved in physically impossible intimate relations. This is why the temples are sometimes called the Sex Temples - which however is not the right name. Many Westereners and certainly Muslims would consider the scenes phornographic. Other less prudish observers might descrine beautiful scenes of tender human relations. [Stefan]

There are many more scenes depicted that show emotions such as fear, greed, greed for power, anger, war, work etc. Thse temple carvings offer few insight to HBC on children's clothing. Few children are depictd. The few that are depicted are normally naked which was common for children in many ancient sociti ith hot climates (Egypt and Mesopotamia). Even concerning the adult clothing depicted, HBC does not know whether all those erotic and unusual clothes of the people are copies of the clothes worn in reality in those days or if they were meant to seduce the visitor to come to her or his secret phantasies, watch them with great awareness, get rid of them and only then are allowed to meet the godhead. The latter seems to be more convincing. [Stefan]

Another problem is that if you look at the outer surface of old temples (for example of the old Menakshee- or Shiva-Tempel in Madurai) you will see that most of the figures there are not people. They are demons, godesses and gods, asuras and gandharvas (demons and angles so to say) and other persons of the Hindu culture. They are clad according to some style but somehow rather absurd.

Major Eras

Most historians organize the history of ancient India into three basic eras. In terms of fashion and clothing, it is the Vedic era that is more important.

Early Indus Valley civilization (3000-1500 BC)

Men an women in ancient India appear to have dressed similarly. The principal garment was basic costume of ancient society was a length of cloth sround the lower body. A loose fitting garment was used for the upper body, often another length of fabric. Headwear was common, especially for men. [Stefan]

Aryan and Vedic Era 1500-500 BC)

Clothing becme more varied during the Vedic era. Fashions during this era are especially interesing, as many ar still worn i India today 3,000 years later. There were a variety of garments, especially for women. One outfit for women was a "dhoti", a skirt type garment worn with a blouse ("choli") and scarf. Another important garment was the "sari", perhaps the most well known Inian garment today. A sari is a length of fabric wrapped around the body. The loose end or "pallu" is worn over the shoulder. A choli might be worn with a sari. Despite theantiquity of this fashion, the sari is still worn in modern India. [Azzopardi] Another fashion wasworn by tribal or women in more primitive socities. Here women wore a skirted-like garment or "adivasi". It was a length of fabric at the the waist. It was worn without any upper garment. "Adivasi" also descibes peoples that live in the forests and other wild areas in India. They consider themselves not as Indians because they feel that they are neglected and maltreated by the official "civilized" Indians and their administrations. If you look at their clothings, it is a little simpler but not really different from general Indian attire. [Stefan] Most men wore a "dhoti", which is a length of fabric draped around the lower bodyat the waist. Sometimes this was worn like a skirt-like garment. At other times, the lower hem was pulle through the legs and wrapped into more of pants-like garment. Men in the more tropical south often went ithout any garmnt or the upper body. Fitted shirt-lik garments were, however, common i the north. Men commonly wore headwear, mostly turbans, also a wrapped length of fabric. Women also occassionally wore them. Clothing in the Vedic era was often extensively embroidered and embelished with precious metals and jewejewelsls. [Azzopardi]

Era of Empire (500 BC-647 AD)

Diversity

This was due the long period of involved and the range of climatic conditions from the temperate north to the tropical south. There were especially important variations as a result of climatic conditions. People in southern Indian wore much less clothing than those in the temperate noth where more protection from the elements was needed. Even women in the south often did not wear an upper garment. Northern women did normally wear upper garments, commonly a fitted upper garment worn under a loose garment. [Azzopardi]

Material

The materials used for textiles and clothing in India as in other ancient civilizations were made from the available raw materials. Here cotton was the mmost important as it was in India that cotton was first cultivatd. Wool was of lesser importance. Silk from China appeared from China about 100 BC.

Cotton

Here cotton was the mmost important as it was in India that cotton was first cultivatd. Wool was of lesser importance. Silk from China appeared from China about 100 BC.

Wool

Silk

Silk from China appeared from China about 100 BC.

Industrial Revolution

The clothing technology of ancient India was to have a major impact on European fashion and society. Ancient Indians domesticated cotton. With the European voyages of discovery, direct trade between India and Europe began. Cotton textiles were not at first a major trade items, primarily because Europeans needed warm clothing and the fact cotton was difficult to dye. TThis began to change around 1700 as Europeans were drawn to the brightly colored Indian cotton textiles. The Indians had worked out to dye cotton cloth so it would not quickly fade with washong. It was the desire of British entrepreneurs to compete with imported Indian textiles that led directly to the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

Glossary

There are a number of important Indian terms concerning textiles and clothing:

Adivasi: An adivasi is a length of fabric tied around the waist. It is normally smaller than a sari.

Atka: This is a generic term describing a variety of flowing garments.

Choli: A short blouse like garment with no back.

Dhoti: Dhoti has entered the English language as a kind of mal loin cloth, but this is not a good description of the garment. It is a length of cloth normally about 1.5 meters wide and 6-9 meters long. It is wrapped around the body. The loose end is either tied at the waist or worn over the shoulder.

Drapi: This is a generic term for embroidered garments. Notice the similarity with the English term drapery (often flowered material) or the verb drape. This is mot, however, a term which has been adoped during the Raj (Britisish colonial India). Raher it was a term from Middle French and English used n the medieval era.

Dungareee:

Jodpour:

Hirano-Drapi: This is a term describing garment ornamentation.

Khaki:

Madras:

Nivi: Nivi meanns pleats used in either the sari or dhoti.

Pajama

Pallu: The pallau is the loose end of the sari.

Sari: The sari or saree is a woman's garment fashioned from a length of material about 2 m by 6-10 meters. Styles and thus the length od material needed varied by region. The sari was formed by wrapping the material first around the lower body and then rapping the loose ends around the upper body.

Turban: A turban is headwear that was fashioned from a length of fabric wrapped around the head.

Sources

Azzopardi, Debbie. "Fashion in ancient India".

Ghurye, G.S. Indian Costume 2nd Edition (Popular Prakashan P. Ltd, 1966).

Stefan (also called Aryaman with his Indian name), e-Mail message, February 23, 2003

Costumes of India (Diamond Pocket Books )

Created: February 11, 2003
Last updated: 2:19 AM 6/21/2005