Traditional Dresses of Indian States: Dress to State List
Traditional dresses of Indian states for exams: Mekhela Chador, Phanek, Pheran, Puanchei, Pano Bhaju and more, with famous weaves and state pairings.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
The traditional dress of a state is one of the most dependable marks in a General Knowledge paper, because the question is almost always a simple pairing: a dress, a shawl or a headgear on one side and a state on the other. SSC, Railway and State exams ask it from Art and Culture as well as from the Indian States and Union Territories section, and the same twenty or so names return year after year. These notes set out the dress of every large state for men and for women, region by region, and then collect the names that actually decide the answer.
How the question is set
Three forms repeat. The first names a dress and asks for the state, as in Mekhela Chador belongs to which state. The second names a state and offers four dresses. The third hides the pairing inside a match-the-following question with four dresses and four states. A rarer fourth form asks about a famous weave rather than a garment, such as the state of the Patola saree. In every form the work is the same: fix the name to the state, because the paper never asks you to describe the cloth.
North and north-west India
In Rajasthan men wear the dhoti with an angarkha or bandhgala and a pagri or safa, and women the ghagra with a choli and an odhni. Punjab pairs the kurta with a tehmat or lungi and a turban for men, and the salwar kameez with a dupatta, often a phulkari dupatta, for women. Haryana keeps the daaman, kurti and chunder for women. In Himachal Pradesh the Himachali cap and the churidar pajama mark the men, while women wear the reshta with a dhatu over the head. Uttarakhand is known for the pichhora, the yellow and red ceremonial odhni of Kumaon. Jammu and Kashmir has the pheran, the long loose gown worn by men and women alike, with the taranga and kasaba headdresses of Kashmiri women. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar stay with the dhoti kurta and the saree, Bihar wearing it in the seedha anchal style, with Lucknow chikankari and Bhagalpuri tussar as their best known cloth.
West, central and south India
Gujarat dresses its men in the kediyu and chorno with a phento, and its women in the chaniya choli, with the panetar and the Patan Patola saree for weddings. Maharashtra has the nauvari or kasta saree of nine yards and the pheta for men, with the Paithani as its festive silk. In Goa the Pano Bhaju is the traditional dress of Hindu women, and the Kunbi saree that of the Kunbi community. Madhya Pradesh wears the lehenga choli with Chanderi and Maheshwari silks, Chhattisgarh the lugda and polkha, and Jharkhand the panchi and parhan. Further south, Tamil Nadu men wear the veshti with an angavastram, and women the Kanchipuram silk saree, with the pattu pavadai for girls. Kerala is identified with the mundum neriyathum and the kasavu saree with its golden border. Karnataka keeps the panche and the Mysore peta for men, and the Ilkal and Mysore silk saree for women. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are known for the langa voni, the half saree of young women, and for Pochampally ikat and Kalamkari.
East India and the North East
West Bengal wears the dhoti and panjabi and the tant saree in the atpoure style, with Baluchari and Jamdani as its famous weaves; Odisha wears the Sambalpuri and Kataki saree. The North East answers more questions than its size suggests. Assam has the mekhela chador with the gamosa and its golden muga silk; Manipur the phanek and innaphi, with the potloi for brides; Mizoram the puanchei worn in the Cheraw dance; Meghalaya the jainsem and dhara of the Khasi and the dakmanda of the Garo; Tripura the rignai and risa; Nagaland its tribal shawls, among them the Tsungkotepsu of the Ao men; Arunachal Pradesh the galey of the Apatani; and Sikkim the bakhu or kho with the honju, besides the chaubandi cholo of its Nepali community.
State and dress at a glance
| State | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Ghagra, choli, odhni | Dhoti, angarkha, safa |
| Punjab | Salwar kameez, phulkari dupatta | Kurta with tehmat, turban |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Pheran with taranga | Pheran |
| Maharashtra | Nauvari saree, Paithani | Dhotar with pheta |
| Gujarat | Chaniya choli, panetar | Kediyu and chorno |
| Kerala | Mundum neriyathum | Mundu |
| Tamil Nadu | Kanchipuram saree | Veshti and angavastram |
| Assam | Mekhela chador | Dhoti with gamosa |
| Manipur | Phanek and innaphi | Pheijom |
| Mizoram | Puanchei | Mizo shawl |
| Meghalaya | Jainsem, dhara, dakmanda | Jymphong |
| Goa | Pano Bhaju, Kunbi saree | Kashti with shirt |
Weaves worth learning with the dress
- Patola of Patan and bandhani tie and dye stand for Gujarat; Paithani and Himroo for Maharashtra.
- Kanchipuram silk is Tamil Nadu, Kasavu is Kerala, Ilkal and Mysore silk are Karnataka.
- Pochampally ikat, Gadwal and Kalamkari belong to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- Jamdani, Baluchari, tant and kantha embroidery belong to West Bengal; bandha ikat to Odisha.
- Muga, eri and pat silk belong to Assam; phulkari to Punjab; chikankari to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
- Chanderi and Maheshwari are Madhya Pradesh; Kota doria and leheriya are Rajasthan.
Exam Point of View
Papers ask this topic as a straight pairing, so prepare it as a list. Four names carry most of the marks: Mekhela Chador, Pheran, Puanchei and Pano Bhaju. Expect match-the-following sets that mix North Eastern dresses, since all of them sound alike to an unprepared candidate, and expect a weave in place of a garment, such as the state of Patola, Paithani or Pochampally. Traps are the near pairs: Phanek against Puanchei, Jainsem against Dakmanda, Rignai against Panchi Parhan, and Pheran against the Ladakhi goncha. Learn the men's dress too, because questions on the veshti, mundu, kediyu, pheijom and dhotar do appear.
Important Facts
| Assam | Mekhela Chador, with the gamosa and muga silk |
|---|---|
| Manipur | Phanek and Innaphi; potloi for brides |
| Mizoram | Puanchei, worn in the Cheraw dance |
| Meghalaya | Jainsem and Dhara (Khasi), Dakmanda (Garo) |
| Tripura | Rignai and Risa |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Pheran with taranga or kasaba |
| Goa | Pano Bhaju; Kunbi saree |
| Kerala | Mundum Neriyathum; kasavu saree |
| Maharashtra | Nauvari or Kasta saree; pheta and Paithani |
| Rajasthan | Ghagra, choli and odhni; safa and pagri |
| Jharkhand | Panchi and Parhan |
| Karnataka | Ilkal and Mysore silk saree; Mysore peta |
Practice MCQs on this topic
The Mekhela Chador is the traditional dress of women of which Indian state?
- A.Manipur
- B.Assam
- C.Tripura
- D.Nagaland
Show answer
The Mekhela Chador is a two-piece dress of Assamese women: the mekhela is the lower garment wrapped like a sarong and pleated at the front, and the chador is the upper cloth draped over the shoulder and tucked into the mekhela.
Read the full explanation →The Phanek and Innaphi, worn by women, belong to which state of India?
- A.Mizoram
- B.Meghalaya
- C.Manipur
- D.Sikkim
Show answer
The phanek is the wrap-around lower garment of Manipuri women, woven in horizontal stripes, and the innaphi is the light shawl worn over it.
Read the full explanation →The Pheran is the traditional dress associated with which state or union territory?
- A.Himachal Pradesh
- B.Jammu and Kashmir
- C.Uttarakhand
- D.Ladakh
Show answer
The pheran is a long, loose woollen gown reaching below the knees, worn by both men and women in the Kashmir valley through the cold months, often with a kangri, the earthen firepot, held beneath it.
Read the full explanation →Pano Bhaju is the traditional dress of women of which Indian state?
- A.Goa
- B.Kerala
- C.Maharashtra
- D.Karnataka
Show answer
Pano Bhaju is the traditional attire of Hindu women of Goa, the pano being the draped cloth and the bhaju the blouse worn with it, usually completed with ornaments at the neck and the hair.
Read the full explanation →Mundum Neriyathum, the two-piece traditional dress, belongs to which state?
- A.Tamil Nadu
- B.Andhra Pradesh
- C.Karnataka
- D.Kerala
Show answer
Mundum Neriyathum is the oldest surviving form of dress of Keralite women: the mundu is the lower garment and the neriyathu the upper cloth, both usually in off-white cotton with a kara, the golden or coloured border.
Read the full explanation →The Nauvari or Kasta saree, draped in nine yards, is the traditional dress of women of which state?
- A.Gujarat
- B.Maharashtra
- C.Madhya Pradesh
- D.Odisha
Show answer
The nauvari saree takes its name from the nine vars or yards of cloth it uses, and it is draped without a petticoat, the pleats passed between the legs in the kasta or sakachcha style that allows free movement.
Read the full explanation →Jainsem and Dhara are traditional dresses of women of which Indian state?
- A.Meghalaya
- B.Mizoram
- C.Arunachal Pradesh
- D.Tripura
Show answer
The jainsem is the dress of Khasi women, made of several pieces of cloth fastened at the shoulders so that it falls in a loose cylinder, and the dhara is the length of cloth draped over it; Garo women of the same state wear the dakmanda, and Jaintia women the…
Read the full explanation →The Puanchei, worn by women during the Cheraw dance, is the traditional dress of which state?
- A.Nagaland
- B.Manipur
- C.Mizoram
- D.Sikkim
Show answer
The puanchei is the festive wrap of Mizo women, woven in bands of black, red, white and green, and it is the dress worn for the Cheraw or bamboo dance and at the Chapchar Kut festival, usually with the kawrchei blouse.
Read the full explanation →Rignai and Risa are the traditional garments of which Indian state?
- A.Tripura
- B.Assam
- C.Odisha
- D.Jharkhand
Show answer
The rignai is the lower wrap woven on a loin loom by the tribal women of Tripura, and the risa is the narrower cloth worn over the upper body, a girl receiving her first risa in the Risa Sormani ceremony; the rikutu is the larger wrap used as a shawl.
Read the full explanation →The Mysore Peta, a well known traditional headgear, is associated with which state?
- A.Kerala
- B.Telangana
- C.Karnataka
- D.Tamil Nadu
Show answer
The Mysore peta is the turban of the Mysore court, worn by the Wadiyar rulers and now presented as a mark of honour to distinguished guests in Karnataka; the everyday dress of men in the state is the panche or lungi with a shirt, and women wear the Ilkal saree…
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Which state is known for the Mekhela Chador?
Assam. The mekhela is the pleated lower wrap and the chador the upper cloth, woven from muga, eri or pat silk and worn with the gamosa.
What is the traditional dress of Goa?
Pano Bhaju for Hindu women, along with the Kunbi saree of the Kunbi community; men traditionally wore the kashti with a shirt.
Which dress is worn during the Cheraw dance of Mizoram?
The Puanchei, the striped festive wrap of Mizo women, usually worn with the kawrchei blouse at Chapchar Kut and during Cheraw.
Is the Pheran worn only by women?
No. The pheran is worn by both men and women in the Kashmir valley; only the headdress, the taranga or kasaba, is particular to women.
Which traditional saree is draped in nine yards?
The Nauvari or Kasta saree of Maharashtra, draped without a petticoat so that the pleats pass between the legs.
Sources
- Handlooms and Handicrafts of the States: Weaves and Traditional Attire — Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
- Know India: States and Union Territories, Art and Culture — National Portal of India
- Zonal Cultural Centres: Costumes and Folk Traditions of the Regions — Ministry of Culture, Government of India
