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Dupatta

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File:At The Fair (5823095519).jpg
Indian village women wearing Odhni with Ghagra choli

The dupattā, also called chunni, chunari, chundari, lugda, rao/rawo, gandhi, pothi, orna, and odhni is a long shawl-like scarf traditionally worn by women in the Indian Subcontinent.[1] Traditionally, in India, the dupatta is part of the women's lehenga or ghagra/chaniya choli. A lehenga is a three-piece outfit which is made up of a skirt, called a ghagra or chaniya; a blouse, called a choli, and a dupatta. The dupatta is worn over one shoulder, and traditionally, married women would also wear the dupatta over the head in temples or in front of elders.

The dupatta is also worn as part of the shalwar kameez which is worn by women in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh, particularly in parts of northern India and Deccan region. The Punjabi suit is worn in Punjab and Pakistan, it is another three piece outfit made up of trousers, called pyjama or salwar; a top, called a kurta or kameez, and the dupatta.

Etymology

The Hindi-Urdu word dupattā (दुपट्टा, دوپٹہ),[2] meaning "shawl of doubled cloth," stemming from Sanskrit, is a combination of du- (meaning "two", from Sanskrit Template:Transliteration, "two", and dvi-, combining form of Template:Transliteration) and paṭṭā (meaning "strip of cloth," from paṭṭaḥ),[3] i. e., stole.

History

File:Detail from Kalpa Sutra Manuscript, c.1375–1400.jpg
Dancing woman wearing dupatta, detail from Kalpa Sutra manuscript, c.1300s.

Early Sanskrit literature has a wide vocabulary of terms for the veils and scarfs used by women during the ancient period, such as avagunthana (cloak-veil), uttariya (shoulder-veil), mukha-pata (face-veil), and siro-vastra (head-veil).[4] The dupatta is believed to have evolved from the ancient uttariya.[5][6][7]

Use

File:Bride's way - Why Women Wanted to be in Nizami Harem - Chowmahalla Palace (3582293976).jpg
Deccani royal court attire dupattas on display at Chowmahalla Palace.
File:Azizunisa Begum - Aziz Bagh, Hyderabad, Deccan.jpg
Hyderabadi lady wearing a dupatta in distinct style called Khada Dupatta, 20th century.[8]

The dupatta is worn in many regional styles across the Indian Subcontinent. There is no single way of wearing the dupatta, and as time evolves and fashion modernizes, the style of the dupatta has also evolved.

A dupatta is traditionally worn over the left shoulder in India, and tucked in to a skirt on the opposite side. However, the dupatta can be free hanging over the shoulder, or, across the neck and behind both shoulders. A modern variation is to allow the length of the dupatta to drape elegantly around the waist and through the arms at the front. The material for the dupatta varies, but it is normally light and long, allowing for flow and variation.

When the dupatta is worn with the shalwar kameez, it covers the chest, creating a U or V shape.Template:Citation needed In addition to wearing the dupatta when going out in public, women in the Indian Subcontinent wear the dupatta as a veil when entering a mandir, church, gurdwara.[9][10][11] In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not considered proper for use as a cloth face mask as it is a religious cloth.[12]

A dupatta used as a covering for the head and face is called a ghoonghat. It was customary for new brides to wear a ghoonghat to protect them from the evil eye. In Nepal a dupatta or similar shawl is called a pachaura.[13]

Since dupattas are worn across the Indian subcontinent, and are part of modest dress worn by women irrespective of religion or culture; they appear in diverse forms, many of which are characteristic of regions of the subcontinent.[14] Phulkari dupattas, which originate from Punjab, display intricate floral patterns, while Bandhani dupattas (or Bandhej dupattas), originating from Gujarat and Rajasthan, feature tie-dye patterns. Dupattas can also be made from velvet or silk, or printed with modern designs; Banarasi silk dupattas, native to Varanasi, are adorned with zari brocade work and traditional motifs.

Sikh women traditionally wore the dupatta/chunni instead of a turban.[15][16][17] However, some young, diasporic Sikh women have forgone wearing the dupatta and adopted the turban to emulate Sikh men.[18][17]

See also

References

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  4. ↑ Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (1951) "Indian Costume.", p.236
  5. ↑ Simmi Jain (2003). Encyclopaedia of Indian Women Through the Ages: The middle ages, p.200
  6. ↑ Anupa Pande (2002). The Buddhist Cave Paintings of Bagh, p.49
  7. ↑ Prachya Pratibha (1978). Prachya Pratibha, Volume 6, p.121
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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