Costumes and textiles of madhya pradesh & maharashtra

Costumes and textiles of madhya pradesh & maharashtra

1. Costumes and Textiles of Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra
BAGH
Bagh, which lends its name to the Bagh prints, is a small tribal village/ town in Dhar
district of Madhya Pradesh.
Legend has it that the village of Bagh, the Bagh river, and the nearby Bagh caves (3rd &
5th century AD, with rich carvings and paintings dedicated to both Hindu as well as
Buddhist deities) got their name from the baghs or tigers that inhabited the region.
The Bagh river flows at a distance of about a kilometre from the Dhar-Kukshi road.
The khatri community, who comprise the chhipas or printers are believed to have come to
Bagh -about 400 years ago -from Larkana is Sind, which is famous for its Ajrakprints.
What motivated these families to cross the capricious Indus and settle in the interiors of
India, far away from their ancestral homes, is not known for sure but what is certain is
that they carried with them a strong tradition of hand block printing.

4. Thechippassettlednearwatersources,alongtheBaghriver,wheretheysetup
centersofhandblockprinting.
Bagh'sproximitytotheriverwasanimportantreasonforthechippasselecting
it,asflowingriverwaterisvitaltotheprocessofprinting.(However,sincethe
riverBaghthatflowsthroughBaghisdryseveraltimesduringtheyear,the
materialtobewashedhasnowtobetakentotheNarmadariver,about30km
away.)

6. PROCESS & TECHNIQUE
Every single process in Bagh hand-block printing is manual. Even the cotton
saris are hand-printed. Each sari takes a minimum of three weeks to complete
after the design is printed. During this period it is washed in the river at least
seven times and sent to the bhattiat least twice.
Two persons stand knee deep in water to wash the fabric/sari so that superfluous
colour is removed without touching any other part of the printed surface. The
fabric/sari is boiled in a cauldron of water on a bhatti-with regulated heat -to
allow the correct colour to emerge. This is a painstaking process and has to be
executed with utmost accuracy, care, and skill.

7. BUYINGTHECLOTH
Thecloth-mainlycottonandsometimessilk-isusuallyboughtfromthe
market.ThefabricusedbytheKhatrismaybeBangalorisilk(boughtfrom
Indore),cottonorgreylatha(boughtfromIndoreandBombay)orsilk-cotton
mix(boughtfromMaheshwariinKhargoandistrict).Silkneedsmuchmore
delicatehandlingandcare;generallyasilkclothtakesalmostdoublethetimefor
itscompletionthandoesapieceofcottoncloththesamesize.
Theclothistakentotheriverwhereitisthoroughlywashed.100singlesheets
arewashedatonetime-thatis,250cutsoffabric60"wide.Thefabricissoaked
inwaterfor2hours.Itiswashedbybeatingitonriversidestonesseveraltimes.
Itisbroughtbacktotheworkshopafterdrying.

8. Theclothisbroughtbacktotheworkshop,anddippedinaparticular
solutionforanentirenight,afterwhichitisputouttodrybyspreadingon
afloorofstonesoutinaverandah.
Thisinvolvesthreeitems:
a. Asolutionof3kgofsanchara(rocksalt)soakedin15litresof
water,stirredtillitmelts.
b.10kgofmengnisoakedin10-15litresofwater.Whenitissoft,itis
madeintoapastebygrindingitwithabrickonastonesurface.
C.1kgofarandikatelorunrefinedcastoroil.Thethreearemixedto
makeadhaulsolution.
Thefabricisimmersedinthiswater-itistobekeptunderwaterforthe
wholenight.Thefabricisthentakentotheriverandwashedin
flowingwater.Thenitisdried.Thisprocesshastoberepeatedthree
times;eachtimethefabrichastobekeptinthewaterfor10to15
minutes.Bythistimethematerialbecomesquitesoft.Itiscutinto
manageablepieces.

9. TREATING WITH HARARA
Treating the cloth with hararagives an off-white or off-yellow background to
the cloth and also aids in strengthening the tones of the black and red colours
that are printed later.
The fabric is now ready for printing
PRINTING
At this stage the cloth is meticulously and patiently printed by hand with the
help of small design blocks. The designs are transferred very neatly on to the
cloth. The time taken depends on the design and pattern, though, on an average
about 5 metres can be printed by an expert worker in two to three hours.

10. Trayswithcolourarecoveredwithabambooframecalledakartali.Ontopof
thisafeltpieceiskeptthroughwhichthecolourispickedupbytheportionof
theblockthathastobeprinted.Therestoftheblockisfilledwithcoarsefelt-
thisiscallednaman.Theprintedmaterialwhendryisrolledintobundlesand
keptawayforeighttofifteendays.Thisallowsthecolourtosetinproperly.
Thenextpartoftheprocess-bichalna-involvestakingtheprintedbundlesto
theriver.Theprintedmaterialispushedintothewaterandtakenoutswiftlyso
thattheextracolourisremovedandflowsintotheriverwater.Thisprocess
requiresalotofstrength-twopeoplestandinthisrunningwaterandholdthe
fabricwiththeirhandsfirmly,whileensuringthatthefabricisunderwatermost
ofthetime.Eachpieceneedstobekeptunderflowingwaterforatleast20
minutes.Itisthenheldovertheshoulderandbeatenagainststonessothatallthe
residueisalsoremovedfromtheprintedfabric.
Ifthisprocessisnotfollowedcorrectly,stainsandsmudgescanappearonthe
printedsurface.

11. After being washed thoroughly, the cloth is taken back to the workshop where it
is boiled in a solution of dhavda ka phool(for shining and fixing) and alizarine
(to fasten colors). After the boiling process, it is again dried.
After drying, the cloth is taken to the stream where it is washed three to four
times. This process is also called tarai: after washing the cloth, when it is being
dried, it is repeatedly moistened by spraying water on it with the hands. This
helps to gradually set the colors permanently.
Sometimes, to save time, a bit of bleaching powder is added in a drum of water
and the cloth is passed through it. This obviates the need of washing the cloth
three to four times.

12. The blocks used for stamping are intricately and deeply carved by block-makers
in Pethapur in Gujarat. The design repertoire of Bagh prints covers geometrical
and floral compositions. Bagh layouts are dramatic in the use of black and red
alternately on a white background.
The printing is done with vegetable colours, derived from plants, fruits, flowers,
and minerals.
Ismail Khatri (an artisan) claims that there are only four basic (natural) colours:
red, black, khaki, and indigo. He says that he can lay a bet with anyone who says
that there is a fifth colour. The black colour is prepared with ferrous sulphate
mixed with tamarind seed powder and glue, which is cooked in water and stored
for use. The red is similarly produced from alum

13. IsmailKhatriremembershisfathermakingdifferentprintsandevendifferentclothesfor
differentcommunitiesandcasteslikeBrahmin,Harijan,Bhil,Bhilalas,Jats,Bharur,
Mahajanetc.HeremembersthatevenKhatrisusedtowearparticularclotheswith
specificprints.Howevernownoneofthisdifferentiationremains.ExpecttheAdivasis
(thattooonlyforparticularoccasions),allbuyalltypesofprintsandfabric.
Baghprintersuseanumberofimplementsintheirprintingprocess.Theseinstruments
holdaspecificsignificancefortheprinters,ameansoftheirroji-roti(dailybread)andare
sometimes an object of worship.
Thebilalsorblocksarethemostcriticaltoolinhand-blockprinting.Forthechippa
printersofBagh,blocksareshoji(moneyandlife).Blocksareoftwotypes:
a. Blocksmadeofonepieceofsolidwoodarecostlybutconvenienttohandlefor
printingpurposes.
b.Thesecondtypeofblocks,whicharecheaper,aremadeoftwopiecesofwood.The
holderwoodisattachedtotheprinterwoodbytwoscrews.Theadvantagewiththese
blocksisthatthehandlecanbemanoeuvredtochangeposition,indifferentpositionsof
printing.

14. Blocks are generally made of good quality wood: sagavanwood from Balsar (Gujarat)
and good quality shishamfrom Farakkabad (Uttar Pradesh).
The Khatris get their blocks made from Pethapur in Gandhingar. Earlier some old Khatris
in Kherala in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh made blocks
Blocks of superior quality are finely carved wood-base with holes on top or sides to
release air during printing. Patas(plain) blocks, especially require these air opening.
(However, some block do not have these holes, as these are not mandatory.) To make the
printing surface of the blocks smooth, a piece of cloth is stuck on the patas(plain) blocks,
in other design blocks, wool-piece are stuck on its face using the takla

15. It is the water of Bagh-river which give particular colour to Bagh print. In fact, when
the Bagh river dries up during the summer and he has to go to Narmada (40 km away)
to wash the textiles, he finds that reds and greys do not come out properly. (The
scientific reason may be that the Bagh soil has high contents of lime and iron, which act
as cleansing and fastening agents).

16. Chanderi
Traditionally,theChanderihadasilkwarpand
cottonweft,withzariornamentation,enameled
insofttones,wovenintothepallu/pallav(end-
piece),kinara(border),andbodyofthesari.In
thelastfewdecades,silkhasreplacedthecotton
wefttoalargedegree.Thedesignsare
producedbytheextrawarpandweft
techniques

17. TypesofChanderiSari
Narrowborder:Thesearetheplainsareeshavingaverynarrowborderof
complementary-warpzariandanendpiececontainingafewnarrowzaribands,
oronesingle,widerband.
Broaderborder:Thesearethesareeswithbroaderborderswovenin
supplementarywarpzariwithcolouredsupplementary-warpsilkembellishments,
wovenintosmallrepeatfloralorgeometricaldesigns.Theendpiececonsistedof
theborderelementsrepeatedtwiceastwoparallelbands,oftenwithnarrow
wovenlinesandmanybutiwovenbetweenthem.
Wideborder:Thethirdtypecalleddo-chashmee(twostreams)isnolonger
madebuthadwideborderswithbrightlycolouredsupplementary-warpsilkina
satinweaveuponwhichweresupplementarybandsofwhitegeometricpatterns.
Insomesareestheborderswerereversible.

19. Fabric in Chanderi Sarees
The Chanderi sari is woven in cotton as well as silk. Chanderi silk from India is
the result of traditional methods of hand-weaving that have been developed
over the centuries, and passed down through generations. Chanderi silk is
considered the fabric of choice for sarees produced for royalty, due to its light-
weight quality and intricate designs.

21. Colours and Design
Thesesareesareararefusionofsoft&contrastingcolors.
Theplaincottononesarewithbordersandhavestripesandfloralpatterns.
Therearealsooneswhichhavebutisonthebodyofthesareeaswell.
Silksareesarewovenwithzaribordersandhavezariandthreadworkallthroughthe
lengthofsari,givingitanelegantanddazzlinglook.
Chanderisariisknownforsoftcolorsandtheharmoniousbalancebetweentheborder
andthebodyofthesaree.
Thesesareesarealsoknownfortheircontrastingcolorsandthedepictionofanimaland
humanfiguresonthemandpatternstakenfromtheChanderitemples.
Traditionally,theChanderihadasilkwarpandcottonweft,usebrightbutsubtlecolours
andrichgoldbordersmakingthemquitedistinctive.Ithaszariornamentation,enameled
insofttones,wovenintothepallu/pallav(end-piece),kinara(border),andbodyofthe
sari.Inthelastfewdecades,silkhasreplacedthecottonwefttoalargedegree.The
designsareproducedbytheextrawarpandwefttechniques

22. Maheshwari Sari
ThesariderivesitsnamefromthetownofMaheshwarinwestNimaddistrictof
MadhyaPradesh,locatedonthebanksoftheNarmadariver.Legendhasitthatit
wassetupbythequeenAhilyaBaiHolkar-thelight,yetrichMaheshwariwas
oncetheexclusiveprivilegeofroyalty.AhilyaBaibuiltatempleandapalace
withbeautifulcarvings-itisestimatedthatthesecouldwellhaveprovidedthe
inspirationforthedesignsoftheMaheshwarisari.

23. Thesariiscomprisedofeitherpurecottonorofmixedsilkandcottonthread.
Silkwarpwithafinecountandcottonweftisbeingusedintheweaving.There
isoftenanarrowborderofzariorcontrastingcolouredsilk,intricatelywovenin
geometricdesigns.Thepallusarewovenwithasilkweft.
Field:Usuallytherearenomotifsinthemainfield.Thebuttissocommontothe
chanderiaredefinitelynotinthemaheshwari,thoughveryfinechecksorstripes
cansometimesbefoundinthefield.
Borders:Traditionally,thesehavenarrowbandsofsupplementary-warp
patterninginzariorcolouredsilk.(Today,maheshwaribordersareoften
broader.)
End-piece:Thepallu(end-piece)isquitedistinct-withbroadandnarrowwhite
bands(eitherthefive-bandMaharastrianstyle,oraseriesofbandsofdifferent
widths)acrossthebasecolourofthesari.

24. Fabric in Maheshwari Sarees
The Maheshwari saree is woven mostly in cotton and silk. The saree woven
from pure silk, is famous for its strength, elasticity and a unique luster of the
fabric. Nowadays these sarees are made in natural and artificial silk as well.

25. ThebordersofMaheshwarisarisarereversible,andareembellishedwith
intricatedesigns.Itspalluisalsoquitedistinctive.Itcommonlyhasfivestripes,
threecolouredalternatingwithtwowhite,intheMaharastrianstyle.Nowadays,
Maheshwarifabricsareavailableinmanyotherdesignsaswell.
Workedonhandlooms,thesareeswithaplain,softcolouredbody,havea
trademarkborderandpallu,settingthemapartfromthePaithani,Potla,
Kancheepuramandtherest.ModerndayMaheshwarsareesareablendof80-
120countscottonyarnandfinesilkyarnthoughinancienttimes,theywereof
purecottonwiththeweavecarryingadistinctlyMaharashtrianstyle.
Thehandloomsare48inchesinsizewithsilkyarnboughtfromBangaloreand
BenaresusedonwarpandsuperfinecottonyarnfromCoimbatoreinsertedon
theweft.

26. The plain sarees are known as Chandrakala and baingani Chandrakala, which is
woven with blackish violet wrap and chocolate weft. The saree can be worn
either side because of the reversible borders of the saree which is known as
'Bugdi‘.
Thesareewovenfrompuresilk,isfamousforitsstrength,elasticityanda
uniquelusterofthefabric.Theuseofzariandparticulartextureandsheenof
the"garbhreshmi"sareeofMaheshwarigiveitadistinctidentityamongstthe
wealthofIndiansareesandmadeitamuchcoveteditemevenintimeasfar
backas18thcenturyIndia.
ThepallavoftheMaheshwarisareesisalsouniquewithfivestripeswiththree
colouredandtwowhitecoloursalternating.NowtheseIndiansareesaremadein
naturalandaswellasartificialsilkalso.Thesareesusuallyhaverichgolden
bordersandtwogoldbandsonthepallu.Thetraditionalsareeshavegold
chicks,withlotusroundedalloverareknownasbutis.

27. Colours and Design
ThetypicalMaheshwarisareeiseitherchequered,plainorhasstripes,combined
withcomplementarycolours.Thesesareeshaveatrademarkborderandpallu,
settingthemapartfromthePaithani,Patola,Kancheepuramandtherest.
Originally,thepalluisparticularlydistinctivewith5strips,3colouredandtwo
whitealternating,runningalongitswidth.Thereversibleborderofthesaree
knownasbugdiwhichcanbeworneitherside,isaspeciality.Ithasavarietyof
leavesandflowersontheborder,inkarnphoolpattern,whichisquitepopular.
Butnowalotofexperimentationwithrespecttothefabricandmotifshasbeen
doneinMaheshwarisarees,nodoubttoincreaseitsappealinamarketof
changingandvariedtastes.Theuseofzariandkinariisalsouniquetothe
Maheshwarisaree.Thegoldenthreadisusedtoweaveexoticmotifsanddesigns
onthebody,borderandpalluofthesaree.

28. Thecoloursandtexturesareaplayofweft
colours,subtlydifferentfromthewarp
yarn.Softandgentlecoloursaremore
common;occasionallyabrightercolourcan
befound.
Asisnormallythecasewithanylong
regionaltradition,thelanguageofthe
Maheshwarisarievokesimagesofserene
fruitfulnature.Thehuesandshadesofthe
fabricarereferredtointhevernacularas
Angoori(grapegreen),Dalimbi(deeppink),
GulBakhshi(magenta),Rani(deepmauve
pink),Kaasni(lightviolet),Jaamla
(purple),Dhaani(green),Chintamani
(peacockblue),Aamrak(golden),
Tapkeeree(deepbrown).

29. TheMaheshwarisareeswereinitiallymadeonlyinred,maroon,black,purple
andgreenbuttodaythesesareesarealsomadeinlightershades.Thecolours
usedintheMaheshwarisareearegrapegreen,magenta,deepmauvepink,deep
pink,golden,darkbrown,cyanandmanymore.
TheonetraitofMaheshwarifabricsthathasstoodthetestoftimeisitsmotifs.
Eventoday,theyaremostlygeometric.Themostcommononesincludechatai
(wovenmatpattern),Iinth(brickpattern),hira(diamondpattern)andchameli
kiphool(thechameliflower)–allofwhichmaybetracedbacktothedetailing
onthewalls,nichesandcornicesofMaheshwarFort.
Thedesignsofthemotifsarederivedfromthetemplesandthepalacesof
Maheshwar.
Thegoldenthreadisusedtoweaveexoticmotifsanddesignsontheflowdah
(body)kinar(border)andtheanchra(pallu)ofthesaree.Especiallylovelyare
motifslikeGuldasta,Aambuta,Ghunggroo,Chataikinar,Belphool,Jaiphool,
Hansa,Mayur,BailaAnkhi,AmbiButiandChandtara.

31. Paithani Sarees
Paithani sarees are the famous silk sarees of Maharashtra named after a village
near Aurangabad. Traditionally it has a coloured cotton muslin field that often
contains considerable supplimentary zari patterning. It is a hand-woven sari of
gorgeous colours, intricate design and painstaking labour and treasured as a
valuable possession in every Maharashtrian family. No Maharashtrian wedding
trousseau is complete without the Paithani sari.
Fabric in Paithani Sarees
The Paithani sarees, are made of silk in rich, vivid colours with gold
embroidery. In the modern Paithani sarees, silver threads coated with gold are
used instead of pure gold threads. Intricate weave of silk warp and gold weft.

32. Thebordersarecreatedwiththeinterlockedwefttechnique,eitherwith
colouredsilkorzari.Awidebandofsupplementary–warpzari(inamat
pattern)iswovenuponthecolouredsilkborder.Inborderswovenwitha
zariground,colouredsilkpatternsareaddedasasupplementary–weft
‘inlay’againstthe‘zari’,usuallyintheformofflowersorcreepingvines.
Theendpiecehasfinesilkwarpthreadsthatarecutandretiedtoa
differentcolour,asinthepetnitechniqueofKanchipuram.Theweft
threadsareonlyofzari,forminga‘golden’grounduponwhichangular,
brightlycolouredsilkdesignsarewovenintheinterlocked-wefttechnique,
producingatapestryeffect.
Thesepatternsusuallyconsistofintertwiningvines,branches,leavesand
flowers,aswellasparrots,peacocksandevenhorsesandriders.

34. Design
Distinctivemotifssuchasstars,peacocks,mangoes,flowers,coins,fans,
petals,lotus,coconutetc.arewovenintothesari.Manyofthesedesignsare
foundontheborderandpalluindifferentsizesandpatterns.Inthepallu,the
baseisingoldandthepatternisdoneinsilk,givingthewholesarian
embossedlook.
Paithaniaregenerallydecoratedwiththegolddotorcoinmotif.Thespeciality
ofthepaithaniisitsborderandpallav.Goldthreadsrunsrightacrossthewarp
threadswithmotifspickedupinsilkthreadandjewellikecoloursworkedin
tapestrystylessimilartomeenekariworkofgoldjewellery.Ornamentalzari
bordersofobliquesquaredesignandpallavasmostlyinpeacockdesign.

35. Colours
These sarees have a special dhoop-chaav (light and shade) effect which is
achieved by bringing two different coloured silk threads together in the process
of a simple tabby weave. The shades vary from vivid magenta, peacock greens
and purples. The dominant traditional colours of vegetable dyes included blue,
red and green, black and white, black and red, pink, purplish red and yellow.

39. Materialassembly
20-22denier-organzinesilkisusedinwarp,whiletwoply,verylightly
twisted30-32silkisusedforweft.Thewarpisusuallymadeinthepegs
ordrumswarpingprocessandistiedinballformatthebackofloom.It
isusuallymadefor2piecesofsariandisabout11.5metersinlength.
Whilecolouredsilkismostlyusedinfigurework,thesolidborderhave
extraweftfiguringthreads.
Theweftforbordersandbodybeingdifferent,threeshuttleweavingis
adopted,twoforborderandoneforplainbody.Thebordertherefore
appearsasseparatelywovenandthenstitchedtothebodyofthesari.
Sometimesaseparatepalluwarpistwistedonthebody.Theendpiece
hasfinesilk.Warpthreadsareonlyofzariformingagoldengroundupon
whichangular,brightlycolouredsilkdesignsarewovenintheinterlocked
weft,producingatapestryeffect.

40. Motifs
DuetoproximitytotheAjantacaves,theinfluenceoftheBuddhist
paintingscanbeseeninthewovenPaithanimotifs:
TheKamalorlotusfloweronwhichBuddhasitsorstands
TheHansmotif
TheAshraffimotif
TheAsawalli(floweringvines),becameverypopularduringthe
Peshwa'speriod
TheBangadiMor,peacockinbangle
TheTota-Maina
TheHumarparinda,peasantbird
TheAmarVell
TheNaralimotif,verycommon
Smallmotifslikecircles,stars,kuyri,ruiphool,kalaspakhhli,chandrakor,
clustersof3leaves,wereverycommonforthebodyofthesari.

41. Weaving
Paithanisarisaresilksinwhichthereisnoextraweftformingfigures.The
figuringweavewasobtainedbyaplaintapestrytechnique.Thereare
threetechniquesofweaving:
Splittapestryweave-thesimplestweavewheretwoweftthreadsare
wovenuptoadjacentwarpthreadsandthenreversed.Thewarpthreads
arethencutandretiedtoadifferentcolour.

42. Interlockingmethod-twoweftsareinterlockedwitheachotherwhere
thecolourchangeisrequired.Thefiguringweftismadeofanumberof
colouredthreads,weavingplainwithwarpthreadsandinterlockedon
eithersidewiththegroundsweftthreadsareinvariablygoldthreads
whichinterlockwiththefigureweftthreads,thusformingthefigure.This
systemofinterlockingweaves,knownaskadiyal,isdonesothatthere
arenoextrafloatsonthebackofthemotifthusmakingthedesign
nearlyreversible.
Dobe-tailingmethod-twothreadsgoaroundthesamewarp,one
abovetheother,creatingadobe-tailingortooth-combeffect.
Weavingcouldtakebetween18to24months,dependinguponthe
complexityofthedesign.Todaytherearemanyweaverswhoare
workingfortherevivalofthistreasuredweave.

47. Fisherman Costume of Goa

48. ThemaincostumeforwomeninGoaisthenine-yardsari,or'nav-vari'.
WornallalongtheKonkancoastinatypical'cassato'style(tuckedinat
theback).Thesariwaspracticalforworkinginthelushfieldsandonthe
beaches.
DuringthetribalfestivalShigmo(thespringfestival),menwearvibrant
attiresdeckedwithcoloumnstyleredspotteddwajas(flags).TheKunbis
celebrate'Chowrang'(fourcolours),throughadancethat,despiteits
name,bearsnorelationtocolours.Ratheritsignifiesanimpeccable
blendofmusic,dance,traditionandcostume.Dressedupinawhite
dhoti,withflowersinthehair,garlandsontheneckand'ghungroos'on
theanklets,theysurelycreateanimpressivesight.

49. Fromthehistoryoftheinquisition,roseonegarmentthatbecamethe
epitomeofGoanfashion.ItsuccessfullybridgedtheaestheticsofEast
andWestandlaterstoodoutasasignatureofcolour,music,wealth,
beautyandcultureofGoa.Thegarmentcametobeknownas'pano
bhaju',theingeniousinventionofconvertedorthodoxHinduwomen.
Today,thePortugueseinfluencecanbeseeninmen'swearandina
fewprominantgarmentsforwomen.However,theHinduGoanwoman
retainedher'sari'andtraditionalwayofdressing,throughoutthereignof
thePortuguese.

50. TheclimateofGoademandstropicalinfluenceinitscostumes.The
tropicalcostumesarebestsuitedfortheclimateoftheregion.During
summers,whenthetemperatureisquitehigh,thebestoptioniscotton
clothes.ThewoolenclothesarenotfrequentlyrequiredinGoaandeven
inwinters,asweateroralightwoolenjacketwilldo.Thecoldclimate
usuallystaysinGoafromDecembertoearlyFebruary.
Besidesclimate,thepluralisticheritageofGoahasalsocontributedtothe
Goancostumes.ThecostumesofGoashowacolourfulvariety.InGoa,
Portugueseinfluenceisevidentinmen'sandevenwomen'swestern
wears.Thereareanumberofdifferentcostumesthatarewornbythe
peopleofGoaduringdifferentoccasions.
ThemaincostumeforthewomenofGoaisthe9-yardsari,whichthey
complementwithtraditionaljewelry.Panobhajuisanotherimportant
traditionalcostumeofthewomenofGoa.TheKolifishermenofGoa,who
wearcolourfulshirtsandhalfpants,andahatmadeofbarkofthe
bambootrees,makeforawonderfulsight.

51. Butarguablythebiggestattractionforthetouristsandalsoagreat
platformforshowcasingdifferenttypesofcostumesofGoaistheGoa
Carnival.
Thepeopleinthecarnivalwearmanydifferenttypesofcolourful
costumesandbeautifulmasks.Thisthree-dayfestivalisameltingpotof
severalcultures,andbesidesPortugueseinfluence,ithasovertheyears,
infusedandgotenrichedbythetraditionalrevelryofHindufestivities.As
suchthisanimatedpageantryshowcasesawidevarietyofcostumes.
Themostpopularamongthepeoplearetheoff-shoulderdressesand
colourfulsuits.
TherearecostumesthathelpthecontestantsrepresentGoddessesand
thoseofitsfollowers.Mostofthecarnivalcostumesdependontheprops
andthesetsthataresetuponthevehicles.Therearealsothespecial
longgownsthatarespeciallydesignedtolookextravagant,andshinyfor
theCarnival.Thesecostumesarethespecialattractionsofthecarnival.