Indian Bridal Wear is elegant, rich and beautiful. Read on to find out more about Indian Bridal Wear…
A thin aerial veil is drawn o’er beauty’s face, seeming to hide, more sweetly shows the blushing bride. ~ Richard Crashaw
A traditional Indian wedding is a vibrant and elaborate affair with the blushing bride being the cynosure of the ceremony. The Indian bride has a variety of Indian bridal wear options to shimmer, sparkle and glow as she drapes herself in the choicest of embroidered fabrics and elegant jewels. Although conventionally Indian wear is synonymous with the Sari, the Ghagra Choli, Lehenga and the Salwar Kameez, most of the people outside India do not know of the humungous choices available in each category. India being a country with diverse religions and cultures, every religion, culture or region boasts of a unique wedding style replete with their regional specialties and diverse rituals.
Traditional Indian Bridal Wear
Since India is home to a large number of cultures and religions, it might be impossible to list down the bridal wear variations in every religion and the following sub-sections. Here are some of the popular Indian bridal wear styles existing in prominent sections and cultures of the rich Indian heritage:
The Punjabi Bride: The traditional bride in Punjab can wear either a sari or a Lehenga. The colors that are generally worn are vibrant colors like red, orange or magenta. The sari or the lehenga is heavily embroidered with phulkari work which involves use of darn stitch on the wrong side of a coarse cotton cloth with colored silken threads. Although many interesting patterns of phulkari work can be seen, traditionally motifs of wheat and barely stalks with ears were seen commonly. Usually, the bride wears gold jewelry. Another characteristic feature of traditional Punjabibridal attire is the chuda that is a set of red and cream ivory bangles.
The Maharashtrian Bride : Owing to the fact that the green color is considered as auspicious and also a sign of prosperity in the state of Maharashtra, the bride is usually draped in a green sari with traditional zari embroidery which involves fine gold or silver threads woven into fabrics. The Paithani is perhaps the most popular sari in Maharashtra named after the Paithan region in the state where these saris are woven by hand. Made with the finest silk, the paithani, is characterised by borders of an oblique square design, and a pallu with a peacock design. Also famous is the Nauvari sari which is a sari that is nine-yards in length. Although the Nauvari style originated in the era of the Maratha empire, where women ventured into the battlefields in crucial times of war, the Nauvari sari is a popular form of trousseau in Maharashtra till date. Usually the jewelry includes gold ornaments with pearls. The bride also wears the famous nath which is a pearl crusted nose ring.
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