_Clothing._--A short jacket fastened at the back and with short sleeves
is worn. It may be of any material. In Sind, Gujarat and other parts of
western India it is called a _choli_. It is also very generally known as
_angiya_. Other common names are _mahram_ and _sinaband_ (breast-cover).
The _kurta_ is a sort of sleeveless shirt, open in front and reaching to
the waist. It may be of any material. When this is worn with the
_angiya_ it is worn over it. This combination of dress is worn only by
young married women. In Kashmir and northern India generally the
_angiya_ is not worn, and the _kurta_ is worn instead. This is like the
_kamis_ of the man, already described; it has full sleeves, is open at
the front, which is embroidered, and reaches to the knee or lower. Among
Pathans there are two kinds of _kurta_ (_kamis_ or _khat_); one worn by
married women called _gìradana khat_ is dark red or blue, embroidered
with silk in front; the _jalana khat_ worn by unmarried women is less
conspicuous for colour and ornament. A large pocket (_jeb_) is often
sewn on in front like the Highlander's sporran.
The _Pa'ejamas_, also called _izar_, are cut like those of men, and
known by the same names. They differ only in being of silk or other fine
material and being coloured (Plate I. fig. 6). Among Pathans they are
called _partog_ or _partek_ (_pardek_), and those of unmarried girls are
of white, while married women wear them of _susi_, a kind of coloured
silk or cotton. As a general rule the wearing of _paijamas_ is the chief
distinction between Mussulman and Hindu women. In the Shahpur and other
districts, however, where Mahommedans have followed Hindu customs,
Moslem women wear the _majla_, a cloth about 3 yds. long by 1½ wide tied
tightly round the waist so as to fall in folds over the legs. Even
Mahommedan men sometimes wear the _majla_ in these districts. This form
of dress is known among Moslems as _tahband_ [lower binding] (Plate I.
fig. 6). In Rajputana, Gujarat and the southern Punjab, Mahommedan women
sometimes wear a _lhenga_ or _ghagra_ skirt without trousers; in the
Sirsa district and parts of Gujarat the ghagra is worn over the
trousers. The _sadari_ or waistcoat is worn by women as well as men. The
_tillak_ or _peshwaz_ is a dress or robe the skirt and bodice of which
are made in one piece, usually of red or other coloured material; it is
common in Gujarat, Rajputana and the Sirsa district, and is the style
usually adopted by nautch girls when dancing. Meman women wear also the
_aba_, or overcoat, which differs from that worn by men in that it has
loose half sleeves, and fastens with two buttons at each side of the
neck over the shoulders; it is embroidered on the breast, and adorned
with gold lace on the skirts.
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