What are the Heritage Ethnic clothing of North East India?
India is a country with more variation and diversity than any other countries in the world
Heritage Clothing are usually the handmade and handcrafted clothes produced within each states. These heritage clothes are rare and are not bulk produced. Among the Heritage products the most commonly used ones are the Traditional ethnic wears worn by different classes of People located all across India. For e.g Silk items produced in each states in India
Starting with the seven sisters, ie: Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya, the following are the Traditional Heritage Ethnic wears of the people of these states. Among many few of them are below:
1. Assam: Meghla Chaddar is a two piece wearable cloth for women. One is a cylindrical stitched cloth around their waist and the other folded over their shoulders till the waist. This is matched with a red or orange blouse This has been one of the most unique wear for women in Assam. It looks more or less like the traditional saree. The only difference from saree is the thickness and two separate piece wearable.
Following are the materials used for making Mekhela Chador:
- Cotton
- Muga
- Pat silk
- Eri silk
2. Naga Shawls: Naga Shawls are the most traditional wrap ups from Nagaland. The state having as many as 17 different tribes, each of the tribes have their own unique shawl representing their own unique tribe. These Shawls are made out of unique mixture of Naga silk and wool.
3. Manipur: Innaphi and Phanek are the Manipuri traditional dress for women in Manipur. All Manipuri women wore these costumes. Phanek is worn like a sarong. The Manipuri dress is woven with the hand in horizontal line designs. The people also weave special Phanek, those called Mayek Naibi. The designs on Naibi are horizontal stripes,
Manipur Men wear their traditional costume dhoti with a jacket. The white turban called Pagri wear commonly. The superior member of society wears cloth which called Khamen Chatpa. The Khamen Chatpa is generally worn on the ritual occasions. In ancient period the kings gifted Khamen Chatpa to the Genius, Poets and well-known people as the gifts and award
4. Mizoram: Women in Mizoram, wears the following attires:
- Puan– ‘Puan’. Puan has shades of black and white.
- Puanchei– is the dress worn by most Mizo women during festivals.
- Pawl Kut and Chapchar Kut– The main dress is the Paul Kut and Chapchar Kut.
- Kawrechi– Kawrechi. is a handmade blouse, made up of cotton fabric and worn by Mizo’s women while dancing at festivals.
5. Arunachal Pradesh: Arunachal Pradesh, land of diversity with over 25 tribes and 100 sub-tribes. People here love their traditional costumes. The Traditional dress of Arunachal Pradesh includes shawls, wraps, and skirts.
Arunachali Men:
a. Sherdukpen Tribe: Sleeveless silk material with its edges attached to the shoulder. The costumeis still knee length. It is complete with a skull cap on the top of the head decorated with the hair of the Yak.
b.Tangsa Tribe: Green-colored wrap-around spun in white, red as well as yellow-colored yarn. A sleeveless shirt with an upper garment is worn.
c. Monpas Tribe: This is the Buddhist tribe of Arunachal Pradesh famous for its skull cap made of laces and fringes.d.Aptana Tribe:
Aptani men make top knot hair which is known as Piiding. Tattoos are applied by men on their chin.
women:
a. Sherdukpen Tribe: Tribe women wears collarless and sleeveless dresses till knee length. Along with this, a waistcloth with an embroidered jacket with full sleeves is worn. Women wear a bun on the back of their heads.
For the Tangsa Tribe includes a woven petticoat and a linen blouse.
b. Miji Tribe: Miji Tribe Women believe in keeping it simple. It includes a long cloak with huge earnings and beautiful neckpieces.
Adi Tribe Women wear jackets and woolen clothes to keep themselves warm. These clothes are made of deerskin, bearskin, and cane skin.
c. Monpas Tribe: Monpas Tribe Women wears sleeveless chemise with a long jacket.
Tribe of Lower Kamla Valley: Women tie their hair above their forehead in a knot. Crinoline of cane rings is the unique feature of these women.
d. Aptana Tribe: Aptana tribe women have a tattoo that consists of blue stripes from the head to the nose tip. The hair is neatly arranged on top of the head known as Dilling with an Adding Akh passing right across the Dilling.
6 Meghalaya: Meghalaya has predominatly 3 tribes: The Khasi Tribe, the Garo Tribe and the Jaintia Tribe. In Khasi Tribe, Women usually wears a cloth draped around from the shoulders to the ankle. Its called Jainsem. Garo women on the other hand wear an eking, a small cloth worn around the waist. They also wear a blouse along with handmade lungi called Dak Manda which is wrapped around the waist.The Jaintia Tribe has more or less the same dress as that of the Khasi Tribe.
Khasi men mostly wear unstitched Dhoti which can be seen normally across Meghalaya. Along with this, a jacket which is embroidered is also worn. Men in the Garo tribe wear a loincloth as part of their tradition.
- Tripura:
Men:
- Rikutu Gamchi
The Traditional dress of Men in Tripura is a towel, known as Rikutu Gamchi. Kubai is a type of shirt. Men in Tripura wear Rikutu Gamchi with shirt.,
b. Kamchwlwi Borok or the loin area is Rikutu and the upper part is the kamchwlwi borok.D3. uti Borok’ for the loin and ‘Kamchwlwi borok’ for the upper part of the body. But nowadays people are not wearing this except in rural areas and working clans. The male has adopted the modern style of international dress c. Gaffa.
Women: a. Ringai: Rignai is the lower half of the dress. It is like a draped skirt., b. Risa is the part of the dress that covers the upper part of women. Risa is worn by draping around the back twice to provide protection and support to the chest. Currently Risa is very less worn and is replaced by Traditional blouse
Conclusion: The 7 north eastern States also known as the seven sisters have a unique list of tribes belonging to each states. Each of these Tribes have their own unique dress and attires. To add to this is also the state of Sikkim which also has a unique set of Tribes with their unique dress and attires