Though, Indian cotton lehengas
with heavy embroidery, beads, sequins, zori or zordosi work are
preferred for wedding and other formal occasions, cotton ghagra choli or
lehengas are equally popular. The Indian lehenga in cotton gives a pure
relaxing comfort.
Even today, the traditional dress for women in Rajasthan and Gujarat is
the lehenga choli or ghagra choli. While the tribal and rural women
preferred the embroidered lehenga choli made up of cotton fabric
decorated with embroidery and mirror work, women belonging to royal
families afford more intricate brocade, tanchoi and heavy satins even
with real gold and silver embroidery, studded with precious stones.
Still, majority of Indian ladies of Rajasthan and Gujarat prefer cotton
lehenga cholis for regular wear.
Various designs available on cotton lehengas are as follow:
- The cotton lehenga choli can be plain with a multicoloured
churni.
- There are embroidered cotton ghagra choli with a plain churni.
- There can be mirror work on ghagra cholis.
- Patch and applique work is another design.
- The most common and popular is the bandhani printed tie and dye
cotton lehenga choli.
Generally, it is the blouse or the choli and the dupatta which are
intricately embroidered in cotton ghagra cholis. Nowadays, bright
coloured tie and dye cotton ghagra cholis are very popular among
children.