West Region Traditional Dress

The traditional dresses of the West Indian states can be grouped as follows:

Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
The traditional dress of Indian women in these states is the colourful ghagra choli. The choli is brightly embroidered, waist-length bare-backed blouses. Ghagras or lehengas are gathered ankle-length skirts secured around the waist. The attire is completed by an odhni or dupatta draped across the neck or over the head. Saree is also another traditional dress of Gujarat but here the pallu is draped in front rather than over the shoulders.

Maharashtra
Sari is the traditional garment here worn in distinctive Maharashtrian style. In Maharashtra, the sari is 9 metre long and is worn tucked between the legs. This saree does not require a petticoat or a slip. The famous Paithani sari is worn by Maharashtrian women during festivals and religious functions.

Goa
Goans are very much fashion aware and tourists are likely to see the very latest designer wear on the streets, no sooner than the it appears elsewhere in India. Clothes form an important part of the Goan lifestyle making it essential to dress well at the innumerable social occasions that occur around the year. Western dresses like skirts and tops, trousers and shirts, wrap-arounds are preferred by women in Goa. Goan Christian women still wear sarees rather than dresses. There is a visible presence of western, particularly Portuguese, influence evident in the style of houses, churches, dress and cuisine in Goa.