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THE DRESS

The dress ensemble of the Hindus of the district is a blending of different items of dress shared in common with people all over India. At present many of the articles of dress wear patronised particularly by the educated young urban are items after Europeans style. However, many items of dress current among the people in generals could be said to have been indigenously evolved.The sewn garment for the baby is balut consisting of a triangular piece of cloth tied round its waist so as to cover the buttocks and the front. This is followed by a topare which is a baby cap covering the ears, and kunci which is a cap and fronk sewn together. Agni is a general term indicating a sewn garment for the upper body is which could be included jhabale (frock), bandi or peti (jacket) worn by the child. When the child grows two or three years old, a round or a folded cap for the head, sadara, or pairan, (shirt) for the upper part, caddi orshort pants for the lower part are sewn for the use of boys, and parakar (petticoat), caddi (panties), polka (bodies) and jhaga (fronk) are sewn for the use of girls.

The ordinary dress of the upper class Hindus for a man indoors is a dhotar (waistcloth) and a sadara or a pairan (shirt). Out of doors it consists of : First, a head-dress which is a folded cap of cotton, sild or woollen fabric, or a frshly folded turban known as rumal, patka or pheta. The pre-formed tuban known as pagadi is now rarely to be seen. Second, a waistcoat or jacket known as bandi which may be used over a shirt or a sadara. Third, a coat, a short one after European fashion or a long one (dagla) after what is known as ' Parsee-fashion' Fourth, a shoulder-cloth or uparne specially woven or of a light muslin cloth about three yards long by a yard broad, thrown round the shoulders. The wear of uparne has gone out of vogue mostly among the urbanites. Fifth, a waistcloth or dhotar of fine cotton cloth with borders on both the sides and about 50 inches wide and four or four and a half yards long. Once Nagpur hand-made dhoti were famous for their durability.

The Maratha Brahmans known to be very particular about the securing of their dhoti which always had to have five tucks, three into the waistband at the two sides and in front, while the loose end were tucked in front and behind. Sixth, country-made joda or shoes. In towns boots and shoes made in the European fashion at Kanpur and other centres have now been generally adopted and with these socks are worn, but their use is confined to small number of highly paid Government servants, pleaders and young merchants. For the use of the common people sandals and cappals of various patters are current. Till recently only prostitutes wore shoes in public, and no respectable woman would dare to do so but could use sandals with impunity.

A well-to-do educated urbanite may use all the items of western dress ensemble including the 'bush-shirt' and 'bush coat' of recent origin. Indoors he may be found using a striped pyjama and a half-shirt or a pairan. His outdoor dress various between three types : (1)a lenga (loose trousers or slacks) and a long shirt of the Nehru type or a pair of short pants and a shirt, the flaps of the shirt either being allowed ot hang loose on the shorts or tucked inside them. (2) A pair of trousers in combination with a shirt or a half-shirt, a bush-coat or a bush-shirt; the sleeves of the shirt may be rolled in a band above the elbow. (3) A full western suit including trousers, shirt, perhaps a waist-coat and a necktie. For ceremonial occasions he may prefer to dress after Indian style in a spacious looking long coat, called ackan, and cudidara pyjama or survar slightly gathered at the ankles-end with bracelet-like horizontal folds. A folded woollen or a silk cap and cadhav or a pump-shoes perfects the ensemble. Among the urbanite young men the use of dhotar is practically getting extinct; it is in some evidence among the middle-aged. The sendhi or scalp-lock is long discarded and they cut their hair short in imitation of the European. Shes and boots they even keep on indoors and many times prefer to walk bare-headed displaying a well-groomed hair-crop.