Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Odhani, a traditional long scarf

Plain, printed or embroidered. Silk, cotton, chiffon or synthetic. Matched to the outfit, or contrasted. Covering the torso, or draped over one shoulder. 


Odhanis come in many forms, but have one thing in common. It is not an accessory- it is an integral part of the outfit. There are conventions to follow when you pick the particular odhani to wear with a dress, and even if you bend the rules, you do so only in certain ways. 


With Western-wear gaining popularity, odhanis are fading out. And for all that I consider them difficult to manage, I will miss them so. 
_____
There are words, and there are words. Some words can be easily translated, others need to be described.  In April, I’ll attempt to capture the Soul of 26 'Indian' words in a  drabble of exactly 100 words.

8 comments:

D.E. Malone said...

A shame the tradition is dying, because of other influences. That is a beautiful picture with so many colors on display.

Jacqueline Howett said...

What colors! Actually I'm suprised they are dying out that fast. Is that the same for the tourist section? And does this mean the material is now cheaper?

I use to have an Indian clothes shop in London in the late 70's filled with colored silks and various ornaments. I use to wear Indian clothes all the time and do yoga.

Have a wonderful week!

Kittie Howard said...

How sad the custom is dying out. How boring we're all going to look, dressed in Gap.

Liwi said...

Lovely! What amazing colors, a tradition worth continuing!!

Iliadfan said...

I love that picture. Gorgeous colors!

Anonymous said...

What a lovely piece of traditional wear. I am sad too to hear they're dying out. I would love to know more about what the rules or traditions are for wearing them. Maybe you'll post something about that sometime??

Jemi Fraser said...

Gorgeous! They really are beautiful of clothing. :)

Joy said...

I've been enjoying your A to Z challenge as I randomly stumbled upon your blog.

One of my friends growing up was from an Indian family so I've had a bit of exposure to the culture. I remember they always had the long beautiful scarves but I never knew the significance. I'm learning a lot from your blog this month.

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