Dressing for the Mountains
Traditional clothing in Uttarakhand grew out of two needs: warmth in a cold, wet climate and freedom of movement for people who spent their days climbing to fields and forests. Wool, spun and woven at home, was the basic material in the higher villages, while cotton was more common in the lower valleys. Everyday clothes were simple; the colour and ornament were saved for weddings, festivals and fairs.
Today most people wear modern clothes day to day, but traditional dress is still worn with pride at weddings, religious ceremonies and cultural events — and is enjoying a revival among young people.
Women's Dress
Kumaon
- Ghagra and angra: A long, full skirt worn with a fitted blouse or jacket — the traditional everyday dress of Kumaoni village women.
- Pichhaura: The most famous Kumaoni garment. It is a long stole, dyed saffron-yellow with a red border and decorated with red circles and designs, often with an aipan-style motif at the centre. A bride wears it at her wedding, and married women wear it at religious ceremonies and family celebrations. Almora is the traditional centre of pichhaura making.
Garhwal
- Draped dhoti with angdi: Garhwali village women traditionally wore a length of cloth draped in their own style, tied at the waist and shoulder, with a blouse called an angdi and a cloth belt (patka) to hold it firm for field work.
- Head covering: A scarf tied over the head (dhantu) protects against sun and cold and is part of the traditional look.
Jaunsar-Bawar
Jaunsari women wear a long, pleated skirt (ghagra) with a close-fitting jacket called a jhaga, and a large scarf (dhantu) tied over the head. For festivals such as Bissu, the colours become very bright and the jewellery heavy.
Bhotiya valleys
In the high border valleys of Johar, Darma, Vyas and Niti-Mana, the Bhotiya (Shauka and Rang) communities wear heavier woollen garments suited to the cold, including long robes and woollen jackets, often with coral and turquoise jewellery that reflects the old trade with Tibet.
Men's Dress
- Kurta, dhoti or churidar: The traditional base for men across the hills, often worn with a waistcoat or mirzai (a quilted jacket).
- Pahadi topi: The cap is the single most recognisable item of men's dress. Black or white caps are worn at ceremonies, and the coloured, embroidered Uttarakhandi topi has become a popular symbol of regional pride.
- Jaunsari dress: Men wear a woollen coat (jhangel or chola) and woollen caps, especially in winter.
- Woollen blankets and shawls: In the high valleys, the pankhi — a light woollen shawl — and heavier blankets are everyday wear.
Traditional Jewellery
Jewellery in the hills is more than decoration. It marks marriage, wealth and family status, and is passed down through generations. Gold and silver were often a family's main savings.
| Ornament | Where it is worn | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Nath | Nose | A large gold nose ring, often decorated with pearls or red beads. The Tehri nath is the most famous — big, intricate and worn by brides. Its size traditionally reflected the family's prosperity. |
| Bulaq | Nose (septum) | A pendant worn hanging from the centre of the nose, common in Garhwal. |
| Galoband / Gulbund | Neck (choker) | Small square gold pieces stitched onto a band of red or dark cloth, worn tight around the neck. A classic ornament of married women in both Kumaon and Garhwal. |
| Hansuli | Neck | A heavy, solid silver ring necklace (torque) shaped like a collarbone. |
| Chareu | Neck | A necklace of black beads with gold — the Kumaoni symbol of marriage, similar to a mangalsutra. |
| Paunji | Wrist | A bracelet made of rows of small gold or silver beads, traditional in Kumaon. |
| Murkhi / Bali | Ears | Earrings. Men in many hill communities also traditionally wore murkhi. |
| Tagdi | Waist | A silver waist chain. |
| Pauta / Jhanjar | Ankles | Heavy silver anklets, worn especially by women in Garhwal and Jaunsar. |
| Bichhua | Toes | Silver toe rings worn by married women. |
Where to See and Buy
- Weddings and fairs: The best place to see full traditional dress is at a village wedding or at fairs such as the Nanda Devi fair in Almora, the Uttarayani fair in Bageshwar, or the Bissu fair in Jaunsar.
- Almora: The jewellers and cloth shops of the old bazaar sell pichhauras and traditional Kumaoni jewellery.
- Tehri and Dehradun: Jewellers make the Tehri nath to order, and many sell lighter modern versions.