The Clothing of Jaat women

Each and every community have their own culture, traditions and costumes.Jaat community is also having it’s own distinctive costumes and traditons.

Jaat community is predominantly settled in the state of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Western Uttar Pradesh but the costumes of the community differ according to the area.

Jaat clothing in Punjab-

The punjabi ensemble of a Jaat woman is a four peice set.

It consists of a Gaghra,kurta, odhna and a Suthan.

The gaghra is a skirt with a lot of flares worn by the women.Traditionally the gaghra was made out of a atleast 15-16 yards of fabric and goes upto 52 yards(It depends on choice).

The gaghra was paired up with a short kurta and a odhna.

The distinctive feature of Punjabi Jaat ensemble is that the gaghra was worn over Suthan. Suthan is the old form of salwar worn under the gaghra.

Women used to wear suthan at home and when they used to step out, gaghra was worn over it.In old time it was considered as a taboo in punjab if a married women steps out of house without wearing gaghra over suthan.

Maharani Jind Kaur in traditonal punjabi Jaat poshak.

The fabric used for the gaghra was preferably cotton(khaddar). But the fabric and the embelishments differ according to the status of the family.

Jaat clothing in Haryana-

The Haryanvi ensemble of a jaat women is a three peice set. It comprises of Daaman, Chunar and kurta.

Daaman is a Haryanvi gaghra which is of calf length.Haryanvi gaghra is made out of a lot of fabric similar to the Punjabi gaghra.

Haryanvi gaghra-‘Daaman’

The Haryanvi gaghra is embellished with pipin at it’s border which is known as Magji.On the inner border of the gaghra a heavy cotton fabric fall known as Laman is stitched so that it doesnot flow away with air.

Zenana kurta

The gaghra was paired up with zenana kurta which is similar to male shirt.

Women in Haryanvi Jaat poshak.

A very old photograph of women in traditional Haryanvi Jaat poshak.

The third peice is the chuner worn over head. The Chuner was made out of cotton fabric and was embellished with gota at it’s border and it may consist of embroidery in it’s body.

Jaat clothing in Western Uttar Pradesh-

The clothing of Jaat women in Western Uttar Pradesh may seems to be similar to Haryana on a wide basis but in real it is not so.

In Western Uttar Pradesh the Jaat poshak consist of a gaghra known as Tukdi, Onna and kurta.

The Tukdi is similar to the length of Haryanvi gaghra but the basic difference between a Haryanvi gaghra and Tukdi is that Tukdi consist of a got(गोट) at it’s border.Got(गोट) is a kind of border made out of a fabric that should contrast the colour of the panels(कलि)of the Tukdi.

Tukdi does consist laman(which is similar in Haryanvi gaghra) but doesnot consist of pipin(magji).

Onna is the duppata worn over the head.The difference between Haryanvi Chunder and Onna is that Onna also consist of a got(गोट) at it’s border.The got(गोट) of Onna of a Jaat women is traditionally four fingers(चार अंगुल) wide.

Traditional onna with char angul pink got(गोट ).Paisley(Aambi-‘आम्बी ‘) motif can be seen in the corner.

A very old Onna.

Third peice is the Zenana kurta which is similar to Haryanvi kurta and resembles with a male shirt.

The style of draping dupatta is also different in punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

Jaat women of Amarpur Jaat zamindar family (near Meerut, Western Uttar Pradesh) in kurta and dhoti.

In western Uttar Pradesh after the decline of traditonal poshak around 1950-60’s the women started to pair up their kurtas with dhoti(saree) and this style is followed till date but is on verge of extinction.

It’s our heritage and culture, we should preserve it and save it.