Most men have adopted Western dress for Indian weddings, though some still wear traditional costume. This consists of headgear and two main body garments – one covering the top half of the body, the other the bottom half.
The kurta (a loose-fitting cotton shirt) and the kameez (a three-quarter-length
embroidered tunic) are popular upper garments with Indian grooms, while lower
garments include a dhoti (uncut cloth) or trousers such as the pyjama (soft loose-fitting
trousers) or the salwar (trousers gathered at the ankle).
When a groom wears traditional dress, he will often wear a long white or cream
jacket with a stand-up collar over white trousers, called a Punjabi or Cufni suit.
A Muslim groom might wear a salwar kameez with a garland of flowers.
Jodphur suits with long jackets and ‘Nehru’ stand-up collars inspired
by ‘Bollywood’ are becoming increasingly fashionable.
A turban is often worn at weddings by Indians of various ethnic and religious
groups. When the groom wears an ornamented turban with traditional dress, he is
considered a prince for the day. The turban symbolises virtue, honour, reverence,
respect, and brotherhood. The different styles in which turbans are tied distinguish
groups by religion and region, and indicate the wearer’s social position
and occupation.
Sikh men must wear a keski (turban) at all times. At Sikh
weddings, the groom and guests usually wear either deep red or pink
turbans. Hindu men sometimes wear a tupi, a turban made to look like a crown,
and decorated with a feather, sequins, or jewels. Grooms may also wear a kalgi
or sehra (curtain worn over the face) made from gold tinsel, and garlands made
from flower or gold tinsel.
Glossary
‘Bollywood’
a nickname for the Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) based Indian popular film
industry – the
largest
in the world
Cufni suit (or Punjabi)
a long white jacket with a stand-up collar over white trousers
dhoti
an uncut cloth tied around the waist
kameez
a three-quarter-length embroidered tunic
keski
turban
kurta
a loose-fitting cotton shirt
jodphur suits
jodphur trousers with a long jacket and a ‘Nehru’ stand-up collar
pyjama
soft, loose-fitting trousers
salwar
trousers gathered at the ankle
sehra
curtain worn over the face, and made from tinsel or flowers
