Traditional Rajastani women's dress

Traditionally, women’s dresses in Bikaner, as almost all over Rajasran, compiled ghaghra, a flowing skirt, a sleeveless blouse; kanchali, a short bodice worn over the blouse and odhana, a veil cloth.

From hutment to palace, women are almost attired in this set of garments except that the materials and embellishments used, in the aristocratic palaces were precious, refined and elaborate. Dut to the customs of exogamy, Rajput women were given in marriage to distant princely cultural states. As such several cultural and stylistic elements mixed and mingled in the costumes of each ruling family.

The most popular materials and techniques used in the Royal costumes of Bikaner, as much as in other princely states of Rajastan, comprised gold and silver brocaded silk and zardozi, embroidery in gold wire. Often panels of skirt, or yoke pieces of blouses were specially woven for the purpose.

You can see several pictures of Zardozi embroidery here. All these photographs were taken in Bikaner Cultural Centre and Museum in Junagarh Forte, Bikaner, Rajasthan. Zardozi embroidery was worked on satin with usually heavy cotton lining to give support to the gold work. Certain portions of the work were cushioned or padded to raise the embroidery work. Gold braiding or laying of specially formed gold wires in the required manner was also quite popular.                                

                                                                                   

One peculiar technique of embellishing women’s garments in Rajasthan is gota work. Ribbens of various widths woven with gold or silver threads were attached to garments as boarders, or constructed into decorative elements such as flowers and creepers. Often times beads, pearls, beetle wings or semi-precious or precious stones were strung to these dresses.

All dresses, photographed here were of mid 20th century.