North-East Region Traditional Dress

Also known as the land of seven sisters, the North East Region comprises the seven states-Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland.

Assam
The traditional dress of Assamese women is Mekhala Chaddar. It is a saree in two parts or a half saree like the ones in South India. The long flowing skirt up to the ankles is known as mekhela and the upper garment is the chaddar. They wear chaddar to cover the upper part and use blouse and bodice. One part the chaddar is pleated over the shoulders just like a saree while the remaining part is tucked with the mekhala with 3 or 4 pleasts. Mekahla Chaddars are woven in Muga and Pat Silk.

Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
The traditional dress of Indian women in these states is basically a length of cloth that is worn around the waist in much the same way as a lungi or a towel-wrap and turn and worn with a top or shirt. This is known by different names in diferrent states. But this wrap-around type of skirt is not just a piece of cloth. It is a piece of art; intricately prepared such skirts with exquisite embroidery are available in all the states and the designs vary from state to state.

In Manipur, the skirt is called Phanek and is mostly a horizontally stripped cotton affair with embroidered lace at the lower edge. For special occasions, silk Phaneks are worn.

The 'Mizo' skirt on the other hand is of wool and is called Puan. It is known as Dakmanda in Meghalaya. This is hand woven and has a six to ten inch border with a motif or floral designs. In Meghalaya, the women favor the Jyensyem, another traditional dress consisting of two ankle length pieces of cloth gathered at the shoulders. The upper part of her body is clad in a blouse. Over these, she ties both ends of a checkered cotton cloth on one shoulder, thus improvising on apron.

Thus, in the North Eastern States, the basic dress remains the same. The designs differ from state to state. Each state has its unique textile and fabric which distinguish it from other textiles. However, today, besides the traditional dresses, North Eastern women wear sarees, salwar kurtas and western dresses.