Christian Wearing

About 2.5% of India's population are Christians. The major centers of Christianity in India are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Manipur and Mizoram. There is also a big community of Christians in Mumbai.

Christian women in India wear all kinds of dress starting from the traditional dress of India-saree and salwar kameez to western outfits like skits and shirts, pants, trousers, long frocks. Christian brides usually attire a white coloured bridal wedding gown. The entire wardrobe is white consisting of gloves, long full-length classic gown, veil and headdress. This wearing of white gown is common in Goa. In Manipur, Mizoram, on the wedding day, the christian ladies wear their traditional dress--Phanek and Puan. But in South India, Christians wore often sarees like their Hindu counterparts and some of them even wear bangles and apply the Hindu caste mark, Kum Kum or tilaka on their foreheads. The wearing of the Mangalsutra necklace among Protestant Christian women is obligatory after marriage, as it is among the Hindus.