Turban Tying in Rajasthan

India, an incredible land of South-east Asia is blessed with some wonderful treasures troves that can captivate your attention at the very first sight. Among all the exotic states of India, Rajasthan is the top most tourist destination in every tourists itinerary.

Thanks to the historical masterpieces and vibrant culture and traditions, this royal land of India is the dream destination for every vacationer in India. When you entered into this magical land you will surely feel the presence of royal aura in each and every nook and corner of the state.

Rajasthan is truly a special state. Even in the attire of Rajasthani people, you can count a distinguishing character which is unparalleled to attires of other region. Turban also known as the Pagdi or pagd in Hindi, is one of the most important aspect of traditional Rajasthani attire. It is considered as the “crown of the commoner” and “pride of the rulers”.

Even there are some famous Bollywood flicks which very well describes the importance of turban in the life of a Indian man. Did you remember the famous movie “Bhuvan Shome” of Mrinal Sen considered to be the pioneer movie of Indian New Wave Cinema. In this movie the director has very well highlighted the importance of turban in the life of a rural man, when Gauri, the heroine dressed up Bhuvan Shome played by esteemed actor Late Utpal Dutta and made him understand the importance of turban in the rural life.

Probably, the turban wearing started off as a means of protecting the head of the wearer from the harsh weather and injuries. But, gradually it moves on to become a status symbol. In Rajasthan, a turban is regard as a symbol of chivalry, honor, respect, brotherhood and also as a valued possession.

Turban wearing men is a common sight in rural Rajasthan. The wearing of turban mainly originates from Rajputana families where turban wearing is considered to be a ritual. It is a sin to forcibly touch or remove another person turban.

This head gear of Rajasthan can be weaved with as long as 82 feet long and eight inches wide piece of cloth. The size f a turban talks about the position of the person in the society where he lives. It is assumed that Rajasthan has almost 1000 styles and types of turbans. So, that the style of tying a turban changes after every 15 kilometers within Rajasthan.

Turban tying is considered as a significant art form and it requires lots of practice to tie a perfect turban. Earlier, skilled maidens were employed by the Rajputana rulers to tie their turbans. Turbans are of various colors and each color symbolizes a deep meaning such as Ochre is the colour of the vagabond, while the saffron turbans symbolizes valor and chivalry. A white turban is symbol of mourn and it is worn during the funeral by the family members of the dead person. Whereas the khaki, blue and dark maroon are reserved for the solemnity of a condolence visit. Rajasthani men loves to wear pink and red turban during wedding. Different turbans are used during different festivals. For instance, the black chunari (tie dyed) with the red borders is mainly used at the time of Diwali, the falgunia turban, having white and red patterns is wore at the time of Holi and a bright Saffron color turban is used in Dassehra festival etc.

These colorful racial turbans of Rajasthan are a major attraction for the International tourists. So, to woo more number foreign tourists, Rajasthan government has introduced turban tying competition in various fairs and festivals of Rajasthan.