Clothing and accessories are deeply rooted in the socio-cultural fabric of Odisha- the state has traditional dresses for both men and women that represent its traditions, fairs/festivals, and, most notably, the rich heritage of local weaving skills.
The Oriya Odisha traditional dress is a dress that is worn with meaning. Hence, these clothes are made to reflect the Odisha culture, the region’s climate, and the people’s lifestyle.
A comprehensive guide on how the traditional dress for both males and females in Odisha is made and the fabric used.
Traditional Dress for Men in Odisha
1. Pancha and Dhoti
The Pancha, or dhoti, is the most common traditional dress for males in Odisha. It is a long piece of cloth, arguably woven from cotton, which is put around the waist with the legs enclosed within it; it provides breathability.
Usually white or cream-coloured, the Pancha may have only the edges decorated traditionally with borders.
A dhoti is best worn with a kurta or angavastram (a shawl), especially during religious celebrations and marriage ceremonies.
2. Kandua and Sambalpuri Fabric
Men in Odisha also use Kandua and Sambalpuri fabric clothing to dress them traditionally. Beautiful and colourful, featuring enticing motifs, these fabrics can be woven using the ikat method – the yarns are dyed before the material is woven.
This originality that draws from historical benefits in Odisha produces notable patterns of shells, wheels, and flowers that are historically familiar to the state.
Kandua and Sambalpuri fabrics are traditional dresses of Oriya Odisha that combine style with tradition.
3. Accessories: Gamucha and Turban
A gamucha, a thin cotton towel, is a part of the dress accessory that forms part of the costume for traditional Odisha men.
Worn either over the shoulder or linked around the midriff, it serves a purpose and is also symbolic. , musicians, and people in general – frightened.
According to tradition, men in rural Odisha may also wear ostentatious turbans during joyful occasions such as festivals.
Traditional Dress for Women in Odisha
1. Sambalpuri Saree
The Sambalpuri saree may be considered one of the widely recognized traditional dresses for women in Odisha.
It is done using the ikat or tie dye technique with motifs of the shankha (conch shell), the chakra (wheel) and the phula (flower, each symbolic in culture and spirituality).
Initially made by weavers whose successive generations have inherited the craft of weaving, Sambalpuri sarees are rich in colour and worn during the Durga Puja festival, Raja and Jagannath Rath Yatra.
It is not just clothing. These sarees are related to the tradition of Odisha.
2. Kataki Saree
They come from Cuttack and are famously known for their elegant embroidering work.
Spiced up in a blend of golden and silver colour threads, specially created for women, they wear this dress during weddings, religious ceremonies, and other culturally important ceremonies.
Kataki sarees depict Odisha’s historical art of weaving with graphical images on the dress material.
3. Khandua Silk Saree
A Khandua silk saree is used religiously, and this dress is offered to Lord Jagannath in the Puri Temple. Initially, they were brought in bright reds, oranges, and yellows; this saree contains the writing of Gita Govinda and is rich in colour and fabric.
It is festive wear for the Oriya Odisha women and represents purity and devotion of the women of Oriya Odisha.
4. Jewelry and Accessories
Odisha’s traditional dress, especially for women, is complete with conventional jewellery. Tarakasi, a silver filigree work famous in Cuttack, is one of its unique and highly delicate specialities.
For instance, women adorn jhumkas (earrings), alaka (headpieces), bangles, and toe rings where each piece is related to marriage and identified with regional origin.
This jewellery favours the sarees and brings out the best that Odisha is well known for in artistry.
Materials and Craftsmanship in Odisha Traditional Dress
The fabrics used in the traditional dress of Odisha are cotton and silk, and both fabrics are chosen due to the stringent tropical environment of the state.
Both fabrics are preferred because of the ability to breathe through cotton during the summer, and silk is worn during festive seasons and colder days.
Cotton: Worn in casual wear, in dhotis, planchas and sarees, its comfort and durability are suitable for a state like Odisha, which has a hot and humid climate during most of the year.
This outfit is environmentally friendly because most local artists use organic cotton.
Silk: Traditionally, the Khandua saree and other festive wear are woven from silk fabric, which is believed to bring out the festive look, and the colour is auspicious for the occasion.
Making a saree requires dyeing and embroidery, and one saree may take several weeks to make.
Towns such as Sambalpur and Cuttack Adrian are famous in Odisha for handloom industry-manufactured fabrics.
Every item of clothing worn in Oriya Odisha is crafted amidst generations of tie-and-dyeing and weaving tradition, especially the ikat pattern.
Some motifs are printed on threads to dye them so that they mesh with the fabric, making it look like they were part of a set.
The Sambalpuri ikat is unique, with rich colour contrasts and high domestic use and export demand.
Cultural Connection to History and Festivals
The costume Odisha dress, which is described above, has a heavy relation with the festival and history of Odisha.
In this religious festival, candidates dress traditionally, and everyday clothing is bright-coloured red, yellow or green, regarded as the symbols of prosperity, purity and devotion.
Raja, a festival of womanhood, is another occasion when women wear Sambalpuri or Kataki sarees with pomp.
Similarly, men wear the dhoti-kurta, and a lot is thrown over the shoulders, symbolizing sheer respect and tradition.
Traditionally, the Khandua saree is also part of the offerings made to gods in Odisha’s temples, including the Puri Jagannath Temple.
This solid cultural requirement helps Odisha’s traditional costume to stay within the sphere of contemporary trends and is a component of Odisha’s cultural history.
Conclusion
A collection based on Oriya Odisha traditional dress for both males & females makes Odisha heritage, Festivals and craftsmanship.
Every dress, starting from the dhoti’s plainness or the Sambalpuri saree’s sophistication, has an intention and links to Odisha’s historical and contemporary culture.
These clothes are easy on the environment for the following reasons: The fabrics used in these clothes are handwoven, the clothes have symbols woven into designs and they are dyed using natural dyes.
From the traditional dress of Odisha, the people of Odisha can preserve the historical and artistic importance of the state while passing it down to subsequent generations.
