| India is a vast and heavily populated country. Size | | | | the 'pallu' to cover the upper body. The breasts |
| wise it is almost as large as Europe and more | | | | are just covered by the Pallu. Women from |
| important it is home to diverse religions and races | | | | Maharashtra will wear the sari by dividing the pallu |
| from Mongolic to Dravidian and Aryan to tribal. | | | | through the legs thus adding allure to the wearer. |
| The major religion is Hinduism but here also the | | | | The north Indian women have adopted the |
| number of sects and streams of Hinduism are a | | | | shalwar kameez (shirt). A shalwar is a form of |
| legion. In addition India is home to the second | | | | loose trouser that is tied at the waist with a cord. |
| largest Moslem population in the world. It also | | | | The kameez can have any number of designs |
| houses significant minorities of Christians, Sikhs, | | | | from full sleeves to half and low cut to full |
| Jains and Parsis. | | | | coverage. The shalwar kameez gives a woman |
| India has a diverse climate from freezing cold in | | | | greater degree of freedom and also accentuates |
| the Himalayan regions in North India and ladakh to | | | | her curves. The kameez come in a variety of |
| the hot desert of Rajasthan and on to the sultry | | | | designs and make. You can wear cotton or silk |
| tropical plains of the south. Thus the dress of the | | | | and the costly kameezs have gold embroidery |
| people of India in particular the women vary from | | | | and can cost upwards of ten thousand rupees. |
| region to region and area to area. | | | | The women of Rajasthan wear what is termed |
| Starting from the South the women invariably | | | | the Ghagra and choli. A Ghaghara is a loose skirt |
| wear a sari and blouse. A sari is a 5 meter wrap | | | | that goes up to the ankles and choli is a blouse. |
| around that is intricately tied around the waist and | | | | Even village women will wear enticing blouses that |
| goes up to the ankles. The blouse can have any | | | | could be backless. The ghagra choli is extremely |
| number of designs. The sari's come in a wide | | | | beneficial in the hot desert regions. These dresses |
| range of material and cost. You can have plain | | | | are much in demand at fashion boutiques as well. . |
| cotton saris or embroidered silk saris. Some of | | | | The women of the east wear a shorter version |
| the gold embroidered saris can set you back by | | | | of a sari and their garb is simpler. Perhaps with |
| many thousands of rupees. | | | | frequent floods the need for a shorter piece of |
| The sari not only adds grace to a woman but | | | | sari is important. Women from the tribal east like |
| creates an aura of mystery as it reveals very | | | | the Mizos and the Nagas have adopted the |
| less and promises a lot more. The sari itself is | | | | western dress of skirts and blouses. This is |
| worn in a number of ways. The tribal women of | | | | perhaps due to the Christian missionary influence |
| Orissa and Bihar will not wear a blouse and use | | | | in this area. |