A choli (
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
: चोली,
: چولی, gu, ચોળી, mr, चोळी,
Nepali
Nepali or Nepalese may refer to :
Concerning Nepal
* Anything of, from, or related to Nepal
* Nepali people, citizens of Nepal
* Nepali language, an Indo-Aryan language found in Nepal, the current official national language and a language spoken ...
: चोलो ''cholo'') (known in South India as ''ravike'' (
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
: ರವಿಕೆ,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
...
: రవికె,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, na ...
: ரவிக்கை)) is a
blouse
A blouse (blau̇s, 'blau̇z, ) is a loose-fitting upper garment that was worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter ...
or a
bodice-like upper garment that is commonly cut short leaving the
midriff bare, it is worn along with a
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
. The choli is also part of the
ghagra choli costume in the Indian subcontinent.
In Northern Gujarat bordering Rajasthan, Palanpur in particular (Banaskantha), Polku, gu, પોલકું word was used.
Evolution
The choli evolved from the ancient ''
stanapatta'', also known as ''kurpsika'' or ''
kanchuki'', which was one of the forms of three-piece attire worn by women during the ancient period. This consisted of the ''
antriya'' lower garment; the ''
uttariya'' veil worn over shoulder or head; and the ''stanapatta,'' a chestband, which is mentioned in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
literature and Buddhist
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
literature during the 6th century BC.
Paintings from
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country subdi ...
and
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
from the first millennium BCE are considered the first recorded examples of the choli. Poetic references from works such as
''Silapadikkaram'' indicate that during the
Sangam period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
(third-century BCE to fourth-century CE in ancient South India), a single piece of clothing served as both lower garment and upper shawl. Paintings and sculpture indicate that the ''stanapatta'' evolved into the choli by the first century CE, in various regional styles. ''
Rajatarangini
''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Th ...
'', a tenth-century literary work by
Kalhana
Kalhana ( sa, कल्हण, translit=kalhaṇa) was the author of ''Rajatarangini'' (''River of Kings''), an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be ...
, states that the choli from the
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
was introduced under the royal order in Kashmir.
Early cholis were front-covering and tied at the back. Cholis of this kind are still common in state of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern ...
. In Nepal, the garment is known as a ''cholo'', and in Southern India as a ''ravike.'' Both of these styles are tied at the front, unlike Northern Indian cholis, which are tied at the back. In parts of the Hindi Belt, mostly in Rajasthan,
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ...
and
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
, women wore vest-like garments, known as ''kanchli'', over choli; this complete costume is known as the ''
poshak''.
Historical paintings
Image:Ajanta Paintings.jpg, Women in Choli and Antariya CE 320 Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
.
Image:Aj2.jpg, Women in Choli CE 320 Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
. The early form of Choli tied at the back with the front covering.
Image:Iacuci11d0b62ppy.D.0.Ajanta-Cave-painting-Painting-Dance.jpg, Dancing girl in Kurta/Salwar-like Choli Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
.
File:Detail of a leaf with the birth of mahavira.jpg, Kalpasutra Manuscript c. 1375–1400. Example of early form of full sleeve choli.
File:Vasant Rangini, Detail 15th century.jpg, Detail of Vasant Ragini, Rajastani painting 1500s showing early form of choli tied at the back.
File:Krishna_defeats_Trinavarta.jpg, Bhagavata Purana manuscript c. 1525–40
File:Bhairavi Ragini, Manley Ragamala, an album painting in gouache on paper.jpg, Bhairavi Ragini, Manley Ragamala manuscript c. 1610.
File:Female musicians wedding of Aurangzeb.jpg, Female musicians at Aurangzeb's wedding - Mughal c. 1636.
File:Kangra Painting.jpg, Krishna flirting with the Gopis, to Radhas sorrow - Kangra Painting c. 1760. Full sleeve choli and bodies are worn in Himalayan states of India.
File:Lady being offered wine, Deccan, 1600 AD.jpg, Lady being offered wine, Deccan, 1600 CE.
Historic photographs
File:Ghagra Choli1.jpg, Woman in gagra choli
Image:Tamil Girl.jpg, Tamil girl in choli
File:Tamil Sari.jpg, Tamil women in choli
File:Bengali Sari.jpg, Bengali girl in full sleeve choli (1880)
File:Ceylon India 1880.jpg, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
n woman in choli (1880)
File:Marathi Women.jpg, Marathi woman in choli
File:Krishnacart.jpg, Plaque depicting ancient form of long choli and gagra worn during Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
File:Sindhi lehenga, choli and Sindhi traditional pantaloon shalwar.jpg, Woman in Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
i choli 1845
Changing times
Traditionally, the choli has been made from the same fabric as the sari, with many sari producers adding extra length to their products so that women can cut off the excess fabric at the end of the sari and use it to sew a matching choli. For everyday wear,
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
-based materials and silk cotton are widely considered the most comfortable.
Chiffon and
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...
are best suited for formal occasions.
The ideal fabric for cholis in the summer is chiffon and
georgette
Georgette is a feminine given name, the French form of (''Geōrgia''), the feminine form of George.
Georgette may refer to:
People
* Georgette Barry (1919–2003), stage name Andrea King, American actress
* Georgette Bauerdorf (1924–1944), Am ...
.
Designers have experimented with the choli, influencing pop-culture fashion in the Indian subcontinent, with adventurous tailoring and innovative necklines, such as
halter,
tubes,
backless or
stringed.
Anupama Raj, a designer and boutique owner, commented that "there is a very real need to re-invent the choli so that it can be worn with a variety of outfits. Just as we see the choli to be a deconstructed form of the blouse, we need to deconstruct the choli." Bobby Malik, an exporter-turned-designer commented "the choli is the most sensuous of all garments created for women. It not only flatters the feminine form, but also brings out the romanticism in a woman. But where Indian designers have failed is at giving it an international look and making it still more beautiful."
Recent styles
File:Sherlyn Chopra at Playboy press meet 05.jpg,
File:Priyanka Pripri photograph.jpg
File:AmeeshaPatel04.jpg
File:IndianModel.jpg
File:Sofia hayat arjun.jpg
File:Kajol at Shantanu-Nikhil's store launch (42).jpg
File:Woman wearing sari (31000048043).jpg
File:Koppikar.jpg
See also
*
Blouse
A blouse (blau̇s, 'blau̇z, ) is a loose-fitting upper garment that was worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter ...
*
Bralette
*
Sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
*
Gagra choli
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choli
Indian clothing
Pakistani clothing
Embroidery
Needlework
Saris
Tops (clothing)
Kerala clothing
Embroidery in India
Sri Lankan clothing