Pagri (turban)

Pagri, sometimes also transliterated as pagari, is the term for turban used in the Indian subcontinent. It specifically refers to a headdress that is worn by men and women, which needs to be manually tied. Other names include ''sapho''.

Cloth

A pagri is usually a long plain unstitched cloth. The length may vary according to the type. The cloth indicates the region and the community of the wearer.

Specific styles

''khirki-dār-pagari''

Methods of binding the pagri are innumerable, and khirki-dar-pagri is one particular style of dressing the turban. Khirki-dar-pagri means the turban with a window. Brocade piece may decorate the turban.

Paag

The paag is a headdress in the Mithila region of Bihar and in Mithila, Nepal.

Pheta

Pheta is the Marathi name for the traditional turban worn in Maharashtra, India. In ceremonies such as weddings, festive and cultural and religious celebrations as well it is common to wear Pheta. In many parts it is customary to offer male dignitaries a traditional welcome by offering a ''Pheta'' to wear. A traditional ''Pheta'' is usually long cloth typically 3.5 to 6 metres long and 1 metre wide. The choice of colour may indicate the occasion for which it is being worn and also may be typical to the place it is being worn in. Typical colours include Saffron (to indicate valour) and White (to indicate peace). In the past, wearing a Pheta was considered a mandatory part of clothing.

There are several styles of Pheta which are specific to regions, for example
* Kolhapuri and Puneri pheta
* Mawali pagadi (traditionally worn by Maratha warriors from the Mawal region of Maharashtra)
* Mahatma Phule pagadi famously worn by the Maharashtrian reformer, the activist from whom it gets the name.

Peta

The ''peta'' is a turban worn in Mysore and Kodagu, it is the traditional indigenous attire worn by the erstwhile Kings of Mysore, called the Wodeyars (1399 to 1947), of the Kingdom of Mysore. Wodeyars wore a richly bejeweled turban made of silk and jari (gold threaded lace) to match with colourful dresses as part of the royal dress.

Administrators under the King, such as the Dewans' (Prime Minister appointed by the King) and other senior officials who swayed considerable power in matters of state administration also donned the Mysore peta.

After India became independent in 1947 and the princely state merged with the Indian union, the traditional Mysore peta has been retained as a symbol of heritage and cultural antecedents and distinguished people are honoured by the award of a Mysore peta with a shawl in formal functions.

Rajasthani pagari

Turbans worn in Rajasthan are referred to as the ''pagari''. They vary in style, colour and size. They also indicate a wearer's social class, caste, region and the occasion it being worn for. Its shape and size may also vary with the climatic conditions of the different regions. Turbans in the hot desert areas are large and loose. Farmers and shepherds, who need constant protection from the elements of nature, wear some of the biggest turbans. The Rajasthani turban also has many practical functions. Exhausted travellers use it as a pillow, a blanket or a towel. It can be used to strain muddy water. An unravelled turban can also be used as a rope to draw water from a well with a bucket.

Prominent styles are ''pencha'', ''sela'' and ''safa'', although several local variants exist. A conventional ''pagari'' is usually 82 inches long and 8 inches wide. A ''Safa'' is shorter and broader. Ordinarily a turban of a single colour is worn. However, turbans of one of more colours may be worn by the elite or during special occasions such as festivals or weddings, etc. Rajasthani turbans are a prominent tourist attraction. Tourists are often encouraged to participate in turban-tying competitions.

Vedic Kshatriya Pagri

Vedic Kshatriyas used a large turban consisting of two cloths, one to tie the turban and one to cover the turban completely. The second cloth used to cover the turban is saffron. This sheath contains ''kshātra-shaktī'' (Energy of a warrior) and ''dnyān-shaktī''. The turban acts like a crown on the head. A protective sheath is created around the head because of the turban. Therefore, the individual does not imbibe negative vibrations from the environment. The turban reduces the extent of distressing covering around individual’s intellect, and creates a ''bhāv'' of renunciation in the individual. This tradition died out when the pure Kshatriya society was slowly drawn away from its culture and went into standing armies.

Peshawari pagri

Peshawari pagri has been traditionally worn in Peshawar. It includes a cap called ''kulla'' and the cloth wrapped around it called ''lungi''.

Association with figure of speech

A pagri is a symbol of honour and respect in all the regions where it is a practice to wear one. Its association with honour also lends its use in a figure of speech in associated languages. The figure of speech ''pagri uchaalna'' in Hindi (literal translation: to toss the turban) implies causing the loss of honour.

Recognition of communities

Different communities in Rajasthan are recognized by the colours and patterns on their pagris. The Kevat community wears only red Bandhani turban at all occasions. Jat community in Narwa village wears a bright yellow turban.

Pagri in Ancient India: from major museums

File:Jetvan bharhut.JPG, Bharhut, donation of Anathapindika, Shunga period
File:Gandhara,grande partenza di buddha, 100-300.JPG, The Great Departure of Buddha, Victoria and Albert Museum
File:Male head, northern India, Kushan or Gupta period, 5th-6th century CE, terracotta, HAA.JPG, Proto-Pagri, Kushan-Gupta period, 5th-6th century CE, terracotta, Honolulu Academy of Arts
File:Gandhara, testa di bodhisattva da hadda, IV-V secolo dc..JPG, Hadda
File:Gandhara, testa di bodhisattva, periodo kushan, 150-300.JPG, Victoria and Albert Museum
File:Stucco Gandhara figure 02.jpg, Victoria and Albert Museum
File:Arte del gandhara, bodhisattva pensoso, III sec.JPG, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
File:Bodhisattva Maitreya, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century AD, schist with pigment and gold - Arthur M. Sackler Gallery - DSC06052.JPG, Bodhisattva Maitreya, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
File:Bodhisattva Gandhara Guimet 181173.jpg, Guimet
File:Pakistani - Head of a Bodhisattva or Donor Prince - Walters 2597.jpg, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

See also

* Gandhi cap
* Puneri Pagadi
* Rasam Pagri
* Sehra (headdress)
* Turban

References

{{clothing

Turbans
Pakistani headgear
Indian headgear
Bangladeshi clothing
Chinese clothing
Desi culture
Rajasthani clothing