Pagri (turban)
Encyclopedia
Pagri or Pagadi is the term for a turban
within India
and Pakistan
. It specifically refers to a headdress that is worn by men and needs to be manually tied. In several regional dialects it is often shortened to Pag (पग).
A Dastar is a Pagri worn by Sikhs. It is mandatory for all Khalsas, i.e., Amritdhari (baptized) Sikhs, to wear one. Styles may vary between different Sikh orders and regions. A Sikh turban plays an important part of the unique Sikh identity. It is worn to cover the long, uncut hair (termed kesh
) one of the five outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh
as a means to profess the Khalsa Sikh faith.
name for the traditional Pagri worn in Maharashtra
. It is traditionally worn during important events, ceremonies such as marriage
, etc. In some parts it is customary to offer male dignitaries a traditional welcome by offering a Pheta to wear.
. It is also used to honour the distinguished in formal ceremonies. In Kodagu, the peta is often worn with the traditional dress during ceremonies like weddings.
Turbans worn in Rajastan 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 feet 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.
in associated languages. The figure of speech pagri uchaalna in Hindi
(literal translation: to toss the turban) implies causing the loss of honour.
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
within India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It specifically refers to a headdress that is worn by men and needs to be manually tied. In several regional dialects it is often shortened to Pag (पग).
The 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 caste of the wearer.Specific styles
There are several styles which are specific to regions, religion, etc. For example- Kolhapuri and PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
ri phetaPheta (turban)Pheta is the Marathi name for the traditional turban worn in Maharashtra, India.It is traditionally worn during important events, ceremonies such as weddings. In some parts it is customary to offer male dignitaries a traditional welcome by offering a Pheta to wear. A traditional Pheta is usually... - Mawali pagadi (traditionally worn by MarathaMarathaThe Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
warriors from the Mawal region of MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
) - Mahatma Phule pagadi famously worn by the Maharashtrian reformer, the activist from whom it gets the name.
Dastar
A Dastar is a Pagri worn by Sikhs. It is mandatory for all Khalsas, i.e., Amritdhari (baptized) Sikhs, to wear one. Styles may vary between different Sikh orders and regions. A Sikh turban plays an important part of the unique Sikh identity. It is worn to cover the long, uncut hair (termed kesh
Kesh (Sikhism)
In Sikhism, Kesh is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith...
) one of the five outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
as a means to profess the Khalsa Sikh faith.
Pheta
Pheta is the MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
name for the traditional Pagri worn in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. It is traditionally worn during important events, ceremonies such as marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, etc. In some parts it is customary to offer male dignitaries a traditional welcome by offering a Pheta to wear.
Mysore Peta
The Mysore Peta is a turban worn in Mysore and KodaguKodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
. It is also used to honour the distinguished in formal ceremonies. In Kodagu, the peta is often worn with the traditional dress during ceremonies like weddings.
Rajastani Pagari
Prominent styles are Pencha, Sela and Safa, although several local variants exist. A conventional Pagari is usually 82 feet 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.
Waiters' turban
In several Indian Coffee Houses and restaurants waiters wear turbans with a fan-like attachment on the side.A symbol of honour
A Pagri is a symbol of honour and respect in all the regions where it is a practice to wear one.Association with figure of speech
A Pagri's association with honour also lends its use in a figure of speechFigure of speech
A figure of speech is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it, as in idiom, metaphor, simile,...
in associated languages. The figure of speech pagri uchaalna in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
(literal translation: to toss the turban) implies causing the loss of honour.
External links
- Rate My Turban - Pagri Rating Website
- Turban izer - Pagri Visualization Tool