Ashok Sharma
Dogras are famous for their rich cultural history. They have their own beliefs, dances, folklores, customs, ceremonies etc. and they celebrate their lives in their own way.One of the integral part of the Duggar Culture is the rich, immaculate and varied dresses of the Dogras.They wear dresses according to the weather conditions prevailing in the Duggar region.
They wear beautiful and varied dresses differently in summer and winter and at home and on the eve of festive occassions.The Dogras have been predominently sturdy and hard working people, who grow crops, rear cattle, sheep and goat and do other such things to earn their livelihood, though many of them are now in government service.While doing work at home and in fields, they wear loose pyjamas which are bound with the help of cords.They would also wear another version of the pyjamas which are less loose on the top though many of them have now switched over to loose half pants or lowers.But while going outside to attend various functions, fairs and meetings,the Dogras used to wear long shirt or kurta and pyjamas which used to be loose at the top and tight at the ankles having many folds or pleats.It was called ghuttana and it was considered a fashion, especially for the elderly men to swing the cord (used to bind the pyjama) called naarrah, generally having red colour.They would sew a patch of some fast colour on the spotless white ghuttana to give it a beautiful look just as youngster these days prefer wearing jeans, which seem to have been torn at some places.Sometimes, it was also called the churidar pyjama and was worn by the Dogra kings. On the eve of some function or to attend a meeting convened by the Numberdar, sarpanch, revenue officials, zaildars etc, the proud Dogra elders would wear ghuttana and long kurta, overcoat/baskat tie a turban called safa, which had socio-religious significance.The cloth of the turban was usually of considerable length and it was starched to give it a hard look donning this attire, the proud Dogras would either ride a horse or walk gracefully to attend a meeting or go to bazar or fair but ghuttanas have now altogether vanished except the warm ghuttanas worn by shepherds called Gaddis who migrate, alongwith the herd of their goats and sheep to the plains and return to the mountain pastures in summer. Dogras would also wear long any usually embroidered long kurta called achkans and tight fitting pyjamas called churidar pyjama at the time of marriage. Wearing an ‘achkan’, a leather jutti and carrying sword, the bridegroom would appear to be warrior like a king.In order to protect themselves from cold weather in winter, the Dogras, a good number of whom live in mountainous regions having extreme cold weather conditions,would wear woolen coats/baskats made of wool of sheep and usually handwoven and hand sewn to beat the biting cold of the winter.Some people, especially living in plains, would also carry a towel on their shoulders or tie a ‘parna’ on their heads. The elderly Pandits would usually wear Dhoti at the time of worship or during the conduct of marriage or other rites.The people living in mountains and the nomads would always carry woolen blankets, especially in winters,which are skillfully woven.The rich people have now replaced these blankets by costly shawls.
So far the dress worn by the Dogra women is concerned,they would invariably cover their heads with long chunis or dupatras due to socio religious reasons.Some of them would cover their heads and faces by their long veils when they found themselves sitting in front of their elderly male relatives from the inlaw side, such as father in law, elder brother in laws and the elderly cousins of their husbands.
They would wear ‘giddi’ or ‘peti coat’ to cook and serve food to the family and wear the routine dress only after cooking and serving food to all the members of the family.The richer women would also take pashmina shawls which are famous for their superb quality .They usually wore salwar kameez while working at home or in the fields doing farming activities such as removing weeds/reaping crops.They used to knit woolen sweaters for themselves and other members of the family and share various designs of sweaters, caps, gloves etc.among themselves.But while going outside, their attire used to be long kurta and tight fitting pyjamas loose on the upper side and tight at the ankles with a large no of pleats and folds, called suthan.Sometimes, they would also wear salwar kameez to attend the functions.Modern women too wear suthans but these suthans are different from the suthans worn in the times gone by in that these have no pleats or folds and thus, less cloth is used in the modern suthan than in the old ones.Then there used to be colourful odnis worn at the time of marriage, which have now vanished almost altogether.They find mention in the Dogri songs such as ‘Odni rangi de lalaria’.The elderly women used to wear suthan all the time to cover their fragile legs.The Gujjar women usually wear long kurtas and loose baggy salwars.In winter, the Dogra women would always be seen knitting sweaters of various hues, which were greatly valued.The women would teach/learn as to how to knit various designs in sweaters and knit sweaters for their relatives and members of their family.
Now these items of Dogra dress are fast vanishing and people both in cities and villages are switching over to the sarees or western dresses such as jeans, tops,T -shirts, sweaters/pullovers (branded and nonbranded) having hoods, blazers, readymade coats, track suits etc.Similarly, as a result of improvement in economic condition, social change and flow of money,there have been sea changes in the attire of Dogra women.We often find girls and even married women both in rural and urban areas wearing jeans, tops, loose pyjamas etc.Hardly do we find a Dogra man wearing ghuttanas and safas/pagris (simple or turrewala), except on religious and social occassions such as marriages.The Dogra turban or pagri has vanished so much from the scene that whenever there is need to wear a turban or safa, somebody,especially an elder has to be called to assist in tying the safa.
There is need to preserve and promote the Dogra dress which is an important part of our rich culture.It can be done by organising exhibitions of the dress items/ jewellery of Dogra kings, Dogra Generals, Dogra leaders and other prominent people thus, exposing the modern generation to the dresses worn by Dogra kings and other people in the times gone by.We also ought to promote Dogra dress , Dogri music, Dogra jewellery and Dogra dance on festive occassions such as Mundans, marriages, Sutras etc. and on national days.Parents should also advise their children to don Dogra dress on special days.Fancy dress competitions based on the Dogra dress should also be organised in schools, colleges and universities.Surprisingly,on the eve of National Days’ Celebrations and other occassions including ‘Display your Talent’ competitions, the cultural items based on Dogra culture are applauded by one and all and the artists lavishly appreciated and rewarded but when it comes to promote the dress, jewellery, songs, dances of the Dogras at religious and social functions in their own homes , nobody comes forward . If Dogras donot take steps to preserve and promote their own culture, who else will.So, unless,steps are taken to preserve our culture and heritage,it will vanish for ever and we will not be left with anything in the name of Dogra cultural heritage to bequeth to the positerity.
(The writer is serving as lecturer in English in Govt.Hr.Sec.School(Boys) Udhampur.)
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