Mekhela chador

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An exquisite pattern depicting the wildlife in Kaziranga on display a Mekhela chador hand woven in Pat Silk
An exquisite pattern depicting the wildlife in Kaziranga on display a Mekhela chador hand woven in Pat Silk

Mekhela chador (Assamese: মেখেলা চাদৰ) is the traditional Assamese dress worn by women.

There are two main pieces of cloth that are draped around the body. The bottom portion, draped from the waist downwards is called the mekhela (Assamese: মেখেলা). It is in the form of a very wide cylinder that is folded into pleats to fit around the waist and tucked in. The top portion if a long length of cloth that has one end tucked into the upper portion of the Mekhela and the rest draped over and around the rest of the body. Invariably there is a blouse that is worn underneath the top half of the body.

[edit] Construction materials

Traditional Mekhela Chadors are made from the following materials:

Some modern low-budget sets are also made with varying blends of cotton and Muga or Pat silk with synthetic materials.

[edit] See also