Community drapes
The Tripuri rignai and risa
The dress of Tripuri women: a wrapped lower cloth, the rignai, with a chest cloth, the risa.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for wearers, makers and the curious.
Tripuri women, of the Kokborok-speaking communities of Tripura, wear a woven wraparound called the rignai, and a cloth for the upper body called the risa. A further cloth, the rikutu, may be worn over the shoulders. The dress is woven at home on a loin loom, in cotton, with bold bands of colour.
Wrapped step by step
Each drawing shows the cloth so far, with the newest step outlined in gold. The figure is a front view; the wearer's left is on your right.
Step 1 Wrap the rignai round the waist. Step 2 Bring the ends together and tuck them at the waist. Step 3 Lay the risa across the chest, over the blouse. Step 4 Tuck or knot the risa so that it stays in place. Step 5 For ceremony, spread the rikutu over the shoulders. Step 6 Straighten the woven bands so that they run level. Finished The Tripuri rignai and risa, seen from the front.
Where it comes from
Tripura has a number of tribal communities, and the Tripuri are the largest. Weaving on the loin loom is the work of women, and the patterns in the cloth are handed from mother to daughter. The rignai is the everyday dress, and a finer version, the rignai with a pattern, is worn in ceremonies. Designs have names and some are linked to particular groups.
How it looks
The rignai is wrapped round the waist and tucked, and falls to the calf or the ankle. The risa covers the chest, and the rikutu is draped over the shoulders for ceremony. Cotton is common, and the colours of white, red, green and yellow are used in bands and woven patterns.
Who wears it and when
Tripuri women wear it at festivals such as Garia and Kharchi, at weddings and for dances. Today women also wear sarees and salwar in daily life, and the traditional dress is worn for celebrations and by dance troupes.
Sarees worn this way
Also part of it, and being written: Rignai (The Tripuri wraparound.).
More on EveryPallu
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryPallu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The drawings are simplified diagrams of the order of wrapping, not a lesson: how a drape is worn differs from family to family. If we have something wrong, tell us.