Sikh wear

Phulkari and bagh

Phulkari means flower work, and is a form of embroidery in which silk floss is stitched on coarse cotton cloth, usually a shawl or dupatta, in bright geometric patterns. A bagh, meaning garden, is a more densely worked form in which the whole cloth is covered. Mothers and grandmothers traditionally embroidered phulkari for daughters, and a bride's trousseau often included several. The cloth is associated with Punjab, and with Sikh and Hindu families on both sides of the border. Today phulkari is also stitched onto sarees, dupattas and suits, and is sold widely.

Bridal and festive wear

In the Punjabi bridal tradition, the bride wears red or another bright colour, often a suit or lehenga, with a phulkari or a heavily worked dupatta. Sarees are also worn by some brides and by many women at receptions and festivals. Women wear colour for Vaisakhi, Lohri and the gurpurab days, and many choose bright silks, bandhani or phulkari sarees. The Anand Karaj, the Sikh wedding, is held in the gurdwara before the Guru Granth Sahib, and families usually dress modestly, with heads covered, in colours that are bright but not revealing.

Dress at the gurdwara

Both men and women cover their heads in the gurdwara, and shoes are removed at the entrance. Women commonly wear a saree, a salwar kameez or another modest dress, with a chunni or dupatta over the head. Bright colours are welcome, and in the gurdwara there is no rule that restricts the colours that are worn, though visitors tend to dress modestly. Many Sikh women wear white or pale colours when attending a funeral. A dupatta or scarf is usually kept in the bag for visits to the gurdwara.

Customs and etiquette

If you visit a gurdwara, cover your head, remove your shoes, wash your hands and feet and wear modest clothes. Do not bring tobacco or alcohol. A saree is acceptable if worn modestly, and the pallu may be drawn over the head. Sikh dress is not a single costume: practice differs by region, family and the individual, and not all Sikh women wear the same clothes. If you are invited to an Anand Karaj, ask the family about the dress, and avoid black or white unless you know that the family does not mind.

Worth knowing

• Phulkari: The flower embroidery of Punjab.
• Bagh: A garden-like phulkari, fully covered in stitches.
• Anand Karaj: The Sikh wedding ceremony.
• Chunni: The long scarf worn over the head in the gurdwara.
• Vaisakhi: The spring festival, celebrated in bright clothes.

Good to know

• Dry clean phulkari or wash by hand in cold water with mild soap.
• Dry in shade and iron on the reverse, so the floss does not flatten.
• Keep a chunni in your bag for visits to the gurdwara.

Sources and further reading

• Phulkari on Wikipedia
• Anand Karaj, Wikipedia