indian customs

jennifericous

hi,
I'm just wondering about a few indian traditions.
ok.
you know the right hand left hand thing? how little should you use your left hand? i mean for instance if your in a shop and you want to pick something up too look at it..can you hold it in both hands. or should you just act as if you dont have a left hand?
also, what do you think would be an indian reaction to a white woman wearing a bindi and indian dress and that sort of thing?
Jenn xx

traceyam

I love bindi! I always wear bindi and salwar kameez when I'm in India and I'm as white as they come. I haven't heard any complaints. I frequently get compliments about them. I think as long as you're comfortable in them and not wearing them as if they're some sort of "costume," they're terrific. I can't think of anything better suited to travelling than salwar kameez - IMO there's nothing more comfortable - and I've always been treated significantly better when wearing SK than when wearing Western clothes in India.

__________________
"Don't you sometimes wish the arctic was strawberry flavoured?" -- Thermoman

jennifericous

what are salwar kameez?
what other types of indian dress are there. i mean what are my options?
thanks
Jenn xx

traceyam

Here are many examples of salwar kameez. It is basically a long tunic with side slits and a long scarf over baggy pants, but as you can see on that web site there are many variations. When selecting an outfit, especially for a white woman travelling in India, you're better off erring on the conservative side: choose a loose fit and cover your shoulders and legs. The top should have a modest neckline and should come down over your hips. Don't forget your dupatta (scarf), and don't try to combine Western clothing with Indian, for example, a kameez with jeans and a baseball cap on backwards - that looks extremely idiotic (I saw an American dressed that way in Kerala, ugh).

Your other option is of course saris. Few garments are as feminine and elegant. However, you should have an Indian woman show you how to fold and drape it correctly and spend some time wearing it inside before venturing out in public. It looks simple but it's not easy to master if you haven't been brought up wearing one. It requires you to move and hold yourself differently than we're used to, and that's just a lot of fabric for a Western woman to carry naturally without some practce.

dzibead

I second traceyam on the salwar kameez. That's the pants and tunic/dress outfit that used to be mostly seen in North India but is now widely popular. If you haven't seen Monsoon Wedding, rent it & check out the clothing: the women who aren't wearing saris are wearing salwar kameez. Sometimes the outfit is referred to as a Punjabi suit.

Nothing could be more comfortable! The pants are very baggy at the top and have a drawstring waist, but the lower legs can be looser or tighter as a matter of fashion/style/personal preference. The top usually comes below the knee but you sometimes see very trendy, dressy versions that are shorter, but they don't look as comfortable to me, and they sort of defeat the purpose of "blending in," I think.

I'm also unmistakeably white and Northern European looking, and no one has ever looked at me oddly for wearing the SK, and even though I'm obviosly not an Indian, I've definitely been treated less like a tourist when wearing SK. Like traceyam, I've also been complimented even by teenagers and twenty-somethings , and I haven't been complimented on my clothes in the U.S. by anyone in that age group since ... er ... well ... since forever.

You can get readymade SK when you arrive, or have some run up for you if you're going to be in one place long enough (it doesn't take the tailors long - they're amazing). If there's no Indian community near you (Ireland??) where you could buy SK outfits, you can get them on-line before you go - I've bought salwar kameez on eBay! You could also improvise by wearing regular pants and have long tunics made, or you could make them yourself if you know how to sew.

Oops! I see traceyam has explained all in her last post.

SHIMLA

Don't worry about the use of your left hand/ right hand. Be natural.

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

jennifericous

thanks guys,
around how much should you pay for an SK? do you think i could pick a couple up in bombay or Goa at the beginning of my trip.
i dont plan on bringing any clothes with me. all my clothes i think would be seen as very revealling. (they're not, but i usually wear jeans and t shirts-not really suitable for india)
what fabrics do they come in? are they easy to find in shops?
thanks again
Jenn xx

jennifericous

also, those saris are beautiful. but i notice that you can actually see lots of skin (arms i mean) is that ok when wearing a sari? because most guides and things say to cover your arms. but is this not necessary when wearing traditional indian dress?

doccardshark

most indian women (and a lot of men too), wear salwaar - kameez
salwar is the bottom half (pants), and kameez is the long shirt.
there are a lot of types available and can be simple common sense affairs , or right upto trendy , expensive page 3 stuff.
in summer light cotton ones are yr best bet as they tend to b very light and breezy affairs, available in pastels/ whites etc.
Definitely make it a point to purchase them here in India, they wld be very reasonably priced...
logically i wld assume that u would come in via Mumbai...
just ask yr concierge and he wld guide u easily to the nearest outlet, u r sure to be fascinated by the range and comfort offered.
if u tell me specifically which area u wld b stayg in then cld easily advice , since travelling in Mumbai is a killer , and its even more unbearable in summer.
Goa, ofcourse most ladies end up wearing sarongs and a light top, not an issue there at all.
the hands custom isnt really important at all... be comfortable. u will find people bendg over backwards tryg to help u and put u at ease.
Probably while handg over money, u may want to use yr right hand, and same too while eating....., and similarly when handing over a plate of food( as in a shared bowl), u may want to use your left hand.
any furthur queries, pleASE DO ASK
LOVE TO b of help
Tejas

traceyam

You don't have to cover your arms for modesty, just your shoulders (i.e., short sleeves are okay). Keep the sun in mind, though - long sleeves protect you better and sunscreen isn't always widely available in India (I always take sunblock 45 with me).

SK come in many different fabrics. You will probably be most comfortable in cotton. If you shop for a SK, don't tell the shop owner you want cotton - he'll simply tell you every SK you look at is cotton. Ask what kind of fabric each one is without indicating a preference. Generally speaking, the more embroidery an SK has, the more expensive it will be. I bought fabric with light embroidery and had SK sewed for a total of around Rs500-600 in Delhi. If you have an SK tailored, buy fabric in a fabric shop (the fabric is sold as set: kameez, salwar, and dupatta) then take it to a tailor who will measure you and have the SK ready in a day or two, possibly longer if there's a holiday coming up. Readymade ones you can just walk in and buy in a shop (check the dressing room for peepholes).

You can buy readymade anywhere in Bombay or Goa. You can also buy one or two online before you leave for India, that way you'll have something non-Western to wear while you're shopping. The only reason I get SK tailored is because I'm tall (6 foot) and apparently have much broader shoulders than most Indian women, off the rack clothing doesn't fit me.

jennifericous

thanks guys, for all your help.
i really think that SK's are just beautiful. i usually wear a similar thing here, a long tunic a belt and a pair of jeans. but im going to buy a few nice ones in india. i dont think i could be bothered buying fabric and going to a tailor. that seems like an awful lot of work, and i wouldn't even know where to start when buying fabric.
so how much would you expect to pay for a ready made off the rack sk in cotton?
Jenn xx

vinayverma

They (readymade SK) start from Rs.300 (cotton on the street but comfortable in lovely prints) and can go on to Rs 5000 and still counting...

__________________
If Life is a journey....travel on...and on..on..on.....

Jaya

Even if you buy SK, find some tailor to restich it. you can wear T-shirt and jeans too as it is common wear in most of the metros. But not ok in religious places. indian cutoms doesn't approve the skin show but you can still wear short sleeves and sleev less kurtas depends on where you are going.

traceyam

As a caution: of course you will see some Indian women, especially teen and college-aged Indian women, wearing all kinds of clothing, including Western clothing. This doesn't mean it's adviseable for caucasian women travellers to dress that way in India. Those are two entirely different contexts.

ddevadatta

It is always nice when someone is sensitive (be aware of being over sensitive though) to local customs and begins to ask questions. Of course you will never be totally prepared even with sound advice from our esteemed IM friends. There is so much subtle stuff that goes on.

The left hand right hand is more about eating than most other activties. Of course you don't greet a person with yor left hand. Otherwise just use it freely. Yea! don't wave with your left hand. Think of this from a perpective of respect. If the ocassion/issue calls for respect, then avoid left hand at all costs.

You should feel totally free to wear Indian clothing. Others have given reasons, i won't repeat.

Just be jovial, take stuff as it comes, ask questions (even there) than seek for information and answers but not accustaory of condecending. One lady was amazed to find tomatoes in india.

Keep asking and exploring.... and Good luck.

__________________
Ayurvedic cure for an Indian headache