The ''lehenga'', ''lehnga'' or ''langa'' (also known as a ''ghagra'' or ''gagra'', ''chaniya'', ''pavadai'', or ''lacha'') is a form of ankle-length
skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
from the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
. Different patterns and styles of traditional embroidery are used to decorate the ''aiushi mazumder''. ''
Gota patti'' embroidery is often used for festivals and weddings. The ''lehenga'' is sometimes worn as the lower portion of a ''
gagra choli
Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, P ...
'' or ''
langa voni
A langa voni (also called "''pavadai daavani''" in Tamil or "''langa daavani''" in Kannada) is a traditional dress worn in South India by girls between puberty and marriage. It is also known as the ''two-piece sari'' or ''half sari''. Girls youn ...
''. ''Ghagra'' in
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
(also ''Ghagro'' in
Konknni
Konkani () is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Konkani people, primarily in the Konkan region, along the western coast of India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages mentioned in the Indian Constitution, and the official language of ...
), was also used to refer to the
half slip
A slip is a woman's undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt. A full slip hangs from the shoulders, usually by means of narrow straps, and extends from the breast to the fashionable skirt length. A half slip (or ''waist slip'') hangs from the ...
or
petticoat
A petticoat or underskirt is an article of clothing, a type of undergarment worn under a skirt or a dress. Its precise meaning varies over centuries and between countries.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', in current British En ...
, a skirt worn as an undergarment below the
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...
.
Variations
Ghagri
The ''ghagri'' is a six-foot-long narrow skirt, the same length as the original ''antariya''. This style of ''lehenga'' is still used today, and is worn by
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
nuns in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
A-line
The A-line ''lehenga'' has an A-line skirt and hem and is named for its shape, which resembles the capital letter "A." The skirt is tighter at the waist and flares out at the bottom.
File:Priyanka on the ramp for Mijwan fashion show.jpg, Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (; ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant, Chopra is one of India's highest-paid actresses and has received numerous accolades, including two National Film Awar ...
in an A-line ''lehenga''
File:Shamita Shetty walks for Manish Malhotra & Shaina NC's show for CPAA 05.jpg, Shamita Shetty
Shamita Shetty (born 2 February 1979) is an Indian Bollywood actress, model and interior designer. She made her Hindi film debut in the musical romance film ''Mohabbatein'' (2000), which earned her the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – ...
in an A-line ''lehenga''
File:Celebrities at Manish Malhotra - Lilavati Save & Empower Girl Child show (12).jpg, Krishika Lulla
Krishika Lulla is an Indian film producer. She made her foray into producing films with 2010s romantic film '' Anjaana Anjaani'', a co-production with Sajid Nadiadwala, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. In December 2010, India's firs ...
in an A-line ''lehenga'' at Manish Malhotra's fashion walk
File:Sameera Reddy walks the ramp for Neeta and Nishka Lulla at the Lakme Fashion Week 2009 (14).jpg, Sameera Reddy
Sameera Reddy (born 14 December 1978) is a former Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi films, in addition to Tamil and Telugu language films. Reddy made her film debut with the 2002 film ''Maine Dil Tujhko Diya''. She is best known for ...
in an A-line ''lehenga''
File:Shraddha Kapoor walks the ramp for Anmol Jewellers at IIJW 2011 (6).jpg, Shraddha Kapoor
Shraddha Kapoor (born 3 March 1987 or 1989[Kriti Sanon
Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu-language films. After pursuing a degree in engineering from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, she briefly worked as a fashion model. Sanon began ...](_blank)
in an A-line ''lehenga''
Flared
A flared or circular ''lehenga'' has a round skirt which can be pleated or layered for volume.
Double-flared
A double-flared ''lehenga'' is a type of multi-layered can-can skirt with a dramatic flare and extra volume.
Mermaid
A mermaid ''lehenga'', also known as a fishtail or trumpet, resembles the tail of a fish. This style is fitted from the waist to the knees, then flares over the calves.
Paneled
A paneled ''lehenga'' has several horizontal panels of fabric stitched together to create a flare, resulting in a fuller skirt. The horizontal panels can be of the same or varying sizes and shapes.
File:Anjali Lavania.jpg, Anjali Lavania in a paneled ''lehenga''
File:Shraddha Kapoor at Bappa Lahiri Wedding Reception.jpg, Shraddha Kapoor
Shraddha Kapoor (born 3 March 1987 or 1989[Sonal Chauhan
Sonal Chauhan (born 16 May 1987) is an Indian actress, singer and model who predominantly works in Telugu and Hindi language films.
She made her acting debut with Hindi film '' Jannat'' and her Telugu film debut with ''Rainbow'', both in 200 ...](_blank)
in a paneled ''lehenga'' with Shantanu Goenka at Lakme Fashion Week
Lakmé Fashion Week is a bi-annual fashion week which takes place in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Its ''Summer-Resort'' show takes place in April while the ''Winter-Festive'' show takes place in August.
History
The event first took place in 19 ...
File:Celebrities at Manish Malhotra - Lilavati Save & Empower Girl Child show (39).jpg
Sharara
A sharara ''lehenga'' is also known as a ''pavadai'', ''langa davani'', ''langa voni'', or half ''saree''. It features large, voluminous pants called ''
palazzos''. In
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
it is part of the ''
langa voni
A langa voni (also called "''pavadai daavani''" in Tamil or "''langa daavani''" in Kannada) is a traditional dress worn in South India by girls between puberty and marriage. It is also known as the ''two-piece sari'' or ''half sari''. Girls youn ...
''. It is typically worn in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
with a ''
dupatta
The dupattā is a Hindu shawl traditionally worn by women in Indian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders. The dupatta is currently used most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit, and worn over the kurta and the gharara.
...
'' wrapped around the waist and draped across the shoulder like a ''
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std= ...
''.
File:Pooja Hegde celebrates Dhanteras in a cinnamon coloured sharara.jpg, Pooja Hegde
Pooja Hegde (; born 13 October 1990) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Telugu films, in addition to Hindi and Tamil films. She began her career as a model and was crowned as the second runner-up at the 2010 I Am She–Miss Univ ...
in a ''sharara''
File:Raima Sen still40.jpg, Raima Sen
Raima Sen (born Raima Dev Varma on 7 November 1979) is an Indian actress who is known for her work in the Hindi and Bengali films.
Early life
Raima Sen was born on 7 November 1979 in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Moon Moon Sen and Bharat Dev Varma ...
in a ''sharara''
File:Shriya Saran bridal week 2010.png, Shriya Saran
Shriya Saran Bhatnagar (; born 11 September 1982) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi-language films. Although Saran aspired to become a well-known dancer, she became an actress with her film debut in 2001 ...
in a half ''saree'' ''lehenga''
Straight
A straight ''lehenga'' has a straight silhouette without any pleats or layers, sometimes with a side slit for easy movement. This style is worn on special occasions.
Trail
A trail ''lehenga'' has an extra portion of fabric attached to the back of the skirt to create a train.
References
{{Clothing in South Asia
History of Asian clothing
Indian clothing
Islamic female clothing
Indian wedding clothing
Women's clothing