Punjabi Kurta and Tamba are traditional costume for men of Punjab.
Punjabi Tamba
Tamba/Tehmed/Lungi
The tamba, which is also called tehmedDevelopment: A Saga of Two Worlds: Vismambhor Nath 2002 (Ashok Mukar Mittal Publishers)Lahore: A Sentimental Journey Pran Neville Penguin Books is the Punjabi version of the lungi which has folds at the front and is the traditional dress for Punjabi men. The tamba is worn by Bhangra dancers. Although the use of the Punjabi tehmed in East Punjab has declined in recent years, being replaced by the pyjama, men can be seen wearing the tehmed and its use has not completely stopped.Harkesh Singh Kehal (2009) Alop Ho Reha Punjabi Virsa.Lokgeet Parkashan. The tamba or the lungi can also be seen on Punjabi men in Punjab provinceMalik, Iftikhar Haider (2006) Culture and Customs of PakistanWest Pakistan. Public Relations Department(1961) West Pakistan Year Book and adjoining Hazara region of Pakistan.Aziz, Khursheed Kamal (1993) The murder of history: a critique of history textbooks used in Pakistan A tehmed is of one colour and has no border. The tehmed or laacha can be long reaching to the heels. It can also be short to just below the knees.Punjab District Gazetteers - Ferozepur Year Published 1915
Laacha A laacha differs from the tehmed in that it has a border and is variegated so that it has more than one colour.Punjab District Gazetteers - Gujranwala District Year Published 1935 The laacha is popular in West Punjab.Malik, Iftikhar Haider (2006) Culture and Customs of Pakistan The laacha is worn in a similar manner to the tehmed except it has more folds. Women in some parts of Punjab wear the tehmed and the laacha, especially the districts of Gujarat, Gujranwala, Shahpur and Muzzafargarh.Saini, B.S. (1975) The Social & Economic History of the Punjab, 1901-1939, Including Haryana & Himachal Pradesh
Punjabi Kurta The Punjabi kurtaPanjab University Research Bulletin: Arts, Volume 13, Issue 1 - Volume 14, Issue 1 (1982) is made of two rectangular pieces with side slits, and a front openingPopulation Census of Pakistan, 1961: Dacca. 2.Chittagong. 3.Sylhet. 4.Rajshahi. 5.Khulna. 6.Rangpur. 7.Mymensingh. 8.Comilla. 9.Bakerganj. 10.Noakhali. 11.Bogra. 12.Dinajpur. 13.Jessore. 14.Pabna. 15.Kushtia. 16.Faridpur. 17.Chittagong Hill tracts below the neck. In the past, it was traditional for men to wear a gold or silver chain (zanjiri) woven around the buttons.Kehal, Harkesh Singh (2011) Alop ho riha Punjabi virsa bhag dooja. Lokgeet Parkashan.
This form of kurta gradually began to replace the older angarkha worn in the Punjab region which fell to the knees,Smith, Ronald Vivian (2008) Capital Vignettes: A Peep Into Delhi's Ethos opened to either the left or the right,Haryana Gazeteer 1892 and was sometimes known as the anga, the older form of the angarkha and is similar to a gownRajaram Narayan Saletore (1974) Sex Life Under Indian RulersPanjab University Research Bulletin: Arts, Volume 13, Issue 1 - Volume 14, Issue 1 (1982) or a loose coat and wadded with cotton.Punjab District Gazetteers - District Attock Year Published 1930 BK-000211-0160 By the 1960s the Punjabi kurta had almost replaced the angarkha but it was still popular in present-day Haryana.Mohinder Singh Randhawa.(1960) Punjab: Itihas, Kala, Sahit, te Sabiachar aad.Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab, Patiala.
The Punjabi form of kurta is popular throughout the sub-continent. It is for this reason that, in Bhojpur, Mithila, West Bengal and Bangladesh the kurta is known as 'Panjabi' as the kurta is associated with the PunjabFraser, Bashabi (2008) Bengal Partition Stories: An Unclosed Chapter and considered an article of Punjabi dress.Arabinda Biswas, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division (1985) Indian Costumes The Punjabi kurta was introduced to Assam by King Garib Niwaj of Manipur during his reign sometime between 1709 A.D. and 1749 Sen, Sirpa ( 1992) Tribes and Castes of Manipur: Description and Select Bibliography A.D. where it is also known as Panjabi.Narendra S. Bisht, T. S. Bankoti (2004) Encyclopaedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes: A-D It is also worn in Uttar PradeshKumar Suresh Singh (2005) People of India: Uttar Pradesh (3 pts.) and since the 1960s has been replacing the traditional saluka (short shirt) worn in Madhya Pradesh.Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Raisen (1965)
History The term kurta is a generic term to cover different types of upper garments worn by men. Kurta refers to the upper garments worn in South Asia inspired from garments worn by Central Asian Turks who spread their use beyond their region, reaching the Indian sub-continent.Rahman, Abdur (2002) India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia
The traditional male attire for men in India consisted of the dhoti and an unstitchedTarlo, Emma (1996) Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India cloth draped around the shoulders extended to cover the upper body.Vaidya, Chintaman Vinayak (2001) Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana Punjab District Gazetteers: Ibbetson series, 1883-1884 (pub 1883)Punjab District Gazetteers - District Attock Year Published 1930 BK-000211-0160
However, men in North India especially Rajasthan and the Punjab regionCohn, Bernard S. (1996) Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge: The British in India wore the jama of the Rajput type, the chola (robe)Proceedings - Punjab History Conference (2006) (which in the Punjab region remained popular in some parts as recent as the 1980s),Survey Report on Village: Chandigarh. Kaimbwala (1988) https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PHIkAQAAMAAJ&q=chola+gown+sikh&dq=chola+gown+sikh&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwCGoVChMI0_-WwNjqxgIVYSrbCh0pfwkn the Mughal jama and the angarkha as upper garments, which eventually led to different versions of the kurta being developed, such as the Punjabi angarkha, Punjabi kurta, the Gujarati angarkha and the Rajasthani angarkha, also termed ‘kurta’.S. And Sahgal, Malik Gettingahead In Social Studies:, Book 3 A non region specific angarkha is also worn in various areas such as in Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Punjabi kurta also draws inspiration from the Mughal kurta,Impact Of Hindu Culture On Muslims Mohsen Saeidi MadaniMohsen Saeidi Madani (1993) Impact Of Hindu Culture On Muslims which was in common use in the region.Thesis by Renu Bala http://www.apnaorg.com/research-papers-pdf/thesis-8.pdf However, The Mughal kurta was much looser than the Punjabi kurta, had no side slits and the upper part of the Mughal kurta was also very loose.
The other inspiration for the Punjabi kurta is the Punjabi angarkha which was called the old kurta in the early 20th century A.D.Punjab District Gazetteers, Volume 4, Part 1 Gurgaon 1911 and is a loose tunicPunjab District Gazetteers: Ibbetson series, 1883-1884]. which falls to below the knees.Punjab gazetteers, 1883, bound in 10 vols., without title-leaves (1883)
During the 11th century C.E., AL Biruni notedGhurye, Govind Sadashiv (1966) Indian Costume women in north India wore the kurtaka which was a short shirt, with sleeves extending to the shoulders, to the middle of the body, and had slashes on the left and the right sides.Yadava, Ganga Prasad (1982) Dhanapāla and His Times: A Socio-cultural Study Based Upon His Works Thiis similar to the modern Punjabi kurta worn by womenSharma, Brij Narain (1966) Social life in Northern India, A.D. 600-1000 and men which has side slits rather than slashes. The use of shirts and trousers was earlier observed in the Punjab region in the 7th century by Hsuan Tsang and I-Tsing.Abraham Eraly (2011) The First Spring: The Golden Age of India
In modern usage, a short kurta is referred to as the kurti. However, traditionally, the kurti is a short cotton coatPunjab District Gazetteers: Rawalpindi District (v. 28A) (1909)Compiled and published under the authority of the Punjab government, (1939) Punjab District and State Gazetteers: Part A (without side slits) and is believed to have descended from the tunic of the Shunga period (2nd century B.C.).Panjab University Research Bulletin: Arts, Volume 13, Issue 1 - Volume 14, Issue (1982) The kurti is front opening and is buttoned. Traditionally, a chain of gold or silver called zanjiri is woven into the buttons.Kehal, Harkesh Singh (2011) Alop ho riha Punjabi virsa bhag dooja. Lokgeet Parkashan. The use of the kurti by women has been noted during the 1600sDr Daljit Singh (2004) Punjab Socio-Economic Condition (1501-1700 A.D.)Sanjeev Prasad Srivastava, R. P. Srivastava (2001) Studies in Panjab Sculpture to the present day. The kurti can be front opening from below the neck to the waist, or cover the back but leave the stomach exposed. Some styles fasten at the back or are worn as pullovers with no side slits and font opening.
The kurti also forms part of male dress as a waist coat worn over the kurta.Sir George Casson Walker (2006) Gazetteer of the Lahore District, 1893-94
Before the use of the kurta, people in Jammu traditionally wore the peshwajTextiles, Costumes and Ornaments of the Western Himalayas O Handa which flowed to the ankles. However, the traditional attire now is the kurta and Dogri pajamma. The use of the kurta was very rare in Kashmir until Kashyap Bandhu encouraged its use in the 1930s cultural revolution.Cultural Heritage of India- Kashmiri Pandit Contribution. The Publication of Kashmir Sabha, Calcutta (1999-2000)
Muktsari Kurta Pajama
The Muktsari kurta pajama is the modern Punjabi version of the traditional kurta pajama outfit which is very popular on the sub-continent. Puneevnft Pal Singh Gill Article The Tribune 04 01 2012
Muktsari kurta pajamas were initially worn by youngsters in the Muktsar area. However, they are now popular all over Punjab. The Muktsari kurtas are snug with lapels on either side and the pyjamas are similar to well-fitted slim pants. Puneet Pal Singh Gill Article The Tribune 04 01 2012 The kurta length is short and there's no pleating anywhere. Puneet Pal Singh Gill Article The Tribune 04 01 2012
See also Kurta
References