By Hemant SharmaNagaland is among the very few states in India that is specifically famous for its tribal population and culture. The culture is celebrated like a festival down there, and from an outsider’s perspective, it is just amazing/stunning to look at. Especially the dress part! It is something that stands out to most people, and today, we’re going to talk about just that. Here, we’ll talk about what the traditional dresses of Nagaland are, and how different tribes style their dresses in different yet unique ways. Here we go.
Common Elements Across Naga Dress
Sure, the tribes have different extremes, but there are cool things in almost all Naga attires.
- Shawls: Very large pieces of cloth tossed about on the shoulder. Each tribe has its own great designs to go with it, though.
- Patterns and Symbols: Some have shawls with stuff like the tiger, elephant, or even spear, pretty stylish actually. The symbol conveys the understanding of power, wealth, and success, for sure.
- Color: The common colors are black, red, white, and dark blue.
- Ornaments:Naga people like accessories like cowrie shells, feathers, beads, and even bones. Fascinating! Decorative pieces are what give these attires uniqueness and beauty.
- Hand-Made Stuff: Almost all of these garments are made by hand using amazing stuff/tools like a loin loom.
Traditional Dress of Men in Nagaland
1. Shawls (Different Tribe Vibes)
- Ao Tribe (Tsungkotepsu): Well, in Nagaland, this is referred to as the warrior’s shawl. Besides that, it showcases tigers and elephants, symbols of bravery and strength.
- Angami Tribe (Lohe): Pretty nice-looking cloth with red and yellow bands. The symbols on it tell the story of a man and his big wins or the fruits of his victory.
- Lotha Tribe (Lungpensu): Pretty cool dark blue shawl with light blue lines. This is made for men who have achieved unforgettable feasts in the village.
- Yimchunger Tribe (Rongkhim): This is another interesting shawl with red square patterns, and this one is an adaptation to someone’s blood who killed enemies, which is pretty wild. For sure, for tough warriors.
- Sangtam Tribe (Supong): This one isn’t also the basic one; it is mainly for the very dignified people in the tribe.
- Rongsu Shawl: This one is for men of the Ao tribe whose families offered up a rather special animal known as Mithun in a tribal ritual.
2. Kilt
It is just a super-dark cloth, almost like a skirt just for men, kinda lovable. And then there are cowrie shells here and there; these are believed to be lucky in love and war, pretty extreme. Men surely make it themselves.
3. Fancy Alungstu
Brightly colored in yellow with flower patterns, very cool if you ask us. Just for the buff men out there, you know? And these are handmade by some really creative artisans, so that carries extra high status for the men wearing it.
4. Rhikho & Moyer Tusk
- Rhikho: Just plain cloth black stripes, pretty neat. For guys who haven’t done big-deal stuff, for sure.
- Moyer Tusk: Super dark blue cloth with a zigzag edge. Pretty simple and for regular men, for sure.
5. Wedding Dresses for Grooms
Men who are getting married wear Mechala kinda dipped and decorated with sweet tribal symbols, definitely. Thrown into dark kilts with cowrie shells and dope jewelry made of beads and bones, oh, that just levels up things and looks great too. Really, it’s a very cool yet good mix of style, tradition, and pride.
Traditional Dress of Women in Nagaland
1. Azu Jangup Su
This brilliant crimson and yellow skirt that girls wear on significant days is actually neat, for sure. It’s totally about fun and joy.
2. Mechala
Bone-length cloth wrap tossed on like a skirt and shawl, pretty stylish too. It looks super cute with cool designs. For sure you will find it in weddings and some other big events.
3. Neikhro
It is some sort of petticoat-type attire worn under skirts, pretty neat. Its flashy colors and flashy patterns actually depict a girl´s tribe or family/community, really.
4. Moyer Tusk
Yes, women wear Moyer Tusk too, and it has a very basic design; interestingly, it is a dark blue fabric featuring a zigzag pattern. Very simple but surprisingly special.
5. Bridal Dresses
So a Naga bride usually wears a bright Mechala shawl, dazzling ornaments, and sometimes even rice powder on her face. She can also wear a piece of jewelry that has been with her family since antiquity, totally. It’s very traditional and very personal at one time, for sure.