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There has been hardly a doubt about the fact that vibrancy of the people of Haryana finds expression in their lifestyle. Their simplicity and spirited enthusiasm for life is quite evident in their way of dressing. While the dress of the people has been generally simple, the way of dressing and clothing appears to have undergone a sea change over the past few decades, and the residents of the state have been very much a part of the ongoing transformation due to urbanisation. The generation gap and the extent of the change in the dressing has been quite visible with absolutely different dress sense and liking among the older, middle and young people.
It is common to see three generations of a family present in a household in a district like Rohtak, and all the three representatives adorn themselves in three different styles of dress, claims Raghuvender Malik, a well-known artiste of the state. He says while the eldest member of a family would be seen in his old and traditional style of clothes, which include a dhoti or kurta — pyjama for men and ghagra for older women — the younger generation would love to flaunt jeans, T-shirts and tops of the latest brands in a typical family at a place like Rohtak or Sonepat. According to Malik, Haryana has seen a major transformation in dress and culture. The new generation has become a symbol of western culture. Boys and girls are following the pattern set by their icons, mainly filmstars and models. The impact of the modern education system and the trend of the youth shifting away to big cities, metros and even foreign lands has resulted in a change in their mindset, too, and they appear to be desperate to keep up with the changing world of fashion and lifestyle, claims Dev Raj Sirohiwal, a well-known authority on the history and culture of the state. Claiming that the closeness of the state to the national Capital of Delhi, and the prosperity and fast development of various types of infrastructure in Haryana over the past several years have had a definite fallout in the form of a change in the lifestyle of the people. Haryana has emerged as one of the leading states in the matter of development, and this has made the youth to move out to the service sector from the basic profession of agriculture and related activities in the past few decades. Cities like Gurgaon have emerged as an international destination and a major commercial hub, where all leading brands of the world are available, he says, adding that the traditional dresses are visible now on the occasion of a cultural function or event where ghagra and dhoti are shown only as a symbol of Haryanvi dress. The traditional dresses consist of a dhoti, shirt, turban and a pair of shoes for men, and shirt, ghagra and odhni (chunder) for women. Their basic trousseau includes daaman, kurti and chunder. Chunder is a long, coloured piece of cloth, decorated with shiny laces, meant to cover the head, and is drawn in the front like the pallav of the sari. Kurti is a shirt-like blouse, usually white in colour. The daaman is an ankle-long skirt in striking colours. A blanket or chaddar serves as wrapper. Among the educated classes in towns and cities, women have taken to salwar suits and saris of different colours. But a ghagra-choli is seen during a cultural event only, as it is used by very few old women, and that, too, in villages, says Sevak Ram, a resident of Rohtak. The men who once wore dhoti, tucked in between the legs, along with a white-coloured kurta worn atop, and a pugri, now wear modern shirts, trousers, suits and jeans. People are also fond of ornaments of gold and silver. But here also the young and middle-aged have taken to branded jewellery. The opening of the state of the art jewellery showrooms of companies like Tanishq in major Haryana towns has become a symbol of change that has arrived already, says Dr K.P.S Mahalwar, a senior professor of Rohtak.
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