Traditions of South Asia
Diwali, Holi, Eid and Vesak, saptapadi and mehndi: the densest calendar of living traditions anywhere. 346 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
Countries
🇦🇫 Afghanistan 28🇧🇩 Bangladesh 60🇧🇹 Bhutan 14🇮🇳 India 362🇲🇻 Maldives 4🇳🇵 Nepal 69🇵🇰 Pakistan 68🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 44
Cities and towns
On the calendar
🇮🇳 Paithan, IndiaPaithani
A handwoven silk sari from Maharashtra, with a squared border and a peacock palluDress
🇮🇳 IndiaWarli painting
Sacred white rice paste murals made on red clay walls in western IndiaCraft
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreNakshi kanthaনকশি কাঁথা
A traditional embroidered quilt from Bengal, made by stitching layers of old cloth into colourful, patterned textiles.Craft
🇵🇰 Karachi, Pakistan and 2 moreSouth Asian truck art
The craft of painting and adorning cargo trucks and buses across India and Pakistan.Craft
🇮🇳 Kolhapur, IndiaKolhapuri chappal
Handcrafted braided leather slip-on sandals from western IndiaCraft
🇮🇳 IndiaDhokra
A lost-wax metal casting craft kept by tribal artisans in eastern and central India for over four millennia.Craft
🇮🇳 Lucknow, IndiaChikankariچِکن کاری / चिकन की कढ़ाई / चिकनकारी
Delicate hand embroidery from Lucknow, India, featuring white-on-white floral patterns and intricate shadow-work stitcheCraft
🇮🇳 India and 1 morePhulkariਫੁਲਕਾਰੀ
Geometric and floral threadwork embroidered by Punjabi women on handwoven cotton.Craft
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSariसाड़ी
An unstitched length of cloth that women drape around the body, worn across South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 India and 2 morePandal
Temporary decorated pavilions and arches built for festivals and gatheringsFestival
🇮🇳 IndiaSanjhi
Autumn devotion honoring a mother goddess and sacred floor art of Radha and KrishnaSpiritual
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreJamdaniজামদানি
A fine handwoven cotton cloth of Bengal, patterned with motifs worked in by handCraft
🇮🇳 Srinagar, India and 3 morePashmina
Ultra-fine wool of Himalayan goats, hand-woven in Kashmir into shawls of rankDress
🇮🇳 Bhuj, India and 1 moreBandhani
Tie-dye cloth from India, knotted by hand and dipped in dye to leave dot patternsCraft
🇮🇳 Lucknow, India and 5 moreKurtaکرته (Persian), कुरता (Hindi)
A loose collarless tunic from South Asia, worn plain or embroidered over pyjamas or jeansDress
🇵🇰 Multan, Pakistan and 3 moreShalwar kameez
Loose trousers and a long tunic, worn as one outfit across South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 IndiaGamosaগামুছা
A white Assamese cloth with a red border, worn, gifted and laid under sacred textsDress
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreKolamகோலம்
A rice-flour floor drawing made at South Indian doorsteps before sunriseCraft
🇮🇳 Nadia, IndiaDhunachi
A Bengali incense burner, swung in worship and danced with at Durga PujaSpiritual
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRangoliरंगोली
Floor patterns of rice flour, sand or petals, drawn at the doorstep for festivalsCraft
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreKasayaकाषाय
The traditional patchwork robes worn by ordained Buddhist monasticsDress
🇧🇩 Dhaka, Bangladesh and 1 moreMuslin
A fine handwoven cotton from Bengal, once famed worldwide and woven again todayCraft
🇧🇩 BangladeshGrameen checkগ্রামীণ চেক
A woven plaid of coloured squares, made by handloom weavers in rural BangladeshDress
🇵🇰 Peshawar, PakistanPeshawari chappal
A leather sandal hand-stitched in Pakistan, worn with shalwar kameez and to weddingsDress
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSalwar
Loose trousers gathered at the ankle, worn with a kameez across South AsiaDress
🇮🇳 IndiaShamianaশামিয়ানা (Bengali); شامیانہ (Urdu)
A ceremonial tent of cloth and wooden poles, raised for weddings, feasts and partiesFestival
🇮🇳 Bagh, IndiaBagh print
Hand block printed cloth from a village in Madhya Pradesh, dyed red and black on whiteCraft
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreCholi
A cropped, fitted bodice worn with saris and ghagras across South AsiaDress
🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreDhaka topiढाका टोपी
A patterned cotton cap worn across Nepal as part of the national dressDress
🇳🇵 Kathmandu, NepalTraditional Newar clothingनेवार समुदायमा भएको संस्कृति पहिरन
The customary handwoven dress and ceremonial garments of Nepal's Newar peopleDress
🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding invitationनिमन्त्रण पत्र/पत्रिका
Decorative ceremonial cards sent to announce marriages and invite guests across IndiaRite of passage
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Indian wedding invitation: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Paithani: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Jamdani: Salim_Khandoker, CC0, source
- South Asian truck art: Alexandros.Papadopoulos, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kolhapuri chappal: Daderot, CC0, source
- Pandal: SHUBHAM KR SONI, CC0, source
- Sanjhi: Veer jindal, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Phulkari: Sheebamadanloewinger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Muslin: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Warli painting: Omrmankar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nakshi kantha: A junaid alam khan ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Chikankari: Joey Berzowska, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dhokra: Sushilsakhuja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kurta: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Shalwar kameez: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gamosa: Priyankoo at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Rangoli: SreeramKalyan, CC0, source
- Pashmina: Aaditya Kitroo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bandhani: RubyGoes, CC BY 2.0, source
- Dhunachi: Amitbsws, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kolam: mckaysavage, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kurti: Janavi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Shamiana: Badri Seshadri, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bagh print: Mrqd9, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dhaka topi: Sophie Graubert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Traditional Newar clothing: Uray1130, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kasaya: Unknown author, Public domain, source