Mekhela chador

What it is

The mekhela chador is worn by women in Assam, India. It comes in two parts. The lower piece, the mekhela, is a wide tube of cloth that becomes a skirt. The upper piece, the chador, is draped over the torso. Sets are usually made from silk produced in Assam: muga, pat or eri. Woven decoration is central to the garment. Nature, Assamese life and stories from myth all feed into the patterns, and the weaving is mostly done by women. Flowers, geometric forms and animals of the region appear on the cloth, and those motifs are meant to celebrate the natural beauty of the region.

How it is worn

The mekhela sits from the waist down. Its cloth is gathered into one or two pleats so that it fits the waist, and the top edge is tucked in. These pleats fall to the right, and there are fewer of them than on a saree, whose pleats face left. No cord holds the mekhela in place, though a woman may wear a petticoat beneath it that has a string. The chador is longer. One end is tucked into the top of the mekhela above the navel; the rest crosses the chest and back; the loose end is pleated and tucked at the waist. A fitted blouse is usually worn underneath.

Patterns and weaving

Nothing on a mekhela chador is printed: the decoration is all woven. Weavers call the motifs phul. They include flowers, creepers, animals, birds, human figures, diamonds and shapes taken from the sky. Some sets carry a woven border known as the paari. It can sit on the lower edge of the mekhela, or it can run down the sides of the sador. Tribal and non-tribal weavers both make these cloths. The style of the pattern follows the fibre. Delicate flowers and vines belong to pat and muga silk, while eri and cotton carry stronger geometric forms. Bright diamond patterns are read as a sign of careful work and are a familiar feature of Assamese textiles.

The riha

Older dress included a third cloth, the riha. It could serve as the chador itself, or be worn beneath it as an inner layer. Today the riha survives mainly in two settings. It remains part of the trousseau a bride takes with her at an Assamese wedding, and it appears at indigenous traditional gatherings, among them Bihu and other Assamese festivals, where some people still wear it. Mekhela chador sets remain the traditional dress of Assamese women, and the cloth is woven and worn across the state.

Silk and the market

Most traditional sets are made of muga, pat or eri silk. Lower-priced versions blend cotton with muga or pat silk, or with synthetic fibres. Mekhela chadors can be found in shops in Guwahati and in other towns of Assam, and through websites as well. Pure pat silk sells well. Pat and polyester lead the market, while muga, known as the golden silk of Assam, is less in demand: it costs more, and buyers often choose substitutes such as tassar, which looks much like it.

How Mekhela chador is kept

The wearer begins with the mekhela, the skirt piece. The cloth, a wide tube, is gathered into one or two pleats that fall to the right, fitted to the waist and tucked in. No cord is used for the mekhela itself, though a petticoat with a string may be worn beneath. The chador follows: one end goes into the top of the mekhela above the navel, the cloth is carried around the chest and back, and the loose end is pleated and tucked at the belly. A fitted blouse sits underneath. Women wear the set in Assam.

When and where

The mekhela chador belongs to Assam, in India, and Assamese women wear it. In Guwahati and other towns of the state it can be found in many shops, and it is sold through websites too. The cloth is woven across Assam by both tribal and non-tribal weavers, and the sets are generally made from Assam silk: muga, pat or eri.

What Mekhela chador means

On a mekhela chador, decoration is the point, not an added extra. The flowers, birds, animals and diamond shapes show the weaver's skill, and bright diamond motifs in particular are read as a mark of fine work. Nature, Assamese life and themes from myth give the patterns their subjects, so a cloth carries an image of the place that made it. Because women do most of the weaving, some writing treats the garment as a symbol of women's strength.

Questions people ask about Mekhela chador

See also

PaithaniA handwoven silk sari from Maharashtra, with a squared border and a peacock palluJambiyaA short curved dagger worn at the waist by Yemeni men, its handle a sign of statusSherwaniA long buttoned coat for men, worn at weddings and state occasions in South AsiaTurbanCloth wound around the head, worn for faith, rank, shade and identity

Good reading and sources

• Mekhela sador on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-12.