Ethnic Project: India pt. 2
My first male model of the ethnic project!
And ladies... He's single ;)
Kurta pyjamas are traditional Indian menswear worn throughout India. Different regions have many unique Kurtas, but it's very difficult to tell them apart. The Kurtas that my model is wearing are typical Kurtas made of a thin material.
Thicker Kurtas, known as Sherwani Kurtas, have shoulder pads like some suits. They're made for weddings or other significant events where style is important and you are trying to wear your best.
This red one, the most casual of the three, is something one would wear to a simple gathering, such as going to a temple or a family function.
Not something you would wear to impress anyone, but definitely something you put on for those "casual and comfortable" moods.
The white Kurta is a bit more elegant and my model's favorite when he wore it. One of those "love at first" sight types of stories. Though the first Kurta is nice to look at, it doesn't fit as well as this white one.
These straight-cut Kurtas use regional embroidery designs labelled according to the region from where the patterns originate. Kurtas worn in the summer are usually made of thin silk or cotton while the winter season Kurtas are made of thicker fabric. A very common fabric for the Kurta pajama is linen or a linen-cotton mix which is ideal for both summers and winters.
Of course, food is a huge favorite of everyone. My model's favorite is "Panipuri", which literally translates to "water bread". It's a snack food served with super-cooled flavored water that you commonly eat on the streets of India. It consists of a round, hollow bread ("puri"), fried crisp, and filled with tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion, and chickpeas.
Once filled with all that deliciousness, they pour the flavored water, "pani", into the now "pani puri". It serves as a delicious refreshing snack on the hot days of India. In Punjab, my model was taught to call it "Golgappa" and would affectionately ask for it only to find out that no one knew of it by that name. It wasn't till later he learned that the commonly referred to term was "Panipuri" and the term "Golgappa" is used in the North.
His other favorite thing things from his culture: the music and the dance! You will find that Indian movies, festivals, etc., have a colorful, energetic, lively quality with a touch of innocence that you would not find in other cultures even though as their culture welcomes other cultures through modern day globalization.
“You will find that Indians are genuine people with a deep sense of inherent spirituality. I think this type of respect for the natural order of things allows us to retain our innocence and our lively thirst to celebrate life. Growing up, I didn’t quite recognize this but the more I grow I am beginning to gain a deep appreciation in my culture and I find a contentment in that.”