Ethnic Project: India

Introducing my next personal project! I love culture and I've wanted to showcase that and the different traditional clothing.

So, for the first set: India!

There are so many different outfits per religion, area, and age. My model's favorite is the Lehenga Choli. It's a three-piece outfit: the top is called Choli, the bottom Lehenga, and the long scarf is called Dupatta. The majority of Indian cultures use this outfit with their own touch and give it their own name - in Gujarat, where my model is from, they call it “Chaniya Choli”.

Yellow symbolizes sanctity in Indian culture.

Red has a deep meaning in the Indian psyche. It stands for purity and fertility, and it's the color for the bride’s garment.

Almost each state has their own language (22 in the Constitution of India) and each city/town in the state has their own dialect. Hindi is India’s national language.

Anarkali literally means the ‘delicate bud of the pomegranate flower/tree’. This name signifies the qualities of softness, vulnerability, innocence and beauty, associated with the women who wore Anarkalis.

Anarkali Salwar Suit

This style was used back in the days of Moghals and it's a traditional style in Pakistan and other South Asian countries.

I always like to know what makes someone proud of their heritage. For my model, it's India's diverse culture, the strength of the Indian people and families who stick together during bad times. Because of the large population, middle class families in India struggle a lot and it has made her into the really strong and hard working person she is today. Challenges she faced in the US were nothing compared to the challenges a regular middle class person faces in almost every hour of their day, but still millions of those people make the absolute best out of their lives. Indian hospitality regardless of one’s bank balance is very commendable as well.

Coming from a farmer's family, she misses having fresh vegetables and fruits her dad used to bring from his farm. And eating street food with her friends. Oh, man, the street food.

Bonus: India's flag is called Tiranga in Hindi. Indian saffron (orange) signifies sacrifice and patriotism, white stands for truth in word and actions and purity in their thoughts, and green stands for life and prosperity. The blue wheel is called the Ashoka Chakra. It has 24 spokes and it stands for progress.