Lehnga across the land
by Saman Habib
Straight cut lehnga in satin with zardozi butis (1900/1935) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Among the memories of my growing up years is of my grandmother and mother handling and admiring these exquisite lehngā-kurtā-dupaṭṭās of brocade, himroo, Chinese embroidered silk, and even khadi with lace, zardōzī and mukaish embellishments mainly done in Surat. I was given a couple of lehngās as a girl and wore these for wedding functions, where most others wore ġarārās. When I too married a man with roots in Lucknow, I got to wear my grandmother’s wedding attire.
Newlyweds in Lucknow, Bakshi Studio, Hazratganj (1963) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
My mother-in-law, a Lucknow girl, had been married in a lehngā too with a picture of that time taken at Bakshi Studio, Hazratganj.
Banarasi silk brocade lehnga with traditional banat and gota border (1900/1935) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
A lehngā is a long skirt gathered at the waist. A closer look at the old Gujarat and Awadh lehngā styles reveals a difference. Both have a straight construction, but the former gathers at the waist when one pulls the izārband (drawstring) while the latter is gathered at the waist and stitched to a narrow belt.
Banarasi purple silk brocade lehnga with odhni (1900/1935) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Both these differ from the kalīdār lehngā with bias-cut panels, more common in Rajasthan and among the rajwadas of Awadh. Traditional Awadhi lehngās of the 20th century are mainly in Banarsi silk brocade, silk weave or satin. Most have a gōṭā and/or zardōzī border placed a little above the hem. These were paired with cōlīs/angiyās and later with blouses and short kurtās, with the dupaṭṭā worn in a half-sarī style.
Banarasi silk brocade lehnga with traditional banat and gota border (1900/1935) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
The skilled kārigars of Lucknow made banat (zardōzī work on a ribbon made with coloured silk pieces) and gōṭā combinations and one sometimes finds identical trimmings attached to the hem of a lehngā or the dhanak of a ġarārā/farshī pyjāmā of the same period.
A collection of lehngās from Lucknow...
Lehnga in banarsi silk weave with gota border and a contrasting blue satin edge (1950/1975) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Valentina Trivedi in her mother's lehngā of banarsi silk with gōṭā border and a contrasting blue satin edge.
Heavy borders in floral motifs and paisley patterns contrast with the plain elegance of the lehngās.
Gōṭā-paṭṭi on green contrasts well with yellow brocade on the left. Elaborate drawstrings hold up the heavily embellished lehngā on the right.
Touches of Lucknawi elegance, caṭāpaṭī, gōṭā , and banat add to the timeless appeal of the lehngās.
Scroll down to see cōlīs (blouses) and dupaṭṭas (stoles) paired with lehngās....
Cōlīs /angiyas with embellishments along the seams and edges, to be fastened with drawstrings.
Cōlīs /angiyas with embellishments along the seams and edges, to be fastened with drawstrings.
Bhavna Singh donning a Banarsi kora silk dupatta showcasing a woven jaal in gold and colored silk, alongside a fine Banarsi silk weave odhni, both showing the exquisite craftsmanship from the early to mid-20th century.
The above dupaṭṭas from the Lucknow Bioscope collection showcase the rich hues and the opulence of Awadh.
Lehngās continue to be the most popular attire at weddings and celebrations. A variety of crafts such as zardōzī, cikankāri and mukaish are used to embellish lehngā sets, thus providing work to craftspersons and helping sustain livelihoods.
Curation: Noor Khan & Saman Habib
Photography: Ayan Bose, Tasveer Hasan
Team: Mariyam Imran, Saman Habib, Noor Khan
Text, Editing and Translation: Saman Habib, Noor Khan, Sabiha Anwar, Isha Priya Singh, Waseem Ahmed,Stuti Mishra, Divya Joshi
Gracious Contribution by:
Bhavna Singh & Digvijay N Singh
Bina Agarwal
Kamal Misra
Late Anuradha Srivastava
Ragini Pandey Misra
Shipra Misra
Valentina Trivedi
Vasundhara Singh
