As the wedding headgear or the safa makes its presence felt this wedding season, let us take a look at the various wedding headgears worn by men across the country.
The Bengali Topor is a lightweight, conical headgear from the dried milky spongy plant Sholapith. It features traditional bengali symbols like conch shells, lotuses and engraved with pearls, gemstones and gold foil.
As a Punjabi groom if you choose to tie the knot the traditional way at a gurudwara, the turban or the pagri is a must. The pagri is folded in a series of layers to create a layered appearance which is also known as the dastar style which is usually tied by the elders of the family.
The Mizo wedding head gear also known as the Kau is made up of bamboo and cane which symbolises strength and resilience. The Kau is also adorned with threads and beads to give it a colourful distinctive appearance.
The Parsi Pheta or the wedding headgear is made with a stiff cylindrical top section and crafted with a thick embroidered band around its circumference and is made out of shawl material and made with a single piece of fabric with edges stitched together to form a cap shape.
Originally worn by the Maharajas of Mysore, the Peta is crafted using luxurious Mysore silk sarees, each Peta contains the Gandabherunda logo which is also the official symbol of Karnataka and was the royal insignia of the Wodeyar rulers.
Made with materials like cotton, kota, chanderi, and Banarasi silks, the Marwadi Safa is usually 5-6 metres in length. It is tied with precision around the groom's head and personified with a sarpech for a ravishing effect.
Worn by the Sumi tribe of Nagaland, this traditional wedding headgear for men is made from goat hair and fibre from the Orchid plant. It is personified with beads, tassels and the Rhododendron flower, which is also the official flower of the state.
Worn by the Nishi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, the wedding headgear is made of materials like the hornbill beak, cane, feather and bamboo. It is weaved using a needle and gradually narrows as it reaches the top to give it a dome like shape.