2018-09-01_TravelLeisureIndiaSouthAsia

PEOPLE&PLACES

Folklore suggests that

the then Maharaja of Jodhpur,

Sri Sardar Singh, helped the

angarakha evolve into the

achkan, and over time, the

achkan into a more versatile

incarnation, the bandhgala.

This was the time that the

camera made its way to Jodhpur

and made Sri Sardar Singh the

most photographed Maharaja

of the princely state. His

numerous portraits helped the

THE FOREBEAR OFtheJodhpuri

bandhgalafirst appeared in the

princely state of Jodhpur around

the 1600s. The gem merchants

and traders who made inroads

into the desert city brought with

them a silhouette that quickly

influenced the local attire,

theangarakha.

By then, the Portuguese

and the English colonisers had

made the presence of the jacket

design felt across India.

From left: The Jodhpuri
bandhgala as it is
designed today; a view
of Jodhpur city from the
Mehrangarh Fort.

Raghavendra Rathore

Fashion Designer

THEBANDHGALAHAS TAKEN CENTRE STAGE

IN FASHION SHOWS AND LUXURY BOUTIQUES

AROUND THE WORLD TODAY. FASHION

DESIGNER RAGHAVENDRA RATHORE TAKES

US BACK TO ITS HUMBLE ORIGINS IN THE

ROYAL COURTS OF JODHPUR.

ROYAL ENSEMBLE

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF RAGHAVENDRA RATHORE (2); SAMEER PAREKH

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