[ TYING TURBANS ] Colours of Rajasthan

Apparently (as I should really have already guessed in India, a land of spirituality and symbolism, the dazzling colours of Rajasthani dress are not always worn solely for aesthetic purposes. For example, turban (safas, paags or pagris) colour may differ depending on caste, religion, origin or occasion, as with way a turban is tied.  So (with a little help from ‘The Book’ –aka Lonely Planet- here’s a little colour chart for you all to use when studying my numerous photos of Hindu Rajasthani inhabitants, as seen in the examples above and:

Colour	Worn by	Significance
Saffron	Rajputs (NW Rulers/ warriors)	Chivalry
Blue	Brahmins (priests & scholars)	Origin/caste
Brown	Dalits (formerly Untouchables)	Origin/caste
Black	Nomads	Origin/caste
Multi coloured turbans	Hindus	Festivals
White + certain shades of green and blue  Yellow	Hindu men and widows Working class or farmers	Sadness, morning  Origin/caste or  Connection to the divine
Red + yellow sari	Mothers	Birth of a son

NB: the Caste system is not recognized by the Indian constitution although in many areas its significance still remains part of daily life.

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