Saraiki shalwar suits

There are two types of Saraiki shalwar suits which originate in the southern area of Punjab, Pakistan, in the Punjabi Saraiki region. These are the Bahawalpuri shalwar suit and the Multani shalwar suit.

The Bahawalpuri shalwar originates from the Bahawalpur region of Punjab, Pakistan. The Bahawalpuri shalwar is very wide and baggy with many voluminous folds.

The Bahawalpuri shalwar was worn by the men of the royal family of Bahawalpur. The royal men wore shalwar with coats, made of silk, embroidered in golden patterns. The material traditionally used for the Bahawalpuri shalwar and suthan is known as sufi which is a mixture of cotton warp mixed with silk weft and gold threads running down the material. The other name for these types of mixed cloth is shuja khani.

The Bahawalpuri shalwar is worn with the Bahawalpur style kameez, the Punjabi kurta or chola. The Bahawalpur kameez has local prints and embroidery patterns. Bandhani tye-dyeing is popular in the Cholistan desert area of the Punjab region. Bandhani patterns are used on Punjabi kurtas which are also worn with the Bahawalpuri shalwar. In the early 20th century A.D. it was traditional for men to wear the angarkha on its own leaving the chest and abdomen exposed, which was locally known as the chola.

The headgear includes the turban for men and headscarf for women. In the past, large turbans were worn such as the type in Bahawalpur which could be up to 40 feet long. Now the turbans are shorter of various designs. Under the turban, it is traditional to wear a cap called a kolah. Men also traditionally throw a scarf over their shoulders which is embroidered on the borders.

Nawab Muhammad Of Bahawalpur (1868-1900) wearing a loose Bahawalpuri shalwar

Prince Suba Sadiq Abbasi, Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur kameez

Rohi (Cholistan) woman's bandhani dress (Punjab, Pakistan)

Nawab Sadiq Khan Fifth (died 1966) in the Bahawalpuri shalwar

Saraiki Tradition Rohi

Sadeq Mohammad Khan in Bahawalpuri suit

The Multani shalwar is also called the 'ghaire wali' or 'Saraiki ghaire wali' shalwar as it is very wide around the waist. The Multani shalwar originates from the Multan area of the Punjab region. The use of the shalwar in Multan can be traced to the 7th century A.D. During this time, neighbouring Sindh was under Arab rule. As a result, the styles of shalwar worn in Iraq was adopted in parts of Sindh and also in Multan.

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