On the occasion of 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen wearing a multicoloured Rajasthani Bandhani print turban along with an off-white kurta and churidar. He also wore a black V-neck jacket with his turban, which featured hues of yellow, green, and red with a long tail at the back.
Every year on Independence Day and Republic Day, PM Modi is seen wearing the traditional headgear of different states of the country for his key address to the nation.
Earlier this year, on Republic Day, the prime minister wore a traditional cap from Uttarakhand and a stole from Manipur. The cap was adorned with a “Brahmakamal”, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand.
The handwoven traditional Manipuri stole, “Leirum Phi”, worn by PM Modi is typical of Manipur’s Metei tribe. At that time, Uttarakhand and Manipur were among the five states that went to polls.
Uttarakhand voted on February 14 and Manipur on February 27 and March 3. Interestingly, Rajasthan too is going to polls later this year.
In 2022, he chose a saffron turban with red patterns and a long tail. He teamed it with a traditional kurta and a churidar, complemented by a blue jacket and a stole.
In 2020, the prime minister paired the ‘safa’ with a half-sleeve kurta and a fitted churidar. He also wore a white scarf with a saffron border that he used to cover his mouth and nose in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, Modi sported a multi-coloured turban as he gave his sixth Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort after returning to power for a second term with a thumping majority.
For his maiden Independence Day in 2014, he had opted for a bright red Jodhpuri bandhej turban with green at the tail. In 2015, he chose a yellow turban covered with multi-coloured criss-cross lines, and a tie and dye turban in hues of pink and yellow in 2016.
The prime minister’s turban for 2017 was a mix of bright red and yellow with criss-crossed golden lines all over. He donned a saffron turban for his appearance at the Red Fort in 2018.
From a bright red bandhani turban from Kutch to a Rajasthani ‘safa’, Modi’s eye-catching turbans have been a highlight of his Republic Day appearances too.
(With inputs from PTI)