Difference Between Lehenga & Ghagra

Fashion StudiesFashion & Styles

The most well-known women's attires are lehenga and ghagra. A lehenga is a type of skirt that extends up to the ankle. It is the most famous attire of the Indian subcontinent. Ghagra, often referred to as "Ghagra choli", is the most popular ethnic wear in the Indian sub-continent. These two cultural ethnics are often very expensive when it comes to the economy. This is fitted from the waist to the knees, and there a curtain-like flare falls down from the knees. This ghagra actually means a long pleated skirt worn by Indian women, whereas a lehenga is a long shirt which is often embroidered with beads, small mirrors, and other small ornaments.

Lehenga

A lehenga is a three-piece attire. Those three pieces are, namely, the lehenga, choli, and dupatta. As said, a lehenga is a long skirt, a choli is a blouse that is covered with attractive embroidery, and a dupatta is a long piece of cloth usually used to cover the upper portion of a woman’s body.

This tradition of lehenga is derived from the Mughals. The queens of the Mughal kingdom used to wear this kind of fashion. The lehengas of the mighty queens of the Mughal kingdom were made up of some rich fabrics. As time passes by, this fashion has reached the streets of the Mughal empire. These people cannot afford those lehengas, which are made of rich fabrics. So, they started making lehengas out of some affordable fabrics like cotton, khadi, etc.

This fashion trend has been updated over time. You can see this trend in most Indian films. You can also witness this trend in weddings and traditional events.

Ghagra

A ghagra is similar to a lehenga but with a small skirt. This ghagra is also known as ghagra choli. Similar to a lehenga, this is also a three-piece attire. They are ghagra, choli, and dupatta. As said, ghagra is a small skirt, choli is a blouse which is covered with attractive embroidery, and dupatta is a long piece of cloth usually used to cover the upper portion of a woman’ s body.

This tradition has its roots in the Antariya. Women in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh practise this tradition the most. In this, the most commonly used fabrics are cotton, silk, khadi, georgette, etc. Among these, silk and cotton are the most favoured materials. Along with India, this ghagra is popular in foreign countries for its most elegant look. Most of the students’ wear this during their professional events as well. Usually, a ghagra is made with 19 metres of fabric.

Differences Between Lehenga and Ghagra

The given table illustrates the major differences between lehenga and ghagra:

Lehenga	Ghagra
Lehenga is a fashion trend derived from Mughals.	Ghagra is a fashion trend derived from the local trend of Rajasthan.
Lehengas are form fitted dresses.	Ghagras are loose fitted dresses.
The choli of lehenga is usually shorter.	The choli of Ghagra is usually longer.
The dupatta of lehenga is usually longer.	The dupatta of ghagra is usually shorter.
This gives an elegant look.	This gives a traditional look.
These are size restricted.	These can be worn by anyone.

If you can see the differences, the lehenga trend is derived from the queens of the Mughal dynasty, and from there onwards, it has passed to subsequent generations. Whereas the ladies of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and so-called Madhya Pradesh are the originators of the ghagra trend. These lehengas are form-fitted, which means they are skin-fitted and form a tight attire, whereas these ghagra cholis are loose-fitted, which means they can be worn by anyone. Continuing to the main point, the choli of a lehenga is usually shorter than the choli of a ghagra, which differentiates between the two, and the dupatta of lehenga is usually longer than the dupatta of a ghagra. Basically, a lehenga gives you a royal look, whereas this ghagra choli gives you the best traditional look.

Conclusion

As discussed, both the lehenga and ghagra are the best attire for a woman. Both of them look similar in many ways, but they follow different fashion trends. Right from the choli, the dupatta and the respective skirts, every aspect of them has some difference. These attires represent the ancient culture of India, the royal life of our kings and queens.