The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a tropical paradise, is a union territory of India located in the Bay of Bengal. This archipelago comprises over 800 islands, of which only a few are inhabited.
Known for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and diverse marine life, the islands offer a perfect getaway for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Popular activities include scuba diving, snorkeling, and exploring the lush rainforests.
The islands also have a rich historical significance, particularly the Cellular Jail, a colonial-era prison that once housed Indian freedom fighters. Today, it serves as a poignant reminder of India’s struggle for independence.
The Andaman and Nicobar Island majorly comprises tribes and fall under a tropical climate, and every tribe has their own form of dressing style. These form of dressing of the above tribes depict closeness to natural environment and simple pure living culture. Here we discuss about Andaman nicobar traditional dress for female and male.
Today the most famous indigenous tribe is the Jarawa. The women of Jarawa people are almost nude, and wear only a loin cloth made from the leaves or farm bark. They use natural ornaments such as shells, beads as well as feathers. The men of the Jarawa tribe also have a sparing dress code; they go nearly naked and may cover their genitals with a tiny piece of material or a piece of cloth tied round their waist.
It is for this reason, that another large tribe is the Onge. Andaman nicobar traditional dress of Onge women is only a brief skirt of leaves or bark-cloth and brightly colored with dyes. The women also use shells and seeds in making necklaces and bangles. The Onge men also just like the Jarawa men wear a small piece of cloth just below their belly button or some of them even wear a small piece of cloth like a loincloth.
Sentinelese is one of the worlds most isolated tribes who has demonstrated great aggression against intrusion of their area. Their dress is very inclusive, they only wear loin cloth or just cover their naked appearances with a piece of cloth. Both male and female submerge themselves in natural accessories including shells and feathers.
Besides these aboriginal inhabitants, there are settlers of main Indian stock residing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Concerning fashion, the settlers adopt a mixture of the Indian and the western male dressing code. Begging women still prefer wearing sarees, salwar kameez, or Western styled dresses. The men wear kurtas, lungis or trousers and vests and western style shirts and trousers or jeans.
Referring to the Andaman nicobar traditional dress code, it is pertinent to mention that owing largely to these tribes are isolated from other communities or have had limited interaction with other world cultures, their traditional dresses may differ and can change with time. However, these indigenous tribes continue to cherish their cultural heritage and traditional attire, which remains an integral part of their identity and way of life.
