Farshī Pyjāmā
A traditional garment with a trail. The lower flared panel of these loose pants is often done in silk patchwork.
A wedding Farshi: recollection by Tazeen Hussain
My introduction to the grand tradition of owning and wearing the farshī ġarārā came at my wedding, having been a bit of a tomboy and wearing even suits to shādīs under duress, earlier! You can imagine my awe and surprise when I encountered the intricately stitched and embroidered garments and the many instructions on how to carry them.
A regular ġarārā consists of a kundā, the loose pants that start at the waist with a cummerbund and reach the knee, and a gōṭ- the flared and often embroidered portion that starts at the knee and falls at the feet. The farshī has a longer kundā than the normal ġarārā and its gōṭ trails on the ground or farsh, hence the name.
Ayrah in her mother Tazeen's farshi pyjama (1980s) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
I was instructed on how the farshī must be tied and how it must be settled while sitting. How to lift it ever so slightly when walking so it doesn’t brush the floor, but at the same time does not reveal the legs.
Moreover, the dupaṭṭā needed to stay on my head but kept slipping as I was literally walking a tightrope in my gold stilettos!
The farshī ṭukṛī ġarārā with its bright pink, green, yellow and purple intricately stitched silk pieces, each embroidered with a golden flower, the bright green kurtā and the dupaṭṭā with its gold border and lattice was as beautiful then as it is now. When I wore it, it seemed to weigh a ton.
This farshī ġarārā was stitched in-house in a centre started by my grandmother-in-law, Begum Parsa Asghar Husain, who was a lady way ahead of her time and someone who taught herself to read and write even though she had not received formal education. She read extensively, educating herself, was well versed in the social issues, communicating regularly with newspapers and even writing and publishing a book in Urdu.
She started the centre in Qaiserbagh to help women learn the craft and earn their livelihood. Over time, the number of women in the centre dwindled and it moved into the house presided over by my mother-in-law Begum Saleha Asad Husain and run by the hugely talented Iffat Baji.
Tehzeen ki amaa (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
Seen here is Begum Saleha Asad Husain who started the farshī and ġarārā centre in Qaiserbagh.
Farshi Pyja sketch new (2022)Lucknow Bioscope
Iffat Baji with her quiet demeanour, heavy lidded eyes and snow white long hair which fell till her knees would be seated on her takht. She would painstakingly cut each silk piece, iron out its creases and join them by hand by using small running stitch.
Farshi pyjama with a chatapati (patchwork) gote in lauzat/namakpare (diamond) pattern (1920s) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
The cutting and the sewing, and the steady whirring of the hand sewing machines would continue through the day until the piece would come together in its entirety, complete with the lackā-gōṭas and wrapped in sheer muslin.
Each and every farshī and ġarārā that came out of that place was a labour of love. Hand-made and hand-stitched ṭukṛī garments are a dying art and we can only hope these gorgeous garments can inspire the younger generation to value and promote them.
Flat out view of a farshi pyjama with a pink brocade kunda and chatapati gote (Early 20th Century) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Flat out view of a farshī pyjāmā with a pink brocade kundā and caṭāpaṭī gōṭ. Multiple kalīs (sections of fabric with bias cut) are attached in each leg to flare out the garment.,from the early 20th century.
While sitting or walking, the trail of the farshi is gathered in the front, folded and draped over an arm.
Scroll down to see some antique farshī pyjāmās...
Farshi pyjama in brocade and zardozi work (surface metal wire embroidery) (1920s) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
1920s farshī pyjāmā with a deep pink silk brocade (pōth) kundā and light green satin gōṭ adorned with intricate zardōzī (metal wire work)
Silk farshi pyjama with zardozi work all over the kunda and gote (1980s) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Take a look at a silk farshī pyjāmā with zardozi work all over the kundā and gōṭ, from the 1980s.
Farshi with a yellow brocade kunda and purple silk gote with mukaish (flat silver wire embroidery) (1940) by UnknownLucknow Bioscope
Detail of a farshī pyjāmā with a yellow silk brocade kundā and a deep purple silk gōṭ with mukaish work in fish-scale pattern. The zardōzī banat attached just above the gōṭ is flanked by gōṭā on both edges, from 1940.
Farshī pyjāmās in heavily worked zardōzī . The richness of the garments make them ideal as bridal wear.
Farshī pyjāmās are regaining popularity as wedding attire in Lucknow. Modifications of the traditional farshī pyjāmās with a shorter trail, called 'semi-farshī ', are also being worn.
Curation: Noor Khan & Saman Habib
Photography: Ayan Bose, Tasveer Hasan, Apal
Team: Nagma Ehtesham, Nasreen Khan, Nimra Rizvi, Mariyam Imran
Text, editing and translation: Saman Habib, Noor Khan, Sabiha Anwar, Isha Priya Singh, Waseem Ahmed,Stuti Mishra,Divya Joshi
Gracious contribution by:
Arif Ansari
Farah Rizvi
Faraz Ali Zaidi--Nawab Jafar Mir Abdullah Collection
Fauzia Yameen
Nabila Zaman
Naghma Ehtesham
Rafat Khan
Rana Hasan
Shahid Najeeb
Tazeen Husain
