Daily clothes of the Manipuri (Meitei/Meetei) Women



The Meitei/Meetei women use a thinly plain bordered phaneks (sarongs) at home. After the lapse of some years the use of moirang phijin as border became fashionable. Girls wrap the phaneks below the chestline. The upper part of the body is covered with another piece of cloth. As time went on girls started using short shirts(blouse). 

Moirang Phijin border
Phaneks with their different borders


Married women will use the phanek covering the chest area which they still do even to this day, which becomes more compulsory at times of religious and social functions

From a past time upto the present, married women cover their head with a part of the upper cloth, innaphee or simply put a folded hankerchief as a sign of reverance and respect before social gatherings, elders and elder brother of her husband. Phaneks were traditionally without borders but now most of them have borders.
In the past women belonging to royal families had to wear the phanek, covering their lower ankles. It was mandatory for the queen, married women and girls. Ordinary women's phanek covered upto the lower part of the calf. Contemporary women, now-a-days do not follow these extremes.


Reference- Manipuri Costumes Through Ages(India, Bangladesh, Myanmar) by Mutua Bahadur

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