What is traditional Saraiki dress?

Traditional Saraiki dress includes Ajrak shawls, dhoti/tehmat and kurta for men, embroidered shalwar kameez for women, the distinctive Saraiki turban (pagg), khussa footwear and silver jewelry, varying between everyday and festive occasions.

What is Ajrak and why is it important?

Ajrak is a block-printed cotton shawl in indigo, maroon and white geometric patterns. It is a powerful symbol of Saraiki and Sindhi identity, worn on ordinary days and celebrated widely on Saraiki Culture Day, 6 March.

Khussa is traditional handcrafted leather footwear, often embroidered, historically associated with Multan and Bahawalpur. It is worn by both men and women across South Punjab for everyday and festive occasions.

What does a Saraiki man's turban signify?

The Saraiki turban, or pagg, tied in a distinctive high, rounded style, signals a man's respect, status and regional identity, and is especially important for elders, landowners and grooms at weddings.

How does everyday Saraiki dress differ from wedding attire?

Everyday Saraiki clothing is simple cotton in muted tones suited to farm and desert life, while wedding and festival attire is heavily embroidered, colourful — often red or maroon — and paired with full silver or gold jewelry sets.

Traditional Dress - Saraiki Culture

Woven Identity

Clothing That Tells a Story

Saraiki dress reflects the land it comes from — practical for long hours in sun-baked fields and desert heat, yet rich with colour, embroidery and symbolism for festivals and weddings. Every garment, from the humble dhoti to a bride's mirror-worked shalwar kameez, carries generations of craft.

The most iconic piece is Ajrak, a block-printed cotton shawl in deep indigo, maroon and white geometric patterns. Though shared with neighbouring Sindh, Ajrak is worn across the Saraiki belt as a mark of pride and identity, draped over the shoulder by men or wrapped as a shawl by women, and is at the centre of Saraiki Culture Day celebrated every 6 March.

Ajrak — the block-printed shawl of Saraiki identity.
Dhoti/tehmat and kurta for everyday menswear.
The distinctive Saraiki pagg (turban), tied high and proud.
Khussa — handcrafted leather footwear from Multan and Bahawalpur.

Everyday & Ceremonial Wear

Men's, Women's & Festive Attire

Dhoti, Tehmat & Kurta

Saraiki men traditionally wear a dhoti or tehmat (a wrapped lower garment) with a loose cotton kurta — cool, practical clothing suited to farm work and the region's heat, still common in villages today.

The Saraiki Pagg

The Saraiki turban, or pagg, is tied in a distinctive high, rounded style that differs from turbans of central Punjab. It signals a man's respect, status and regional identity, especially among elders and landowners.

Embroidered Shalwar Kameez

Women wear shalwar kameez richly decorated with mirror-work and thread embroidery, sharing motifs with Sindhi and Balochi styles but featuring distinct Saraiki floral and geometric patterns unique to the region.

Khussa Footwear

Handmade leather khussa, especially those crafted in Multan and Bahawalpur, are prized for their fine embroidery and durability, worn by both men and women on daily and festive occasions alike.

Silver Jewelry

Traditional silver jewelry — chunky bangles, nose rings, anklets and necklaces — remains popular among Saraiki women, often passed down as heirlooms and worn heavily during weddings and festivals.

Ralli Patchwork Shawls

Ralli quilts and shawls, hand-stitched from scraps of old cloth into vivid patchwork patterns, are both a practical craft and a folk art form, often given as wedding gifts.

Regional Variation

Everyday Wear vs. Wedding & Festival Dress

Everyday Saraiki dress favours simple cotton in white, beige or muted tones — comfortable for farming and desert life. Styles also vary slightly between the irrigated plains near Multan, the desert communities of Cholistan, and the riverside areas of Dera Ghazi Khan, each with subtle differences in turban style, embroidery motifs and colour preference.

For weddings and festivals, colour and ornamentation multiply: brides wear heavily embroidered red or maroon outfits with full sets of silver or gold jewelry, grooms don sherwanis with an elaborately tied pagg and a floral sehra veil, and Ajrak is worn proudly by guests as a sign of cultural celebration. See how these garments come together during a Saraiki wedding.

Traditional Dress