Getting Beautiful

The Apatanis love to make themselves up. In the olden days, they used to warm pieces of pork fat and use the oil (kutu) to make up their hair. The women tied the hair at the back while the men tied them into a decorative knot in front on the forehead.

The intricate designs as well as elegance of the Apatani dresses - jilaň, jig-jiro, pyamiň pulye, piisa leňda, etc. are well known. Less known are the ornaments they used. Here are some of the traditional ornaments.


This is called lariň - an ear ring. It was common sight till twenty years back women from rich families with lariň dangling from their ears.


The following two pictures are those of kapuň - bangles.



This is piillo kobyaň, one of the more intricately designed bangles.


Usually, these ornaments were worn during special occasions like festival of Muruň, Subu or Myoko.