Bihar, the land that has inculcated tradition-old values to the core, has made little experimentation in the field of costume. Especially, the rustic crowd of Bihar, adhere to the traditional pattern of dresses and jewellery .

The senior male denizens of Bihar, irrespective of being , Hindu or Muslim, favour tradition, when it comes to considering costumes. If a Hindu elderly person prefer Dhoti (an Indian loin cloth), a Muslim person might dress himself in Lungi (a type of petticoat for men) or Pyjama (loose trousers). As an upper garment, men usually go for Kurtas (loose, normally cotton, Indian, T-shirts), and shirts.

However , the men resort to gorgeous apparels for ceremonies, festivals and social gatherings. Kurtas, Chudidar, Pyjamas and Sherwanis are the perfect costumes, chosen for such special occasions, where proper attitude owes a lot to an impressive dressing style.

The Muslims, Sikhs, and Christian males are habituated in luxuriating in the fragrance of perfumes and "attar" on a daily basis. These people, are in a way perfume-addicts. It is interesting to note that men of Bihar, inhabit a preference for ornaments. They deck themselves with bala or bali (bangles) in Shahabads, Kanausi in Patna and Gaya. Again Gowalas ( the milkmen) flaunt themselves in Kundals (earrings). However, malas or bead necklaces are on the rise these days, than, the other ornaments.

The costume of the womenfolk of Bihar, is meticulously in keeping with tradition. As per as tradition, married women, smear the hair-parting zone with powder of Sindoor or vermillion. Tikli, a forehead-adorning little ornament is added to the hair-partitioning area . The Tikli shines like a star, amidst the eyebrows on the forehead. On the forehead, a Bihari married woman, be she an urban or a rural one, normally applies bindi . A lot of Bihari women, love applying Kajal i.e. eye-pencil, or antimony eye-make-up called Surma , to enhance the appeal of their eyes . They also indulge in gratifying their senses with soothing aromatic oils, that leave them perfumed, and refreshed, in the mind and body. Tattoo-paintings are widely prevalent among Bihari women. They give specific attention to their hands, and beautify them with Mehendi-designs (a kind of tattooing , done with colors fetched from herbal product like, amla or shikakai).

Ornaments with elaborate designs and gaudy look, such as Chandrahar, Tilri, Panchlari, Satlari, Sikri are the common accessories, accompanying a woman in Bihar. Indeed, the plethora of accessories, reflect upon the craze for jewellery and ornaments. Women`s passion for jewellery are not restricted to necklaces only. They buy and wear myriad ornaments for arms , wrists and fingers . The most popular are bangles, rings, for hands and the anklets (worn around ankles).

Beauty-consciousness is an inherent characteristic of feminine nature. And in this respect, even the tribal women of Bihar, are not lagging behind. To be presentable, is one of their daily task. Even the men participate in this regular grooming-sessions. Tribal people, inclusive of both men and women, wrap a thin strip of cloth round the waist. By rule, they maintain two pieces, of cloth , one for home-use and the other for going out. Their men are accustomed to wearing Dhotis, whereas women attire themselves in sarees.

It is evident that, a woman can never distance herself from ornaments, and this true of the tribal women a well. They are obsessed with dainty Hansli (a type of round-shaped necklace, usually made of silver), brass bracelets and silver earrings. There is no doubt that these tribal people are adept in the art of retaining sanctity and hygiene. This cleanliness-finicky women are reputed for their technique of keeping their hair dirt-free. They massage mustard or Mohua oils into their hair and then properly comb it .

Drawing tattoo on the forehead, arms and legs is very much in vogue among tribal population. This is specifically in accordance with their belief in magic. To sum up, simplicity is the mantra which provides an aura of elegance to the costume of this tribal elegance of Bihar.

The costumes of Bihar, thus exhibit the richness , grace and immeasurable worth of a heritage , that remains ever-glorious , even in the face of changing times.