A sampling from my local "Dupatta Lending Library"
A recent article in the L.A. Times unearthed yet another specimen in the Western media’s lifelong obsession with the head coverings of Eastern women–the dupatta (pronounced “doo-PUTT-ah”).
A long, rectangular, often translucent, and highly decorated piece of fabric worn by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims alike in South Asia, the dupatta is a far cry from its Middle Eastern–and strictly Muslim–cousin, the hijab. Unlike the hijab, which is usually opaque, closely wrapped, and designed to reveal not one lock of hair on its wearer’s head, the dupatta finds itself draped on a woman’s body in myriad ways, as the L.A. Times’ Mark Magnier, reporting from Pakistan, explains:
In the course of a day, an urban Pakistani woman may switch roles from entrepreneur to ingenue to pious daughter, in keeping with this country’s nuanced and often-contradictory sense of self. The dupatta, which can be wrapped tightly around the head, left on the shoulders, hung from the side or dropped altogether, helps in navigating these social shoals.
As an urban, 2nd generation Pakistani-American woman, I heartily agree with Magnier’s astute observation about this transformative piece of fabric. Life can be tough in the teeming metropolis, and there’s nothing like having a pashmina security blanket at your side to help define your identity at a moment’s notice (Now at least we’re clear on the purpose of Superman’s cape.)
