Ask for a kurta in Kolkata, and you may be handed a panjabi. Ask in Karol Bagh, and the shopkeeper may ask whether you mean a regular kurta, a Pathani or a kurta with chikan work. They are cousins, and they have their own histories. Here is a short map of the family.
The panjabi: Bengal's kurta
In Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam, the straight-cut kurta is called a panjabi, a name that points back to Punjab. It is what many Bengali men wear for Durga Puja, Poila Baisakh and weddings, in whites and creams and rich festive colours. The name tells you the kurta travelled a long way and was adopted as local.
The Pathani: the Pashtun cousin
The Pathani suit comes from traditional Pashtun dress. It is a long, loose kurta with a matching loose salwar, sometimes with a wide placket and a spread collar. It became popular across North India and is a favourite for Eid and for any long day when comfort matters most. We carry a small Pathani collection.
The Lucknowi: embroidery as a signature
Lucknow is known for chikan, fine thread embroidery worked in tonal or contrasting threads, often on light colours. A chikan kurta is a different mood from a printed or a jacquard one: quiet, delicate and dressy without shouting. Our chikankari gift guide explains what to look for.
Bhopali, Hyderabadi and the rest
Bhopal and Hyderabad each have their own styles of kurta, with different cuts and details. In Punjab, the traditional kurta is wide and falls around the knee. Every region has a way of cutting, stitching and decorating the same basic shape.
How the names travelled
A name often tells you how a garment arrived. A word that means Punjab in Bengal tells you the kurta came from the west. A word that means Pashtun in Delhi tells you the Pathani came from the north-west. A word that means Lucknow on a piece of embroidery tells you where the craft is cherished. A garment that picks up a new name in every city is a garment that people have kept choosing, for a very long time.
What they share
All of them are loose, comfortable and made to move. All are worn over some kind of pajama, salwar or churidar. All of them can go to a puja in the morning and a party in the evening. The differences are in the details, and that is where the pleasure is.
Which one for you
If you want something easy and traditional, a regular kurta pajama. If you want something relaxed for a long day, a Pathani. If you want something finer, a chikan piece. For more, read eight things you may not know about the kurta, or tell us the story of the one in your family.
Read more: Wikipedia on the kurta and Wikipedia on the Pathani suit.