From Jamdani to Anarkali: The evolving Puja wardrobe
Puja ’26 sees the festive wardrobe expand beyond the shari, as designers blend Bangali textiles and traditional motifs with lighter fabrics, contemporary silhouettes and greater ease
For Puja, getting dressed is part of the ritual. There is the shari reserved for Ashtami, the blouse chosen to change its mood, the jewellery brought out from its box, and the outfit planned for a day of pandal-hopping with friends or families. The clothes are not an afterthought to the festivities; they are part of the anticipation.
Durga Puja has always carried a strong visual identity. The colours, textiles, jewellery and silhouettes associated with the festival have passed from one generation to another, creating a wardrobe that feels instantly recognisable. Red and white sharis, generous zari borders, Jamdani motifs, handloom textures, gold jewellery and the occasional flourish of alta have long formed part of that visual vocabulary.
But festive dressing is never entirely fixed. Every generation finds its own way of wearing tradition, and this year's Puja collections reflect a wardrobe that is becoming more varied without losing its Bangali character.
The shari remains the definitive festive piece, but it now sits alongside anarkalis, skirts, kaftans, flared gowns, shrugs and relaxed separates. It reflects a shift in how women want to experience festive clothes — with enough richness for the occasion, but also enough ease to move through long days of rituals and visits.
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For Puja '26, designers are also responding to something particularly practical: the weather. In Bangladesh, festive dressing has to negotiate heat and humidity, making fabric choice almost as important as the silhouette itself. Lightweight cottons, breathable weaves and softer materials can offer the visual richness of occasion wear without making the clothes feel cumbersome.
Tajia Tanny, owner of Longg, has built her Puja '26 collection around that balance. Maroon, gold, red and white form the foundation of the palette, drawing from the warmth and ceremonial richness traditionally associated with Puja while giving the collection a more restrained finish.
Longg's selection moves between sharis, anarkalis, skirts and other outfits. The fabrics — cotton, synthetic and semi-muslin-type materials — have been chosen according to the character of each design rather than following one fabric story throughout the collection. That allows the silhouettes to dictate the texture and fall of each piece.
"I wanted the collection to neither feel overly traditional nor completely detached from tradition," said Tanny. "The aim was to retain the essence of Puja while giving it a modern, effortless and wearable feel."
At BJNS, Jeenat Jahan Nisha approaches the season from another angle, expanding the festive wardrobe beyond the shari while keeping the realities of the climate firmly in view.
Flared gowns, flared shrugs, kaftans, skirts and tops make up the more relaxed side of the collection, creating options for women who may want festive dressing without committing to a shari or a heavily structured outfit.
The shari, however, remains central. This season, BJNS brings in Jamdani motifs and Puja-special sharis with wide zari borders, giving the traditional drape its expected sense of occasion. The contrast is what makes the selection interesting: alongside the more elaborate sharis are cotton and gamcha sharis designed to offer greater ease in the heat.
"Festive, statement sharis are always part of Puja dressing, but we have also brought in cotton and gamcha sharis that are relatively more comfortable in the heat," said Nisha.
That balance between grandeur and practicality is increasingly important to festive dressing. The difference lies not in how festive the clothes are, but in where and how they are intended to be worn.
This also points to a wider change in the way women approach their Puja wardrobes. Instead of buying one elaborate outfit and building the entire occasion around it, there is more room for a wardrobe of different levels of dressing: the statement shari for a major ritual, the lighter handloom for daytime visits, the anarkali for a gathering, or a flowing kaftan for a more relaxed celebration.
Styling plays an equally important role in this shift. A traditional textile does not necessarily need traditional styling. A Jamdani shari can take on a different character with a sharply cut blouse; a simple cotton shari can be elevated with statement jewellery; an anarkali can be styled with contemporary accessories rather than a heavily traditional jewellery set. The same garment can therefore move between heritage and modernity depending on what surrounds it.
For Puja '26, women's festive dressing is becoming a conversation between heritage and ease. There is room for the elaborate and the understated, the ceremonial and the comfortable, the unmistakably Bangali and the distinctly personal.
And perhaps that is the most interesting part of dressing for Puja today. Tradition does not have to be preserved in exactly the same silhouette to remain meaningful. Sometimes, it survives precisely because each generation finds a new way to wear it.
