Sartorial and culinary connections

in 2020. The Muscat International Book Fair has also consistently showcased Indian authors and their works, making India the focus of their event in 2015 when the fair was accompanied by a series of talks and workshops on Indian literature. Khalid al Belushi of Sultan Qaboos University has been translating contemporary short stories by writers of Indian origin, particularly Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri. His translation of Omani poet Saif al Rahbi’s “Indians in Dawn’s light” references India thus:

This moment rolled upon itself

Like ruins of a decayed body

As usual اهضعبلىعةمومللماةظحللاهذه خسفتلااهكردأةثجءازجأك ةداعلاكحابصلاةعلطحلمألا )رخأتدقل( دونهلاقفدتيةذفانلامامأ اذوبشعنينلماح جناغلاهايبماخمضم رخآاراهنليثمنيرظتنم .سدقمتوموةنينمأطبنكل

I can’t glance at the morning’s face (It has lagged behind) Before the window, Out flow Indians Carrying Buddha’s coffin Washed in the Ganga, Waiting like me For another day But with peace and a sacred death….17

Sartorial and culinary connections

The seamless cultural contact between India and Oman is evident at every level of cultural life, including dress, culinary traditions and habits. The dishdasha, the traditional Omani menswear is accompanied with the wizar, akin to the lungi commonly worn in southern India, particularly Kerala. A cotton wrap running down the length until the ankle, the wizar is a common attire among fishermen all along the Indian Ocean communities. The tarbusha, a tassel attached along the collar is often dipped in oud or Omani frankinscence. The Omani turban (mussar) was for a long time exclusively made and exported from Kashmir. The mussar is a square fabric, produced and embroidered in Kashmir. The particulars of color, cut, embellishment, and manner of wearing these pieces reveal historical connections with East Africa and the Indian

17 al Belushi, K (2016). ‘Indians in Dawn’s Light’. p. 26.

subcontinent as well as Oman’s cosmopolitan history18. In fact, Muttrah souq, the famous historical market in Muscat city, sells a large variety of mussars and kummas, most of which are imported directly from Kashmir. They are often made of wool, polyster or cotton, with finely detailed and colourful embroidery. The woollen mussars is either made of cashmere wool or the more expensive pashmina wool that is lighter but sturdier19. A large number of Indians in Kerala used to wear the same mussar as the Omanis have on their heads. The Arab, especially the Omani influence, is evident in the Mappila attire also. Some of the Mappila men wear a turban on the head and put on a piece of cloth on the shoulder. The lungi (waist cloth), which is said to have come from Yemen is the most popular dress of Muslim men in Malabar and is reminiscent of fishing communities along the Omani coast as well. Religious leaders and Ulema wear full-sleeved long gowns reaching down to the feet. This might be in accordance with Arab customs. In resemblance to the Omani knife, the Mappilas also keep a knife hanging over their waistcloth20 . The women’s dresses are traditionally colourful and patterned along the lines of shalwar and kurta, accompanied with jewellery that partakes of Mughal traditions. The Omani dishdasha for women has a similar cut as the ‘kalidar’ kurta and the Omani salwar is similar to the Aligarhi pajama21. The embroidery styles of the pajamas are often inspired by Indian techniques, including the use of silver zari embroidery popular in Al-Sharqiya (called the ‘bashtah’). These embroidery designs have been brought from Chennai and Mysore and have been adapted by tailors to suit local tastes22. Similarly, Indian Muslim women are largely influenced by the abaya designs of the Gulf. This is especially true for those who have lived in Oman for a period of time as they take back some of the sartorial choices in modesty wear made popular in the Gulf. The cultural resemblance of Indians and Omanis is also noticeable in non-material heritage like the application of henna and the donning of colourful bangles on auspicious occasions. There is even an area called Salala in Hyderabad in India named after the city of Salalah in Oman, owing to traditions of marriage between Indians and Omanis, starting with the arrival of Omani traders in the 15th century. In fact, these linkages have brought them closer to each other

18 Martinez, A. (2017). ‘Omani men’s national dress: Displaying personal taste, asserting national identity’. 19 Another version of the mussar is the multicoloured turban made of cotton which is exclusively worn by the royal family of Oman. This is called the Saīidī. 20 Ilias, M. H. (2007). ‘Mappila Muslims and the cultural content of trading Arab diaspora on the Malabar coast’. 21 Kumar, M. and Walia, A. (2018), ‘Traditional Arabic costume and Indian salwar kameez:

A reciprocal correlation’. 22 Thomas Roche et al. (2014). ‘The dialogic fashioning of women’s dress in the Sultanate of Oman’.