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The term jama refers to a long coat which was popular in South Asia during the Mughal period.
Contents
Styles
Some styles of the jama were tight around the torso but flared out like a skirt to below the knees or the ankles. Other styles, such as the chakman jama, ended at around the knees. The sleeves tended to be full. The jama was fastened to either side with strings with some styles also opening at the front. What was originally male dress was also adopted by women who wore the jama with a scarf and tight fitting pajamas. The ties of the upper half of the jama are taken under the armpit and across the chest.
A particular style of jama was the pointed jama which was like the standard Mughal jama but the skirt fell in four to six points instead of the circular hem of the Mughal jama.This jama may be derived from the Rajput court's takauchiah and therefore could be of local origin. During the Sikh reign the jama was no longer flowing but shorter and often tucked up around the waist to allow freedom of movement. During the 19th and 20th centuries A.D. the jama was reduced to a shirt like garment in the northern (upper) parts of British India.
Modern use
In Gujarat, the jama began to lose popularity by the end of the 19th century A.D. However, men in parts of Kutch still wear the jama also known as the angarkha which has an asymmetric opening with the skirt flaring out to around the hips. However, some styles fall to below the knees.