What clothing is traditionally worn by female dancers in Manipuri performances?

In traditional Manipuri dance performances, female dancers wear a distinctive and elaborate costume designed to enhance their graceful, flowing movements. The primary garment is the kumil, a cylindrical, embroidered skirt featuring a white muslin overlay. This is paired with a velvet blouse and a translucent, shimmering gauze veil.12

To complete the aesthetic, dancers often style their hair in braids or a high rolled crown, which is then adorned with ornaments and chains of white blossoms. Their faces are typically decorated with fine designs made from white chalk, rice powder, or sandalwood paste. Unlike many other Indian classical dance forms, Manipuri dancers do not wear ankle bells, as they are considered to interfere with the dance's signature continuous, unbroken movements.12