Mathabana

Parsi woman wearing Parsi sari and mathabana or white hair cover.

Mathabana was an essential part of ladies' costumes in Parsi culture in Zoroastrianism. Mathabana is a loose garment similar to the veil, particularly for preventing the display of hair. It was a piece of thin white linen to tie around the head. Parsi women were supposed to cover their hair to appear simple and limit their feminine beauty out of modesty and respect for their culture. The idea has initially been brought from Persia and continued until 50 years back. Males wore skull caps, and females were supposed to wear Mathabana; an uncovered head was considered sinful and against the religion.[1][2][3][4]

  1. ^ Karaka, Dosabhai Framji (1884). History of the Parsis, Including Their Manners, Customs, Religion, and Present Position. Macmillan and Company. p. 121.
  2. ^ Sharma, J. B.; Sharma, S. P. (1999). Socio-religious System of the Parsis. Sublime Publications. p. 201. ISBN 9788185809526. Considerable change has, however, taken place of late in the mode of putting the "mathabana" on the head. Half a century ago, Parsi ladies would have scouted the idea of showing the hair above the forehead, as is done by the Parsi girls of...
  3. ^ Karaka, Dosabhai Framji (1858). "The Parsees: Their History, Manners, Customs, and Religion". p. 69. They are robbed of a part of their beauty by the custom of concealing their hair under a thin cloth of white linen, called mathabana, or the head-binder. The hair is gathered into a knot at the back of the head, and tied with the ends of the...
  4. ^ Stausberg, Michael (2018-08-14). Zoroastrian Rituals in Context. BRILL. p. 467. ISBN 978-90-474-1250-2.