clothing

robe

burka

CLP0002

Most Rohingya women wear the burka, especially in rural areas. Even non-religious Rohingya women may wear it to avoid being shamed by their communities. In earlier times, it is said that Rohingya women wore white burkas sewn by local Rohingya tailors, consisting of a large white cloth draped from head to feet, leaving only two slits for the eyes. Later, Rohingya women wore doloin burka, meaning rice pounder burka. Like a doloin, this style of burka has two parts: a top part covering the head to waist, and a bottom part covering the waist to feet. Doloin burka are black. They are rarely worn today. Today, Rohingya women prefer modern burkas from Saudi Arabia or other Asian countries. Saudi burkas are expensive but the most preferred. They vary from 30,000-50,0000 Myanmar kyat ($21-35 USD) based on quality and designs. Saudi burkas are black. Young women also like Bangladeshi burkas because of their modern designs that reveal their beauty, and range in colors.