PM Modi sports multicoloured leheriya print turban for 78th Independence Day celebrations

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi sported a multicoloured Rajasthani leheriya print turban with white kurta and churidar for the 78th Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort.

For his 11th Independence Day speech, Modi also wore a light blue bandhgala jacket.

In keeping with the tradition of wearing colourful turbans on every Independence Day since 2014, Modi's headgear this time was a mix of orange, yellow and green colour with a long tail.

Leheriya is a traditional style of textile tie dye from Rajasthan. The leheriya designs are inspired by the natural wave patterns formed by the wind blowing across the desert sands of western Rajasthan.

Last year, the prime minister chose a Rajasthani bandhani print turban with an off-white kurta and churidar. He had paired it with a black V-neck jacket. The turban was a mix of yellow, green and red colour with a long tail.

Flamboyant and colourful turbans have been a regular feature in the prime minister's attire for Independence Day and Republic Day events.

In 2022, he chose a saffron headgear with red patterns and a long tail. With that, he wore a traditional kurta and a churidar, complemented by a blue jacket and a stole.

For the Independence Day celebrations in 2021, the prime minister sported a saffron and cream headgear with a long tail. He had paired the 'safa' with a half-sleeve kurta and a fitted churidar.

In 2020, Modi wore a white scarf with a saffron border that he used to cover his mouth and nose in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For his maiden Independence Day in 2014, he had opted for a bright red Jodhpuri bandhej turban. The next year, Modi chose a yellow turban covered with multi-coloured criss-cross lines while he opted for a tie-and-dye turban in hues of pink and yellow in 2016.

The prime minister's turban for 2017 was a mix of bright red and yellow with crisscrossed golden lines all over. For his speech at the Red Fort in 2018, he had donned a saffron turban.

Modi will unfurl the national flag for the 11th time in a row on Thursday on Independence Day -- the centrepiece annual event where he lays out his government's agenda, presents its report card, makes important policy and programme announcements and speaks about burning issues.

His first Independence Day address of his third term will take him past Manmohan Singh, who unfurled the tricolour 10 times from the ramparts of Red Fort during 2004-2014 and place him behind Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who did the honours 17 and 16 times, respectively.