Potloi is the bridal dress worn by brides of which state?

The Potloi (also called Potloi Phanek or Kumil) is the traditional bridal dress of the Meitei community of Manipur. It is worn by brides during the traditional Meitei wedding, and it is also the costume worn by the dancers who play Radha and the gopis in the Manipuri Ras Lila dance.

Features of the Potloi:

• Its most striking part is a stiff, cylindrical skirt that stands out from the body like a drum, made of thick, stiffened cloth (traditionally stiffened with rice paste and supported by a cane or bamboo frame).
• The skirt is decorated with shiny mirror work, sequins and gold and silver embroidery.
• Over it, a short, flared, transparent layer of fine cloth is worn, and a velvet blouse is worn on the upper body.
• A thin, transparent veil called "Mapal" or "Khwangnam" covers the head, and ornaments are worn on the forehead.

The dress is said to have been designed by the Meitei king Rajarshi Bhagyachandra (Ching-Thang Khomba), in the 18th century. According to legend, he saw it in a dream along with the Ras Lila dance, which he created. The Potloi is therefore closely linked with Manipuri Vaishnava culture.

Other traditional dresses of Manipur:

Phanek: a wrap-around skirt worn by Manipuri women in daily life, often striped. Phanek was given a GI tag along with the Innaphi (shawl), and the "Moirang Phee" is also a famous Manipuri textile.

Innaphi: a light shawl worn by women.

Manipuri dance is one of India's eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Assam's bridal dress is the Mekhela Chador, often in muga or pat silk.
• ✗Nagaland's tribes have their own shawls and wrap-around skirts.
• ✗Mizoram's traditional dress is the "Puan".