Achkan

Achkan (Punjabi: اچکن), (Hindi: अचकन) is a knee length jacket worn by men, particularly in North India, Bangladesh and in Pakistan much like the Sherwani.

History

The achkan originated in North India as court dress for nobles and royals of the princely states of India, before being more generally adopted in the late eighteenth century. The achkan is commonly worn by the groom in the vast majority of Maratha, Jat, Rajput, and Sikh wedding ceremonies. It can be distinguished from the Sherwani by being often made from lighter, finer fabrics, and is generally without line. An achkan has only one breast pocket on the left side whereas a sherwani will have two breast pockets, left and right.