• When Norwegian Ambassador Hans Jacob Frydenlund went to Rashtrapati Bhavan to present his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind recently, he was wearing his country’s traditional folk costume.
• Called a “bunad”, it is not a single kind of costume but an umbrella term with several regional variations.
• A bunad often includes an apron, a headdress, and a scarf or shawl, and is embroidered and embellished with buckles, ornaments, jewellery and at times, blades. Bunads are expensive and typically worn on festive occasions.
• The University of Oslo estimates that one in two Norwegians owns a bunad, which is about 2.5 million bunads.
• There are 400 different variations that come in different styles for men and women.
• In 2012, Norway’s Ministry of Culture appointed the Bunad and National Costume Council to promote the use of bunads and other national costumes.

Source: Indian Express