Gagra choli or Ghagra choli, which is also known as Lehenga choli and locally as Chaniya choli, is the traditional clothing of women from the Indian subcontinent; notable in Indian states of Rajasthan,Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu, as well as in Hindi speaking regions of Nepal. In Punjab it was traditionally worn with the kurti and salwar. It is a combination of the gagra or lehenga (long skirt) and the choli (blouse).
Historically, the gagra choli evolved from the three-piece attire worn by women in ancient India. The attire consisted of the Antriya lower garment, the Uttariya veil worn over shoulder or head and Stanapatta a chestband, which finds mentioned in Sanskrit literature and Buddhist Pali literature during 6th century B.C.
A choli (Hindi: चोली, Nepali: चोलो), (ravike in South India Telugu: రవికె, Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ) is a midriff-baring blouse commonly worn with the Indian Sari costume (worn in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, southern Nepal and other surrounding countries). It evolved from the ancient Stanapatta (also known as Kanchuki) and is cut to fit tightly to the body with its short sleeves and low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the hot South Asian summers.