Pew Research Report on Indian Woman Covering Head: Publicly covering heads is a common practice for women in India, which is affected by religious and cultural beliefs. According to the 2019-2020 Pu Research Center survey, about 61 percent of women in India follow the tradition of covering their heads outside their homes.

The form of this practice varies according to different religious groups, regions and social backgrounds. For example, Muslim women have the highest head -looking rate (89 per cent), while this practice is quite common among Hindu (59 per cent) and Sikh (86 per cent) women.

Tendency
Religious identity in India deeply affects the tradition of covering the head. 89 percent of Muslim women cover their heads in public places. It is associated with the tradition of wearing hijab, burqa or dupatta among those who believe in Islam. Muslim women adopt this practice in every region of the country. On the other hand, 59 percent of Hindu women publicly cover their heads. This practice is particularly more prevalent in North India. Traditionally, Hindu women covers their heads with a sari pallu or dupatta.

North vs south state
In India, the practice of covering heads in women is also seen separately on regional basis. About 90 percent of women in states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan publicly cover their heads. This practice is almost equally prevalent among Muslims (85 percent) and Hindu (82 percent) women in North India. On the other hand, the practice of covering heads in the states of South is less. Only 16 percent of women in Tamil Nadu cover their heads. This percentage is low in Kerala (17 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (26 per cent) and Telangana (29 per cent).

Big difference between Muslim and Hindu women in south states
There is a big difference between Muslim and Hindu women living in the states in the south, where 83 percent of Muslim women cover their heads. At the same time, only 22 percent of Hindu women follow this practice. 44 percent of women in Karnataka cover their heads. Here 71 percent Muslim and 42 percent Hindu women follow this tradition.