An online backlash has prompted officials in Indian-administered Kashmir to reverse a ban on education department employees wearing the traditional pheran garment.
An official in the region ordered the ban on the pheran, a long loose coat worn by both men and women, on 11 December.
“All the officers visiting this office are advised to visit with proper dress. It is recommended that no official will visit the office wearing ‘feral’ traditional trousers and slipper/plastic shoes," the order read, according to The Indian Express.
The initial ban prompted outrage across India with many taking to social media and posting photos of themselves in the traditional garment, using the hashtag 'Pheran is my identity'.
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Former chief minister Omar Abdullah called for the ban to be withdrawn.
Many called the pheran ban an attack on their culture.
The ban on the pheran in the education office was later reversed following the uproar.
Kashmir is a disputed region - between India and Pakistan - with a population of about 18 million people.
