A topor (Bengali: টোপর) is a type of conical headgear traditionally worn by grooms as part of the Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony.[1] [2] The topor is typically fragile, made of sholapith and white in colour.[3] [4]
The topor is traditionally given to the groom by the bride's family.[5] The groom dons the topor before the main ceremony begins. It is believed to bring good luck. Brides will typically wear related, but differently-shaped, headgear (Bengali: মুকুট, mukut).
Topors are also worn by infant boys as part of the annaprashana ceremony, when they are dressed like grooms.
According to a legend associated with it, it is evident that the Topor was crafted because Lord Shiva wanted to wear a special headwear for the wedding ceremony and he gave this task to Vishvakarma but he failed to design a beautiful and eye-catching headgear as he was only specialized in handling hard materials. Later, the Lord Shiva assigned a Malakar to make a headgear using sholapith. From then, the Topor became a significant part of traditional Bengali Hindu weddings.[6]