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The mundu (
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
: ; ) is a garment worn around the waist in the Indian states of
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
,
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, the
Lakshadweep Lakshadweep (), also known as Laccadives (), is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian sea, located off the Malabar Coast. The name ''Lakshadweep'' means "one lakh islands" in Sanskrit, though the Lac ...
archipelago, and the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
island nation of
Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
. It is closely related to
sarong A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid ...
s like dhotis and lungis. It is normally woven in
cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
and coloured white or cream. The colour is dependent on whether the cotton is bleached or unbleached. A is made using handlooms. When unbleached, the mundu is called . In modern times, two types of mundu are prevalent—the single and the double. A single mundu is wrapped only once around the waist, while the double one is folded in half before wearing. A mundu is usually starched before use.


Men

A mundu usually has a line of comparatively thicker cloth woven into it near the border called the ''kara''. The ''kara'' can be coloured and comes in various sizes. There is also double coloured and ornamental ''kara'' (a strip of colour at the end of the mundu). For more ceremonial occasions (like weddings), a mundu has a golden embroidery known as kasavu. The wearer highlights the 'kara' by carefully folding the end of the mundu. The ''kara'' generally appears on the right-hand side of the person, though styles with the kara on the left side are prevalent. Unspoken rules of etiquette govern the way the mundu is worn. Men will often fold the garment in half to resemble a short skirt when working, cycling, etc. When faced with such a social situation, the fold of the mundu is loosened with an imperceptible flick and it flutters down to cover the legs completely. Sometimes a belt will be used; a popular Velcro belt that comes in either green or black has yellow pockets to keep valuables and hold the mundu (or lungi) secure. The ''melmundu'' is an upper garment similar to the or . that is worn by women; 'mundu' and 'melmundu' are part of the traditional
Malayali The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predomin ...
costume worn by men. Despite the considerable influence of western dressing forms in South Indian culture, Hindu traditional ceremonies of Kerala (some Hindu castes in other south Indian states) it is mandatory for the men to wear the Mundu. For Hindu weddings, men have to wear Mundu along with either shirt or a ''mel mundu''. Mundu along with is worn during religious occasions by Kerala Brahmins. It is also considered appropriate for men to wear Mundu during their visits to the temples and attending religious functions, though it is not mandatory at all places. However, it is a mandatory requirement to wear mundu and ''mel mundu'' for men to visit some famous temples in Kerala like the
Guruvayur Temple Guruvayur Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Guruvayurappan, a form of Vishnu, located in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is often referred ...
, the
Padmanabhaswamy Temple The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Tamil and Malayalam translates to "The City of Lord Ananta" (The Ci ...
) etc. For the convenience of devotees, temple managements may provide these on rent in the temple premises.


Women

A variant called a
mundum neriyatum Mundum neriyatum (Malayalam: മുണ്ട് നേരിയത്; settu-mundu or mundu-set) is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala, a state in southwestern India. It is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of the sari which covered ...
is used more often by women. The ''mundum neriyatum'' is a set of two mundus, both having matching ''kara''. The set contains a lower garment similar to those worn by men. The upper mundu, worn with a blouse, is wrapped once around the waist and upper body and left hanging from the left shoulder, resembling a
sari A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
. This is often called a set-mundu. This is usually worn during festivals or special occasions. A ''veshti'' is a small piece of cloth (generally put on the shoulders) along with a mundu, which is worn in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
amongst
Malayalis The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They are predom ...
for formal occasions.


Kerala Lungi

In
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...
, the lungi, also called or , is worn by both men and women. Labourers prefer to wear lungis while working. Most men in Kerala use lungi as casual wear or as a house dress, as it is quite comfortable to wear. Lungis are generally colourful, and with varying designs. They are not worn during occasions such as weddings or other religious ceremonies. Saffron-coloured lungis () are also commonly worn by men.


See also

* Lungi *
Mundum neriyatum Mundum neriyatum (Malayalam: മുണ്ട് നേരിയത്; settu-mundu or mundu-set) is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala, a state in southwestern India. It is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of the sari which covered ...
*
Sarong A sarong or sarung () is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist, worn in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Northern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric often has woven plaid ...
*
Toga The toga (, ), a distinctive garment of ancient Rome, was a roughly semicircular cloth, between in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. In Roman historical tra ...


References

# South India By Richard Plunkettx. # Female Ascetics: Hierarchy and Purity in an Indian Religious Movement By Wendy Sinclair-Brull page number 170. # The Syrian Christians of Kerala By S. G. Pothan. {{Clothing in South Asia Indian clothing Skirts Culture of Karnataka