sAri, the Indian dress

[Poopathi Manickam]

Dear Mr. Mallaiya:

SA.RI  aka  Mun�du  could have been a discovery of our working mothers..!

(mun�thaanai/Mun meaning front Thundu  (Seelai (ChEla dress) in Tamil)))

It could have been needed for them
to carry the sun on their back while carrying
the suckling under their breast...

So that they could have work (in the nurseries or in the paddy fields)
and yet take care of our babies (breast feed) at the same time. .

Some folk songs (lullabies) are there to support this (catch-22 ?))
common bondage of maternal instinct...

And hence the second mundu ..that is essential
and needed across the breast..(Just like a Thottil (mobile swing))

These age old  at-one-ment  is still prevalent among
our mothers (hair collector in exchange for buffalo comb)
of rural Tamil Nadu.. even these days..

Apparently.. the Roman effeminate gemologists
could have been  inspired by the attire and
ultimately absorbed as their dressing code . . .
Perhaps..?

MadisAr would have been totally a different revelation / exposure..
And it could have been a  �counter spin � for the same reason (!)


Regards. . .

Poopathi


----- Original Message -----
From: "Yashwant Malaiya" <malaiya at CS.COLOSTATE.EDU>
To: <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 1999 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: sAri, the Indian dress


> SaRi, as it is worn in North (with head covered) appears
> ro have Greek influence. perhaps there is some relationship
> between the SaRi and the dress worn in Ethiopia/Sudan.
>
> Incidentally, at one time, before Digambaras and Svetambaras
> were clearly separated, there was a sect named "eka-shaataka",
> the Jain monks of this sect used a single garment, presumably
> the cloth draped over the the left arm.
>
> Incidentally original Hindi term is "saa.Rii" (itrans) not
> saarii.  Somtimes the word "dhoti" is used for both men's
> and well as women's garment.
>
> Yashwant
>