Lungi
Encyclopedia
The Lungi also known as a sarong
, is a traditional garment worn around the waist in India
, Pakistan
, Bangladesh
, Sri Lanka
, Burma, Brunei
, Indonesia
, Malaysia, Singapore
, the Horn of Africa
and the southern Arabian Peninsula
. It is particularly popular in regions where the heat and humidity create an unpleasant climate for trousers.
and come in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are available for ceremonial purposes such as weddings. The most common styles are either solid-colored or plaid
, reflecting the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of producing these patterns on a power loom. Blue is particularly popular, since it fades to pleasant tones in contrast to other colors. Regardless of the design or color, lungis are often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe containing reinforced weaving to prevent fraying.
Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men and/or women. They are tied or fastened in various ways, and can be used in different cultural activities, ranging from normal daily life to elaborate wedding ceremonies. For daily purposes, a simple "double twist" knot is most popular, where two points in the upper edge of lungi are brought together and twisted around twice, with the ends tucked in at the waist. However, it is also common for wearers to simply tie a double "pretzel knot" from 2 points on the upper border, which produces a more secure knot. The lungi's length can also be adjusted, for example, by tucking in the lungi at the waist to make it resemble a short skirt.
The lungi ( /luŋɡi/) is the most commonly-seen dress of Bangladeshi men, although it is not normally worn on formal occasions. In Bangladesh, lungis are worn by men, almost universally indoors and commonly outdoors as well. Elaborately-designed tartan
cotton, batik
, or silk
lungis are also often presented as wedding gifts to the groom in a Bengali wedding
. The typical Bangladeshi lungi is a seamless tubular shape, as opposed to the single sheet worn in other parts of South and Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh, the lungi industry is concentrated in Khulna
. Bengali women do not traditionally wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in some parts of southeastern Bangladesh.
, the lungi is called longyi
in Burmese. For men, the lungi is known as a paso (Burmese: ပုဆိုး), and for women, it is known as a htamain (Burmese: ထဘီ). Lungis of different fabrics, including cotton and silk, are worn for informal and formal occasions.
, the lungi sarong is referred to as a macawis. It is commonly worn by Somali
men as casual wear. The traditional color of the macawis is plain white. However, due to trade with the Southeast Asia
n islands and the Indian subcontinent
as well as the location of Somalia on the Spice Route, colourful Southeast Asian-style lungis have been introduced to the country.
In Kerala
, the lungi, generally colourful, and available in varying designs, is worn by both men and women. Physical laborers use it as a working dress. A Kerala dhoti in plain white, known as mundu
, often bears a golden embroidery, especially in the border length, known as kasavu, which is worn on ceremonial occasions like weddings, festive occasions, etc. Saffron-coloured mundus are also known as kaavi munde. The men generally tuck up their mundus(Kerala dhoti) or lungis with the bottom of the garment being pulled up and tied back on to the waist. This would mean that the mundu (Kerala dhoti) or lungi only covers the body from the waist to the knees.
In Andhra Pradesh
and Tamil Nadu
, only men wear this garment, which is not worn in a fashion similar to that of men in Kerala - while Keralites tie it at the RIGHT side the Tamilians tie it to their LEFT. Note - Some of the Muslim communities in Kerala also tie mundu to their LEFT. It is also known as Kaili or Saaram/Chaaram in South Tamil Nadu. The Muslims of Tamil Nadu are found to favor the white colored lungis on formal occasions.
In Punjab
(both Pakistani and Indian portions), lungis are worn by both men and women. They are part of traditional dance attire in Bhangra dance groups, but are also popular in rural areas or as home wear.They are generally tied in a different way then in other parts of India and are, as a rule, unstitched and often very colourful.
In Bihar
, Orissa
and West Bengal
lungi is primarily home wear for males of all classes of society. Hindu men generally avoid wearing lungis on the street.
In Orissa
Sambalpuri with Sambalpuri pattern and mule
based lungis from Khordha
are available in addition to normal cotton fabric lungis.
In Haryana
it is considered a night dress for men.
and Sindh provinces. In the past it used to be very widely worn, but its use has declined considerably in Punjab and is now usually worn by the elderly, as younger people have started wearing the shalwar. Though it is still worn casually by men throughout the Punjab as a form of night dress or as a casual garment worn only within the house during the hot summer months.
Lungis are popular amongst women in Southern Punjab and Sindh
, where many lungis bear a certain type of embroidery or pattern. In Sindh the lungi is the most common dress amongst the lower castes and agricultural workers, whereas the upper classes (mostly of Baloch
and Rajput
descent) wear the wide, baggy Balochi style shalwar.
, the garment is called a Izaar. A white Izaar is worn underneath the Thobe and coloured Izaar maybe worn by fishermen and during times of menial labour without Thobe.Sometimes a shorter knee long Izaar is worn on top of the other as part of traditional dance attire.
, the garment is called a Izaar
.The tribes people of the southwestern regions like Asir generally wear their own weaved Izaar, similar to those used by tribes in Northern Yemen
. They are often black in colour, unstitched and may have tassels. Other Saudis may wear imported Bangladeshi, Indian or Indonesian plaid or striped izaars as a comfortable home wear or for sleeping.It is common in coastal areas. It is also worn by fishermen.
, which also similar to the Lungee. However, the term Lungi is not used.
Sarong
A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
, is a traditional garment worn around the waist in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Burma, Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
and the southern Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. It is particularly popular in regions where the heat and humidity create an unpleasant climate for trousers.
Design
Unlike dhutis, which are linear like sheets, lungis are sewn into a tube shape like a skirt. However, this does not mean that lungis are skirts. There are also cheaper "open" lungis, in identical dimensions but not sewn into a tube shape. The standard adult lungi is 115 cm in height and 200 cm in length, when open. Children's lungis are available in approximately 2/3 of this size. They are normally woven from cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and come in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are available for ceremonial purposes such as weddings. The most common styles are either solid-colored or plaid
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
, reflecting the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of producing these patterns on a power loom. Blue is particularly popular, since it fades to pleasant tones in contrast to other colors. Regardless of the design or color, lungis are often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe containing reinforced weaving to prevent fraying.
Usage
Bangladesh
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
cotton, batik
Batik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
, or silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
lungis are also often presented as wedding gifts to the groom in a Bengali wedding
Bengali wedding
Bengali wedding includes many rituals and ceremonies that can span several days. Although Muslim and Hindu marriages have their distinctive religious rituals, there are many common Bengali rituals in weddings across both West Bengal and Bangladesh....
. The typical Bangladeshi lungi is a seamless tubular shape, as opposed to the single sheet worn in other parts of South and Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh, the lungi industry is concentrated in Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...
. Bengali women do not traditionally wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in some parts of southeastern Bangladesh.
Myanmar
In MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, the lungi is called longyi
Longyi
A longyi is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Burma. It is approximately 2 m long and 80 cm wide. The cloth is often sewn into a cylindrical shape. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet. It is held in place by folding fabric over, without a knot. It is also sometimes folded up to...
in Burmese. For men, the lungi is known as a paso (Burmese: ပုဆိုး), and for women, it is known as a htamain (Burmese: ထဘီ). Lungis of different fabrics, including cotton and silk, are worn for informal and formal occasions.
Somalia
In SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, the lungi sarong is referred to as a macawis. It is commonly worn by Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
men as casual wear. The traditional color of the macawis is plain white. However, due to trade with the Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n islands and the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
as well as the location of Somalia on the Spice Route, colourful Southeast Asian-style lungis have been introduced to the country.
India
In India, the customs behind wearing lungis varies by state.In Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, the lungi, generally colourful, and available in varying designs, is worn by both men and women. Physical laborers use it as a working dress. A Kerala dhoti in plain white, known as mundu
Mundu
The mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
, often bears a golden embroidery, especially in the border length, known as kasavu, which is worn on ceremonial occasions like weddings, festive occasions, etc. Saffron-coloured mundus are also known as kaavi munde. The men generally tuck up their mundus(Kerala dhoti) or lungis with the bottom of the garment being pulled up and tied back on to the waist. This would mean that the mundu (Kerala dhoti) or lungi only covers the body from the waist to the knees.
In Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, only men wear this garment, which is not worn in a fashion similar to that of men in Kerala - while Keralites tie it at the RIGHT side the Tamilians tie it to their LEFT. Note - Some of the Muslim communities in Kerala also tie mundu to their LEFT. It is also known as Kaili or Saaram/Chaaram in South Tamil Nadu. The Muslims of Tamil Nadu are found to favor the white colored lungis on formal occasions.
In Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
(both Pakistani and Indian portions), lungis are worn by both men and women. They are part of traditional dance attire in Bhangra dance groups, but are also popular in rural areas or as home wear.They are generally tied in a different way then in other parts of India and are, as a rule, unstitched and often very colourful.
In Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
lungi is primarily home wear for males of all classes of society. Hindu men generally avoid wearing lungis on the street.
In Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
Sambalpuri with Sambalpuri pattern and mule
Spinning mule
The spinning mule was a machine used to spin cotton and other fibres in the mills of Lancashire and elsewhere from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Mules were worked in pairs by a minder, with the help of two boys: the little piecer and the big or side piecer...
based lungis from Khordha
Khordha district
Khordha is an administrative division of the state of Orissa, India. It was formed on April 1, 1993 by the division of former Puri District into Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts. In the year 2000 the district name was changed to Khordha. The district headquarters is Khordha Town, formerly...
are available in addition to normal cotton fabric lungis.
In Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
it is considered a night dress for men.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the lungi is worn in the PunjabPunjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and Sindh provinces. In the past it used to be very widely worn, but its use has declined considerably in Punjab and is now usually worn by the elderly, as younger people have started wearing the shalwar. Though it is still worn casually by men throughout the Punjab as a form of night dress or as a casual garment worn only within the house during the hot summer months.
Lungis are popular amongst women in Southern Punjab and Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, where many lungis bear a certain type of embroidery or pattern. In Sindh the lungi is the most common dress amongst the lower castes and agricultural workers, whereas the upper classes (mostly of Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
and Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
descent) wear the wide, baggy Balochi style shalwar.
Oman
In OmanOman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, the garment is called a Izaar. A white Izaar is worn underneath the Thobe and coloured Izaar maybe worn by fishermen and during times of menial labour without Thobe.Sometimes a shorter knee long Izaar is worn on top of the other as part of traditional dance attire.
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, the garment is called a Izaar
Izaar
An izaar is a lower undergarment usually worn under a thawb or sometimes worn by itself by men. It is commonly worn by itself by men in Somalia, Egypt and Bangladesh. It is also commonly worn by itself by Arabs at home....
.The tribes people of the southwestern regions like Asir generally wear their own weaved Izaar, similar to those used by tribes in Northern Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. They are often black in colour, unstitched and may have tassels. Other Saudis may wear imported Bangladeshi, Indian or Indonesian plaid or striped izaars as a comfortable home wear or for sleeping.It is common in coastal areas. It is also worn by fishermen.
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore
In these regions the Malay wear the SarongSarong
A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
, which also similar to the Lungee. However, the term Lungi is not used.
See also
- Indian DressIndian DressThe traditional clothing in India varies with region, religion and community. The formal business attire is fairly uniform across the country, and similar to the western clothing.- Women's Clothing :...
- KiltKiltThe kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
- KangaKanga (African garment)The kanga which comes from the old Bantu verb ku-kanga to wrap or close, is a colourful garment similar to kitenge, worn by women and occasionally by men throughout Eastern Africa...
- Lungee
- LongyiLongyiA longyi is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Burma. It is approximately 2 m long and 80 cm wide. The cloth is often sewn into a cylindrical shape. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet. It is held in place by folding fabric over, without a knot. It is also sometimes folded up to...
- DhotiDhotiThe dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
- MunduMunduThe mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
- SarongSarongA sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...