In the high humid heat of South India, gone are the ill-fitting, black or navy polyester trousers so many Indian men pair with button popping tight shirts. In their place is a much more casual and ingenious attire of a long, unstructured sheet-like cloth called a lungi usually worn with a relaxed button up or pull over shirt. It’s such a common attire for men, and some ladies, within the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andrha Pradesh, that before long tourists find themselves inquiring how to tie a lungi, and where can they purchase their own.
What is a Lungi?
Looking like a cross between a bed sheet and a towel, lungis are a garment worn around the waist. The fit and style of a well tied lungi is similar to a sarong skirt. This casual dress is a part of daily life for all classes of Indians, specifically the working class who prefer the ease of movement as well as natural cooling effect which comes from an open bottom.
Some states in North India such as Bihar, Orissa and Pashim Banga (West Bengal) also have adapted this favored dress. However, it’s uncommon to see females wearing the lungi as one travels outside Kerala.
Types of Lungi
A lungi is a casual version of the popular bottom dress in South India. It’s easily identifiable due to the colorful floral or windowpane patterns of fabric. Pronounced “loon” + “gey”, lungis come one size fits all for adults with a slightly smaller cut for children. Cotton is the most common fabric used as it breaths well, is abundant within India, and it is a tremendously versatile cloth for dying.
There are two preferred ways of producing a lungi: open and stitched. An open lungi is simply a piece of fabric which is then folded and tied to the wearer’s preference. A stitched version has both open ends joined together and stitched to form a tube. No matter what the color and design of the lungi, there is always a thin line or stripe running horizontally at the top and bottom of the fabric.
A lungi in plain white is called a mundu. This version is reserved for special occasions such as weddings or important festivals. Silk is sometimes used in place of cotton; and gold embroidery is used in place of the simple stripe.
How to Wear a Lungi
A lungi can be worn full length or half length depending on the situation the wearer finds themselves.
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Full length, meaning tied at the waist and draped to the floor, is appropriate for business settings, paying respects to elders or for the deceased. For added benefit the sides of a lungi can be pulled up to vent hot legs without being considered rude. |
Half length refers to the bottom portion of the fabric being folded up and retied, thus exposing the wearer’s legs. This is a common sight on especially hot days, when crossing wet streets, playing sports or for those working fields or any other laborious tasks where one doesn’t want to dirty the fabric. |
How to Tie a Lungi
The way and kind of a lungi is worn is very much indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of the man or woman. For example, in Tamil Nadu the lungi is tied to the left while Keralites tie lungis on the right side. Muslims tie a lungi to the left. To understand all the various respective ways in which Indians wear a lungi is nearly impossible.
