Undergarments of Kerala - Traditional and Modern.
കേരളീയ ഉള്വസ്ത്രങ്ങള് - പാരമ്പര്യവും ആധുനികവും
Kerala lingerie, Malayalee lingerie, Mallu traditional
ഒന്നര ധരിക്കേണ്ടത് എങ്ങിനെ ? ഈ ചോദ്യത്തിനുത്തരം കൃത്യമായി വ്യക്തമായി ഇതുവരെയും നെറ്റില് ഇല്ലാ എന്നതാണ് സത്യം. പക്ഷെ, കുറച്ചു വിവരണങ്ങള് ഉണ്ട് എന്നതും പറയണമല്ലോ ? ഇത്തരുണത്തില് ഞാന് "ഹൌ ടു" ഒന്ന് പരതിയത് . അപ്പോള് കണ്ട മറ്റു ചിലതാണിതില്.
How to wear Onnara ? Yet to get a link ! I wish some of my readers contribute a video (atleast some stills !). Else, one has to wait until I could get a link.
As some of the readers pointed out that "Neelathaamara" disappointed them, here is a link to a video (song) from പരിണയം. Please try if this satisfy you !
Following is an essay on Undergarments, extracted from Web pages. My intention of posting this now is to highlight the importance of the undergarments on many aspects, including religious. As you you could see, undergarments are : Protective systems, Body shapers, Erotic, and also have a Religious significance.
This is true with Kerala undergarments too. Each of the undergarments we inherited from our earlier generations, have all these parameters at its root. That's how a Nair or Nampoothiri think of an Onnara or Konakam ! They all are deep rooted in our culture and minds . Ofcourse, in this essay, I've what the West have. I am not touching upon the Keralite ! That's all on the way ... Please put your comments and come back for more.
Undergarments or underwear are cloths worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, feces, and other discharges; shape the body; and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear sometimes is worn to provide additional warmth. Some undergarments are intended for erotic effect. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as underwear, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as undergarments and as outer clothing. If made of suitable material, some undergarments can serve as nightwear or swimsuits.
Undergarments commonly worn by women today include Brassieres and panties (also known as knickers), while men often wear briefs, boxer shorts, and boxer briefs. Items commonly worn by both sexes include T-shirts, sleeveless shirts (also called singlets), bikini underwear, thongs, and G-strings.
There are several other terms for undergarments. Undercloths, underclothing and underwear are formal terms, while undergarments may be more casually called, undies) and Reginalds, and, in the UK smalls (from the earlier smallclothes).
Women's undergarments collectively are called lingerie. They also are called intimate clothing and intimates.
An undershirt is a piece of underwear covering the torso, while underpants (often pants in the UK), drawers, and shorts cover the genitals and often the buttocks. Terms for specific undergarments are in following table.
Why Underwear ?
Underwear is worn for a variety of reasons. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, and feces. Women's brassieres provide support for their breasts, and men's briefs serve the same function for the male genitalia.; a corset may be worn as a foundation garment to alter a woman's body shape.. For additional support and protection when playing sports, men often wear more tightly fitting underwear, including jockstraps and trunks. Women may wear sports bras which provide greater support, thus increasing comfort and reducing the chance of damage to the ligaments of the chest during high-impact exercises such as jogging.
In cold climates, underwear may be an additional layer of clothing that helps the wearer keep warm. Underwear can be used to preserve the wearer's modesty– for instance, some women wear camisoles and slips (petticoats) under clothes that are sheer. Conversely, underwear can also be worn for erotic effect. It is possible to purchase underwear made specifically for sexual titillation, such as edible underwear and crotchless panties.
Some items of clothing are designed as underwear, while others such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts are suitable both as underwear and as outer clothing. The suitability of underwear as outer clothing is, apart from the indoor or outdoor climate, largely dependent on societal norms, fashion and the requirements of the law. If made of suitable material, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimsuits.
Undergarments can also have religious significance.
Eg. Male Orthodox Jews wear a four-cornered prayer shawl called a tallit katan.
Most members of the The church of Jesus Christ ( Mormons) wear special temple garments.
Sikh men wear a type of underpants called the Kaccha, which are similar to boxer trunks.
{ Our 'Thantri' and 'Poojari's must wear 'thattu' while doing their religious functions. Hindu women are to wear thattu (onnara) while at temples and other religious ceremonies }
Types of Underwear
Worn by both sexesWhole body
Long Underwear
Long johns, long handles A two-piece undergarment worn during cold weather consisting of a shirt with sleeves extending to the wrists and trousers with pant legs reaching down to the ankles.
Upper body Sleeveless shirt
Tank top, wife beater, singlet A sleeveless garment similar to a T-shirt.
A-shirt (guinea tee, muscle shirt, singlet, wifebeater, vest (UK), Banian (India) – tight-fitting with large armholes and a neckline that can extend as far as mid-chest.
T-shirt
Tee A garment covering a person's torso which is usually without buttons, pockets or a collar, and has long or (mostly) short sleeves. It is worn by pulling it over the head.
Round-neck T-shirt and V-neck T-shirt
Lower body Bikini Underwear
Usually worn with the waistband lower than the wearer's waist, and often at the hips, with the leg bands ending at the groin. Men's bikini briefs normally have no fly..
High-sided bikini underwear and Low-sided bikini underwear
String bikini – consists of two triangular pieces connected at the groin but not at the sides, with a thin "string" around the waist connecting the pieces.
G-String
Gee-string, gee string A type of thong consisting of a narrow piece of material that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips.
Tanga
A type of thong which has no material around the sides other than the waistband.
Thong
Has a narrow strip of material along the centre of the garment's rear which sits between the wearer's buttocks and connects the front or pouch to the waistband behind the wearer. Thongs are sometimes worn to reduce panty lines when wearing tightly-fitting trousers..
Worn by womenUpper body
Brassiere ( Bra)
Bra : Usually consists of two cups for the breasts, a centre panel (gore), a band running around the torso under the bust, and a shoulder strap for each side.
Demi bra (balconette bra)
Padded bra
Push-up bra
Sports bra
Strapless bra
T-shirt bra
Lower body Boy Shorts Booty shorts, boyleg briefs, boy short panties, boys' cut shorts, boyshorts, shorties A type of panties with sides that extend lower down the hips, rather like men's briefs.
Panties
UK: Knickers These usually have an elastic waistband, a crotch to cover the genital area which is usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton, and a pair of leg openings which are often also elasticized. They either have very short or no leg sections.
Control panties – usually made of strechable material such as Spandex and extending above the waist, these are designed to provide support and create a slimmer appearance.
High cut (French cut) panties.
Hipsters – worn lower with the waistband around the hips.
Worn by menLower body
Boxer briefs
Trunks These are similar in style to boxer shorts, but are generally shorter and form-fitting like briefs.
Athletic-style boxer briefs – similar to cycling shorts, these are skin-tight and usually have no fly.
Pouch boxer briefs – these have a pouch for the genitals instead of a fly.
Boxer shorts
Boxers These have an elasticized waistband that is at or near the wearer's waist, while the leg sections are fairly loose and extend to the mid-thigh. There is usually a fly, either with or without buttons. The waistbands of boxer shorts are usually wider than those of briefs, and often bear the brand name of the manufacturer.
Boxer shorts with colourful patterns, pictures of cartoon characters, sports team logos and slogans are readily available.
Knit boxers Woven boxers
Briefs
UK: Slip, Y-fronts
US: Jockey shorts, tightie-whities
These have an elasticized waistband at or near the wearer's waist, and leg sections that end at or near the groin.
Traditional briefs – these have a Y-shaped fly.
Diagonal-flap briefs.
Double-seat or double-back briefs.
Low-cut or low-rise briefs
Pouch briefs.
Jockstrap
Athletic supporter, jock, strap, supporter Consists of an elastic waistband with a support pouch for the genitalia and two elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip. In some varieties, the pouch may be fitted with a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the genitals from injury.
Strapless pouch – consists of a support pouch for the genitals and a waistband, with no securing straps.
Fashions and trends
Exposed underwear ( Sagging )
Underwear is sometimes partly exposed for fashion reasons or to titillate. A woman may, for instance, allow the top of her brassiere to be visible from under her collar, or wear a see-through blouse over it. Some men wear T-shirts underneath partly- or fully-unbuttoned shirts.
A common style among young men is to allow their trousers to sag below their waists, thus revealing the waistband or a greater portion of their boxer shorts. A woman wearing low-rise trousers which expose the upper rear portion of her thong underwear is said to display a " whale tail".
Not wearing undergarments ( Going Commando )
Not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing is known in American slang as freeballing for men or freebuffing for women; in addition, the term going commando is used for both sexes. People choose to forgo underwear for reasons of comfort, to enable their outer garments (particularly those which are form-fitting) to look more flattering, or because they find it sexually arousing. The practice is not without its risks, particularly for women, some of whom have been the victims of upskirt photographers.
Certain types of clothes, such as cycling shorts and kilts, are designed to be worn or are traditionally worn without underwear. This also applies for most clothes worn as nightwear.
Thank you 'anonymous lady' for your comments (posted last). Your appreciation of the tips and pictures should be a guideline for other readers too. Hoever, I have a few more comments :
Do not use pins at all. It's not safe and secure.
Wearing thaar while sleeping ... well... I think you should wear it a bit loose. Don't be too tight while on the bed, for physical reasons.
While at work, it's good to have it tight. The knot would prevent any loosening or coming off. I know ladies wearing this while doing Yoga, which involves a lot of stretching out.
Venturing to office ... Yes it's best suited. Many ladies hesitate to wear it, on fear of loosening or the vaal coming off. The two knots guards them all.
As you rightly said, the pin could spoil the mundu. It's a bit inconvienient to open. The knot, though difficult to remove in normal standing posture, is easy to open with your legs a bit spread and a bit kneeling.
"The naughtiest problem" is solved thro' a simple knot ? ! Yes Madam, ther's a simple solution to every tough problem. It's upto the individual, to think... ask others.. share the knowledge .. and that's it.
In this context, I remember how my Grand Mother was doing with knots (4 , if remember right !) on her bodice for comfort and to trim the shape of her boobs. None of the modern day bra could do that !!
" I wonder how many women are aware of this! " - Not many now. Yeah...but many women knew it.. and they were doing this way. At the same time, I've seen many women taking the trouble of tightening up their thaar frequently ... seeking corners of the house or elsewhere they go.
"How many are wearing this wonderful apparel these days! " ... not many. It's still there in central and north Kerala, atleast in some families. But the practice is dying down !
"Onnara-wearers to be slowly extinct like the lion-tailed monkeys of silent valley." ... that's an interesting comment.
Nair community is losing all their wealth... including the valuable traditions. I know Nair girls who are totally ignorant about Onnara. No one taught them and they all went behind the western culture (as we all do in most of our matters).
"Tomorrow's fashion is yesterday's Tradition"... Yes this idea would work out. But ... I have my doubts ! However, I wish Onnara become fashionable tomorrow, also taking into account its invaluable benefits.
"Search Assist ON, the moment I type ONNAR in the Yahoo search, it reveals so much topic in this subject including "how to wear onnaramundu". That's a surprise to me ... I don't find much material about Thaar/ Onnara, when tried through Google searches ! Please send me those links, if you can. Let me retry.
"Who knows, one day, some western woman can take fascination on this attire and popularise it; perhaps, they will even grab a patent for this and sell the idea to us as it happens always. Or some tennis champions like WILLIAMS sisters may wear this under their short skirt and then it may catch like wild-fire even among our fashion-conscious ladies." ... Oh... that may happen... it's a great idea Ma'm...
I can see Serena fighting Venus at Wimbledon... Oh... their skirt flying up ... yeah... it's thaar.. inside... the greatest of all greatest garments...!
A comment from 'Anonymous lady' on "Knot technique".
I am reproducing her comment, for my readers to note and comment. This is what she says.
"
Thank you for Your tip on the knot technique which was indeed a revelation to me. Though, I had some initial confusion on where to put the knots, the photos of this page on Knots made everything clear and I decided to give it a try. Normally, whenever I use Onnara under my nighty during sleep in the night, it used to come off easily at the slightest movement in the bed (I avoid putting pin at home). But yesterday, the result was fantastic and as I woke up in the morning, I was really astonished to find my onnara perfectly intact in its place and as tight as I worn in the night. Even when I did some stretching exercises, the tail never came out. That gave me enough confidence to venture out to office without the habitual safety pin. It was really a wonderful feeling to have the onnara holding together tightly through out the day without any need of slightest adjustment. Also, it has other advantages compared to pin technique. Pin serves as a nuisance while going to the toilet as it is difficult sometimes to remove it. Another problem is, the pin holes spoils the cloth and will get torn easily. Isn't it wonderful that the most naughtiest problem of ONNara surrounding its Tail is solved thro' a simple knot? So as far as I am concerned, it is bye-bye to pins. I wonder how many women are aware of this! For that matter, how many are wearing this wonderful apparel these days! After the 70's, pantice culture has so much dominated among all class of women forcing the Onnara-wearers to be slowly extinct like the lion-tailed monkeys of silent valley. I often ask some of my Nair friends about (Onnara was supposed to be a symbol and hallmark of this community) how they lost the habit of wearing this wonderful inner-wear;most of them have not worn this in their life. It seems, their mothers never taught them and wanted them to be fashionable and in the process their mothers themsleves shifted to pantice culture. But my feeling is, today's youngsters are not the fixed type and are very adaptable. If they are convinced that something is good for them, they will have no problem in changing it. Of course, they want to be fashionable and they know that "Tomorrows's fashion is yesterday's Tradition". That is how the "Kadukkans" and "Kudumas" of yester-years became the in-thing among even our boys. So who knows our Onnaras won't be fashionable tomorrow, also taking into account its invaluable benefits. The internet culture will also definitely help in propagating the right messsage. In fact, I never thought there will be so much of info. on items like ONNARA/Thaar on the web pages; with the Search Assist ON. the moment I type ONNAR in the Yahoo search, it reveals so much topic in this subject including "how to wear onnaramundu". This was a surprise to me and that is how I came to your web pages. But I find so much HOT TOPICS on your pages which, I believe, most women won't enjoy like males and this will cause loss of traffic to your site. Hence my adivise is, devote a serious blog on this subject - something like "1 1/2 lovers forum" or "1 1/2 users forum" and dedicate to some serious discussion on the subject. I think, you have some solid content. The other site onnara.blogspot.com is not professional enough. May be, who knows, one day, some western woman can take fascination on this attire and popularise it; perhaps, they will even grab a patent for this and sell the idea to us as it happens always. Or some tennis champions like wILLIAMS sisters may wear this under their short skirt and then it may catch like wild-fire even among our fashion-conscious ladies.
Enough of it now and once again thanks for the tip. "
The message is crystal clear ! and interesting ! I leave this here to you now. Kindly respond with your comments.
Thank you madamfor the fantastic narration and your sincere suggestions.
Malayalam classic movies of the yester years ! Remember "Guruvayyor Kesavan" ?. The great actress 'Jayabharathi' , in the true traditional malayali manka attire !
Scenes from "Paleri maanikyam" reminds those. Malayaali manka in the true malayaali attire.
An 'ottamundu' and blouse has been the 'at home' attire for most women in Kerala, ... Those days . However, there are still some women who practice this. Not in our cities or towns, but go to the villages ....
I happened to see this picture on the web.. and thought of sharing with all onnara fans.
The movie "Neelathaamara" would be nice. It has what we love most, the traditional mundu and blouse style. This tempted me to look for some pictures on the web. Yes... I could get some, see them below. I'm referring to the Mundu, blouse and Onnara !
You may watch more photographs of this beauty at www.kerala9.com
Panties are quite cheap. They are available as low as 15 Rs a piece. This may be a factor for the girls to go for this . Ofcourse .... to be modern is wear a panty !. But atleast some women believe that this is not the right one.
Last day, I happened to surf the web on this topic - Onnara/ Thaar. Surprisingly, I got a description (may not be excellent ... and something is better than nothing ! ) in one of the sites. I copied the text and and it's here for you.
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How to wear an Onnara.
Onnara is one and half sized mundu, nearly six muzham in length. This is wrapped over the buttocks and the two free ends are kept at equal length. One end is pulled up to the face level and the other end is tightly wound over this and the end inserted at the right side of belly. Then leave the top end and it will drop the other end and the conical end will be touching the ground almost. Now kneel down and catch the back portion of the mundu and bring it up to the waist under the conical flap portion dropping down. Now spread the legs little bit and insert this portion in between bottom belly and the edge of the dhothi. This portion will be tight now over the pelvis, the thighs will be covered upto the knee fully and partially downwards. Now the final process starts. Bring one hand to the back and catch the dropping conical front end through the spreaded legs (between thighs) and pull the end as much tight as possible and nicely insert the tail portion in between the back over the buttock and cloth.
By now for ladies of some good structure some statue look will be there and curves and shape of the back will be well displayed. In olden days only a plain dothi used to be worn over this so that the onnara will be partially visible through the cloth. Now there is one underskirt for fully covering the onnara. Still the buttock shape will be prominent with an onnara and any brand of panty can't keep the structure like this.
A bit of research on the net. Yeah.. that's on Onnara / Thaar. I could find some official reference of 'Onnaramundu' in the website ofKerala State Womens Development Corporation. Let me reproduce a paragraph therein. You may also visit the site at :
Extract from the web page of KSWDC on the costumes and ornaments of Kerala women.
"
In the earlier days, it was very easy to identify a women belonging to different caste/community with their dress codes. Well in that too there were close association in the sense that Hindu, Christian and Muslim women generally preferred white clothes. Christian women wore a long white garment which is folded with a number of fan-like fringes behind and a jacket is worn over the upper part of the body. While Muslim women wear a white garment from waist to ankles and a white jacket with long sleeves. Purdah and burqa-wearing Muslim women were a common scene. While the typical item in the dress of Nair, Kshatriya, Ambalavasi and some other communities of women was the onnaramundu. Over this was worn the upper garment, mundu, and the blouse. While going out, a longer cloth of finer texture, neriatu, is worn over the shoulders. Besides, the traditional outfit of malayali woman was Neriathu’ and ‘Mundu’. Among, young girls and teenagers it was full skirt and blouse’ and ‘half sari’ (full skirt, short blouse and a davani (shawl).
Sometime back, I asked you whether you ever searched for the word "Thaar" or "Onnara" on the web. After a long search, you'll realise that it's just not there at all in any dictionary or encyclopedia, even now. It's absolutely essential to add these to an encyclopedia, as the next generation would find this most interesting and useful.
Any dictionary or Encyclopedia would give the word 'thar'. That's right ... but that's about the 'Thar desert' ! May be you'll get the 'thars'... that's the 'varayaadukal'.
That made me decide to put the words in the Wikipedia. { Thank God, it's nice. They allow you to include new knowledge elements into the Wikipedia, and edit them. Anyone can contribute to such topics. That's collaborative knowledge addition. }
So, now you can look for "Thaar" and "Onnara" in Wikipedia. Here is the link.
Meenakshi's blog : The compulsive confessor. If you haven't read it, I suggest you should. Atleast for its fanfare. And you may be knowing that Meenaakshi has her malayalam genes (She's the daughter of Writer /Novelist N.S.Madhavan).
This week she writes about the skinny jeans and underwear. Here is a bit what she wrote:
* I am also giving up on the Skinny Jeans phenomenon. I've tried them on over and over again and I cannot for the life of me figure out who these jeans are supposed to be flattering. I have extraordinarily skinny legs and an ass that is almost non-existant. These jeans skinnify my legs even more BUT push my ass out so I look.. well.. really weird. Pair that with an empire waist top and you know I've got some serious body issues.
Something I do like though is boy shorts, which, wouldn't you know it, is underwear. So much more comfortable than a thong, make my ass look VISIBLE (seriously!) and are kinda cool in a hipster sorta way. They're also good to wear under dresses when you don't want your pantyline to show and come in all sorts of awesome patterns. My two favourites right now are ones with cassettes on it with "Feel the beat" on the waistband and similar ones with zebra faces on it and "Drive Me Wild". LOVE them. I wish they were outerwear too.
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Are you dreaming now of "The Skinny and the Thaar" ! ?
We all like the 'Valluvanaadan' malayaalam and it's accent. But you know, it's really difficult to put this slang in Manglish. But I promised a reader (Nonstiched) that I'll put the Manglish version of some of the points what Januamma said (I presented earlier).
This may not be the exact slang, but I hope you'd get the approximate text.
First, this is what Januamma says about Beauty Contests.
enthayi parenne? njampoovoonno? iyyukku nallappan kaalathum koodi thonneettilys vaakillorude numbilu thuni ooraan. njampoovilya. oru sounaaryamalsarathinum njammoovilla. aanathalayolam ponnu tharaamnnu paranjalum njan ente mundu azhikkilya theercha.
"
"
Here goes Januamma's comments on rape, and how it can be prevented.
Januamma's comments on "rape" and the safety of Onnara. Please read on what Januamma says .
"
ഒരു കാര്യം ഇക്ക് നല്ല നിസ്സണ്ട്. ഖദരുടുതോണ്ട് വസ്സില് കേറിയാ കൂളംമാര് കടന്നു പിടിക്കില്യ തീര്ചൃ. ഖദറിട്ട പെണ്ണിനെ പിച്ചിയാലും നുള്ളിയാലും അവറ്റക്ക് എന്ത് സുഖം കിട്ടാനാ ? എപ്പെഴും കേക്കാം ആരാണ്ടോക്കെകൂടി ഒരു പെണ് കുട്ടിയെ പിടിച്ചു രേപ് ചെയ്തൂന്ന്. രേപ് ച്ചാല് ഒരൂട്ടം ചീച്ച്ാ. അല്ലാണ്ടെ ഞാന് എന്താ പറയ്യാ. എല്ലാ പേപേരിലും കാണാം രേപ് രേപ് എന്നൊക്കെ. പണ്ടൊക്കെ ഇതു കെട്ടെര്ന്നില്യ. ആറ് മൊഴം നീളള്ള ഒന്നര കെട്ടിമുരുക്കിയാ ആര്ക്കെങ്കിലും ഒരുത്തിയെ തൊടാന് കഴിയുവോ? അപ്പൊ ഒന്നര ചിറ്റാതെന്റെ ഫലാ ഈ കേക്കണതൊക്കെ.
"
ജാനു അമ്മേ , ഇതു തന്നെയാ ഞാനും പറയാറുള്ളത്. എന്റെ പഴയ പല പൊസ്ടുകലുമ് വായിച്ചു നോക്കൂ. ഒന്നരയുടെ ഗുണം അതിലൊക്കെ കാണാം. ഇപ്പോഴത്തെ പെന്പില്ലാര്ക്ക് അതെന്നാന്നൂോദി അറീല്യ. പിന്നല്ലേ !
{ Apologies for the spelling errors in the above Malayalam script }
About Januamma.. I hope you know that Januamma is a character from Madhavikutty's short story { "Januamma paranja katha" } . Here is an excerpt ...
" തൃശ്ശൂരിലെ പെണുണുങ്ങളലേലെന്നും ഈ ഭൂമീല് വെച്ചു സുന്ദരിയോള് ? സൌന്ദര്യ മത്സരാ ? ഉവ്വ്. ഉവ്വ്. ഞാന് കുറെ കേട്ടടക്കുന്നു . കമലുട്ട്യേമ്മ പേപെരിലെ പോട്ടം കാണിച്ചു തന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്. പ്രാന്തന് താമി നടന്നെര്ന്ന പോലെ അല്ലെര്നും പെണ്നുങ്ങലെക്കൊണ്ട് നടത്താന്? കൊണോക്കുന്തന്മാരെന്നു നോമ്മല് പറയാറില്ലേന്നും ? കോനോണ്ടന്നു മാത്രം. മൊലേടെ മോള്ളും ശകലം തുണി ഉണ്ടാവും. വാക്കി ഒന്നൂല്യ. നോക്കിയാ ഓക്കാനം വരും. ഇവറ്റെയെ കൊണ്ടു നിരുതതനത് ആരാസ്സണ്ട?
"
അതാ ജനുവമ്മേ പലര്ക്കും പറയാനുള്ളത്. നോക്കിക്കേ.. ഈ പെണ്ണുങ്ങളെല്ലാം .... വന്നു നില്ക്കും . മാര്ക്കിടാന് .
This is about how deep rooted is the word 'thaar' and its usage in malayalam.
Last day, I happened to mention about "........ " (randu thalayum naalu mulayum) and "....." (istamulla achikku thaarudukkaan neramilla) . As you could see, the word 'thaar' has deep routed usage and meaning in Malayalam.
I tried to recollect some more of the thaar related usages. Here are a few of them.
" 21st Century Chastity Belts ! Gone are the days when women's underwear had to be secured with lock and key to ensure their chastity. A Brazilian lingerie maker has rolled out a line of lingerie with inbuilt devices so that insecure men can have their peace of mind. It looks ugly, but are very functional. It can be programmed to track the movements of anyone wearing it. There's a GPS device too, which can be switched off if the woman wants it. There's a lot of demand for it.. The report says.
I told you earlier, our thaar, when worn properly, is more than a safety belt ! Januamma has rightly commented that too .
“If you don’t know what’s in your knickers, should you be wearing them ? “. This is a question from a film on lingerie (underwears). The context is that , the modern trend in fashionable lingerie is going ‘organic’ and ‘green’. Now that the stress is on ‘organic’ lingerie, we say the ‘Green Lingerie”. Ask yourself : “How green is your underwear?” . It would, most likely, be synthetic, if you are ‘modern’. As you know, modern underwears are made of synthetic materials. They pose a lot of problems. So, if you think you are modern and fashionable, you may be with modern synthetic underwesrs. You are inviting many problems.
Here is the greatness of the Keralite konakam and thaar. Both are fully ‘green’. There’s nothing synthetic about it. And so, is fully natural and organic.
Modern fashion, by default, is synthetic. Efforts to make it ‘eco-friendly’ is a new trend. Here comes ‘eco-friendly’ underwears ! If you are with your konakam or thaar, be proud that you have “eco-friendly’ lingerie, and so YOU are eco-friendly. The fashion world calls it “eco-sexy” !! Are you eco-sexy ? You are, if you have eco-friendly garments (including eco-friendly underwears).
So, all thaar wearers, all konakam wearers, be proud that you are the most modern. Just because you are eco-sexy (you have eco friendly (Green) underwears ).
Konakam - the Classic male underwear.
This is the 'iconic' male under-garment. The smallest and the simplest garment in this world ! (excluding, may be, your handkerchief ! ) This simpleton is not that simple. It is a very powerful one, in many aspects. It does what a modern day brief doesn't do. I shall come with more on this later. Please also find the "How to wear" post in this blog.
There area a few good pictures, focusing konakams, in a group on this, at Yahoo groups. Search with the above name in Groups.
I remember, a book written by a Keralite lady, published ( by DC Books' Book Club ) during early 1980s, (sorry, I don't remember the name ) had the narration of a ship wreckage. She was on a voyage (may be she's the wife of a crew member ! ? ) and the ship broke. It was sinking. All the passengers and crew had only an option, to jump into the sea and swim for life.
She wrote that : she prepared herself to jump and swim. She took a saree, tore it of a mundu size, and she did a tight thaar. The reason, she wrote, is that the thaar could protect both her holes below. The vagina, in particular, may cause some water to go in, while swimming. { the swimming action could pump in water }. This lady had to struggle swimming for long time, and she and some of her co-passengers were later rescued by a rescue ship.
See... how thaar helped her save herself !
Panties, on the other hand, is not tight enough to protect. It's only just an ornament. It won't protect your systems, the way the thaar does.
All women to note ... ( and all gentlemen to teach their women ) on the 'life-saving' aspects too.
The knots, keeps the thaar firm and tight. Without the knot, the thaar would get loosened over a period of time, and on your body movements. Bow down two times, and the thaar (without knots) would get loosened (killing its very purpose of keeping tight).
Thaar is a multipurpose garment ('device' ). One of the purposes is as a 'chastity belt (lock)'. The thaar, if worn right, protects the vagina from exposure and easy approach. It cannot be easily opened up. It requires the willingness of the lady to open up. Or else, it would call for a physical aggression and much efforts to open up. The knot at the two ends of the thaar mundu does the trick. The magic knots !!
Based on a query from a reader, this is about the mundu-thorthu distinction. The problem is not really the distinction, its about the coloquial terminology. However, I thought I must make an attempt to clarify, the way I understand. So ......
"Thaar mundu" is a full sized, single ply mundu. It may be 'mulmul' type or handwoven (handloom). Mulmul cloth is not preferred, as it is slightly polished, and does not stay tight. It gets loose quickly, on its glazed finish. The absorption properties are poor (as compared to the handloom). However, ladies in central Travancore use it, even now. { This will necessitate the lady to tighten up her thaar frequently}.
Handloom mundu is preferred, as it has the grip (non-glazed) and so retains the tightness. The absorption properties are very good. It is softer and thinner too.
Thaar mundu is full sized. The width extends from waist level to the feet. Therefore, to wear the thaar, the mundu is worn with 'njori' at the waist level (which would extend now upto the ankle, below the knee level) while waist is tucked in. This , however, makes the thaar comfortable at waist level ( with wider band like fit at waist). Rest of the wearing is common. When worn, the triangular tips of the thaar will extend almost down to the ankles. For some, the tips are visible when she walks.
"Thaar thorthu" is a shorter version of the mundu. It's full long, but less wide. It's only of handloom (though some ladies make a low width thorthu of mulmul). When worn, it extends from waist down to the knee level. The cloth being thinner (than the mulmul), it's more comfortable. The greatest advantage is that the thaar, when worn, won't be visible below the knees. However, it's too tight at waist level, as much 'njori' won't be there.
This is the most common among ladies who go out. {At home, it doesn't matter, the tips being seen ! }.
I invite all my readers interested in this to look at my earlier posts, with pictures of the thaar thorthu.
And regarding 'Onnara mundu'. It's the same as thaar mundu {as far as the Travancore style is concerned}.
Only a few girls (and ladies) understand the technique ... of trimming down their bellies . Thaar/ Onnara is, not only as a custom or a traditional garment, an excellent technique of body shaping. Experts (including gynaecologists) have confirmed that the thaar, as a regular underwear, can do wonders on the body of a woman.
The thaaar, worn properly and regularly, shapes the body. It shapes the butts (look at the large bulbous butts of most Nair ladies). It trims the abdomen (leading to flat belly). It supports the vaginal area well, which holds/ supports the muscles. It is an excellent method of preventing 'vaginal prolapses' (which is a serious problem for many women, particularly the middle aged ).
Thaar is not just a piece of cloth ! It's not just an undergarment ! It's a very healthy system ! Never underestimate the thaar ! 'Panties walahs'... please note.
And remember, for the men (many who are aware of this ) the thaar is a stimulant for their sexual pleasures. Even Viagra may not work, but the thaar works. It arouses the erotic feel, experiences and sexual pleasures. That's not a silly matter .
