The externals

[Guest guest]

Dear members:

 

Now that the subject of clothing has been written about recently, I wanted to

quickly point out an important change that has come about in our perception of

women's traditional podavai. Historically the blouse as we know it today did

not exist (and I am certain that it was unknown during AnAL's time, for

example). I know that my koLLupAtti never wore a blouse ever, and I grew up

with the understanding that extremely maDi women from previous generations

didn't wear blouses. Later on I was to learn that (correction?) that the

"podavai" blouse was introduced by the British all over India, to help "cover"

native Hindu women in keeping with Victorian standards of modesty. I'm not

sure how well this fact is known; for that matter I don't know enough to even

date the origin of the podavai-blouse in India. What I do understand is that

stitched clothing (involving the use of needles/tailoring) is a very recent

phenomenon in South Indian Hindu society (say a couple of centuries or so).

Historically I contend that only flowing, unstitched garments like podavai,

vesthi, angavastram, kopINam, etc. were in use. Knowing this (or at least,

believing it to be the case) is what makes me question the authenticity of

dress codes in certain movie/drama depictions of Hindu mythologicals.

 

Will like to hear comments/suggestions from any of you.

 

Truly,

-Srinath Chakravarty

email: xsrinath