vasthram for perumal.

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SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

>From ancient Tamil works, it is known that a separate community of

weavers had existed whose job is to prepare the vasthram for perumal.

 

This vasthram is known as 'dEvAngu' or 'dEvAngi', meaning the vasthram

for dEvu (God).

 

(another popular cloth of yore is 'kaNdaangi' the cloth woven around

the neck. This kaNdaangi is exclusively for women. The name itself

makes it clear that women wore the upper garment or the garment that

covers their neck as against only the waist-vasthram or pattigai worn

by men.)

 

The community who made this dEvaangu was known as dEvAngu-ch-chetty.

dEvAngu is known as 'nar-paNi-th-thoosu', the cloth made as a good service.

 

This community's contribution is regarded as a good service as their

product is exclusively meant for adorning the Lord.

 

We know that the entire population of a town or village in those days

was involved in some or other activity which will be a kind of service

to the Lord. Of them Devaangu-ch-chettiars were those engaged in

weaving cloths for the Lord.

 

Enquiries with this comminity or with those settled in divya desams

where such services are still being rendered by some, will throw more

light on the types of vasthrams for God.

 

The practice must have been such that anyone wishing to present

vasthram for the Lord would get it wowen by this community who would

do it with utmost / special care.

Another practice is to gift the best one that one can afford. It is in

this way, silk made of silk worm would have entered into practice. The

'best' part of silk is its cost and rarity in those days.

 

It is possible that pattu with the soft touch and finish could have

been made from special silk cotton tress.

 

Sriman Krishnaswamy informs us that two such trees have been mentioned

in the Cologne sanskrit dictionary.

 

ahikA = the silk-cotton tree (Salmalia Malabarica);

apUraNI = the silk cotton tree (Bombax Heptaphyllum).

 

More information on these will tell us whether the pattu woven by

dEvaangu-ch -chetty was drawn from these trees or whether silk is

woven from from the cotton of these tress even today.

 

with humble pranams,

jayasree