Dress Code of Ancient Tamils

[viggop]

WHat were Tamils wearing in sangam period times?
What were the kind of cloth? Is it similar to what is shown in TV serials/movies of kings and queens?

Is there any description of clothes in Sangam literature. I have heard that Andal describes her dress for marriage. Is this true?If so,can some one post the relevant things here and give english translations too.Thanks

[aravindhan]

WHat were Tamils wearing in sangam period times? What were the kind of cloth? Is it similar to what is shown in TV serials/movies of kings and queens?

If I remember correctly, the purananuru speaks of men wearing a cotton cloth around the loins and another around their head, but I am not sure if this was just at wartime or at all times. Similarly, women are described as wearing a cotton cloth that flows from their waist to their loins. The Patthupattu suggest that the women of the mountains wore strings of leaves around their waist and nothing more, and that the paanars and their spouses often went naked.

The Cilappadikaram describes some festivals as "vellani vizha", which seems to indicate that on formal occasions, the clothes used were white. This may have something to do with our fondness for a white vetti even today.

It'll take me a lot of time to look for the relevent verses - can someone here find them more easily?


Is there any description of clothes in Sangam literature. I have heard that Andal describes her dress for marriage. Is this true?If so,can some one post the relevant things here and give english translations too.Thanks

I can only think of this verse from nacciyAr tirumozhi:

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But she doesn't really describe her dress here, apart from mentioning the wedding sari ([tscii:9e245dcdda]Áó¾¢Ãì §¸¡Ê[/tscii:9e245dcdda]) and the wedding necklace ([tscii:9e245dcdda]Á½ Á¡¨Ä[/tscii:9e245dcdda]).

[viggop]

Aravindhan
How did Andal describer her wedding sari? Please give English translation too as i'm unable to view Tamil scripts(except Unicode)
Is that saree similar to the ones people in TN are wearing now(atleast in villages)
Also,how was the vetti worn in those days?Was it like the ones shown in TV and movies like mahabharatham,ramayanam etc.Or was it more like the current type?

[asitaraman]

WHat were Tamils wearing in sangam period times?
What were the kind of cloth? Is it similar to what is shown in TV serials/movies of kings and queens?


During Rajaraja's time, officers in the army were wearing a waist coat. This is evident from the Chola paintings in the Kala mandapam above the Periyakovil Lingam. They also had different kinds of headgear.

In the scene that depicted Rajaraja during the Kumbhabishekam, his wives looked naked. But one closer examination, one would see small while flowers on a pinkish skin in sequences. Therefore, they must have worn muslin cloth that is so fine and see through. No upper body garments though. However, from Vijayanagara inscriptions, we see that women used to wear a sort of bodice during winter months when it can get cold in Northern Karnataka.

Men usually wore Panchakachams. However during times of war, they wore like shorts-- dont know if this the kaccha kattu but looks tailored to me. Rajaraja himself was wearing that during the Kumbhabhishekam of Rajarajeshwaram (Periya Kovil). They also wore a thin upper body garment like an anga vastaram.

Silk was big deal then and expensive. Muslin and silk was exported from India to China, Sri Vijaya to the East and Rome, Somalia, Eygpt, Persia, and Bryzentaine to the West and later to the Arabs.

Rgds, Aravind Sitaraman

[Surya]

Men usually wore Panchakachams. However during times of war, they wore like shorts-- dont know if this the kaccha kattu but looks tailored to me. Rajaraja himself was wearing that during the Kumbhabhishekam of Rajarajeshwaram (Periya Kovil). They also wore a thin upper body garment like an anga vastaram.

Wearing Panchakacham, or the 'Shorts' type thing?

Also,
Did everyone (men) wear Panchakachams back then? :)

[viggop]

I think Andal had described her saree in either nachiyar tirumozhi or tirupavai.Some saree called "koorai" ?

All kings are shown in TV wearing panchakacham in mahabharatha and ramayana .

[asitaraman]

Wearing Panchakacham, or the 'Shorts' type thing?

Also,
Did everyone (men) wear Panchakachams back then? :)

I am not sure if the Panchakacham is a katchal kattu or tailored. They look tailored. Yes, Panchakachams were very much in vogue and was the prefered dress code by everyone.

Rgds, Aravind Sitaraman

[indian224080]

Literally speaking Veshti or PanchaKacha was a Non-Tamil(Aryan?) Dress right?

[asitaraman]

Literally speaking Veshti or PanchaKacha was a Non-Tamil(Aryan?) Dress right?

As far as I have seen in sculptures, paintings, pottery, etc. they were part of Tamil dress code. At least there is nothing else that we know of.

Rgds, Aravind

[Fire111999]

I think Andal had described her saree in either nachiyar tirumozhi or tirupavai.Some saree called "koorai" ?

All kings are shown in TV wearing panchakacham in mahabharatha and ramayana .

i've heard of koorai pudavai before. i think it might be a special name for the wedding saree. but i'm not sure.

can someone else enlighten us regarding this?

[mohanraman]

Interesting thread please continue,maybe there are some blogs and websites in this topic.While weaving was known, did they stitch fabric using a needle and a thread? all the coat/djubbah types must have come in with the mughals...so what was there in those days,especially the upper garment???lovely query.

[sarna_blr]

Arshu, come to this thread, let us get enlightened :mrgreen:

[Wibha]

:lol2:

[sarna_blr]

:lol2:

Arshu, in coming years, our following generations will follow our ancient Tamil dress culture :lol2:

I guess our ancient tamil peoples didnt wear any dress :yessir: