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Alanga voni (also called "pavadai daavani" in Tamil or "laṅga davaṇi" in Kannada) is atraditional dress worn inSouth India by girls betweenpuberty andmarriage.[1][2] It is also known as thetwo-piecesari orhalf sari.[3] Girls younger than this may wear it on special occasions.
It comprises alanga orpaavadai, a skirt which is tied around the waist using string, and avoni,oni, ordaavani, which is a cloth usually 2 to 2.5 metres (6 ft 7 in to 8 ft 2 in) in length. Thevoni is draped diagonally over acholi (a tight fitting blouse, the same as that worn with a sari). Usually, the garment is woven with cotton or silk. A variant of this is theghagra choli ofNorth India (the difference between the two being the direction of draping thevoni ordupatta). The modern day "lehenga-style sari", worn by Indians across the subcontinent mainly for special occasions, is inspired by the langa voni.
The half sari facilitates the transition from the childhoodpaavadai (skirt)sattai (blouse) to thesari, the more complicated drape worn by adult women. Usually the langa (paavadai) and voni are brightly colored and contrasting to each other. At a glance, the half sari outfit can look similar to southern styles of sari because the drape travels in the same direction: tucked into the front of the skirt, then wrapped around the waist, and then draped over the opposite shoulder. However, the voni is shorter, and the wearer is not required to manually pleat the cloth, as is done when draping the sari. In addition, the voni is less restrictive, allowing the wearer to move her legs freely.
The influence of western culture and the perception of the dress as inconvenient has led to the decline of the half sari as daily wear, in favor of theshalwar kameez orWestern clothes. However, the langa voni has inspired the modern day "lengha-style sari" and has seen a comeback.
In recent years, however, the langa voni is gaining popularity among girls and young women as occasional wear due to attention in media and fashion. Once very simple, they can now be seen with extravagant embroidery, mirror orzari work, and bold colors like black and grey which were once considered inauspicious. There is also a greater diversity of fabrics being used in addition to the usual silk or cotton, includingchiffon,georgette,crepe andnylon. Full saris are sometimes woven so that the fabric, when worn, changes color or pattern at the hip, in order to give the visual effect of a langa voni.
InSouth India, coming of age ceremonies or rites of passage (Telugu:లంగా వోణి,romanized: langa voni;Tamil:பட்டு பாவாடை,romanized: pattu pavadai;Kannada:ಲಂಗ ದಾವಣಿ,romanized: langa davani) are celebrated when a girl reaches puberty. She wears a langa voni given by her maternal grandparents, which is worn during the first part of the ceremony and then she is given her firstsari by her paternal grandparents, which she wears during the second half of the ceremony. This marks her transition into womanhood.
The tradition of presenting a langa voni from the maternal grandparents in some communities begins with the girl's firstnaming ceremony (namakaran) and her first rice-feeding ceremony (annaprashana). She receives her last one at her coming of age ceremony.
