Mundum neriyatum (Malayalam: മുണ്ട് നേരിയത്; settu-mundu or mundu-set) is the traditional clothing of women inKerala, a state in southwesternIndia. It is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of thesari which covered only the lower part of the body.[1][2] In the mundum neriyatum, the most basic traditional piece is themundu or lower garment which is the ancient form of the sari denoted inMalayalam astuṇi (meaning cloth), while thenēriyatu forms the upper garment the mundu.[1][2] The mundum neriyatum consists of two pieces of cloth, and could be worn in either the traditional style with thenēriyatu tucked inside the blouse, or in the modern style with thenēriyatu worn over the left shoulder.[1]
The mundum neriyatum is the extant form of the ancient sari referred to as "Sattika" inHindu,Buddhist andJain literature.[3] The mundu is the surviving form of lower garment of the ancient clothing referred to as antariya worn in a special way (lower garment).[4] The neriyatu is the modern adaptation of a thin scarf worn from the right shoulder to the left shoulder referred to in ancient Buddhist-Jain texts as theuttariya.[4][5] This two-set garments eventually evolved into what is now known asKerala sari.[6][7][8] Mundum Neryatum is the traditional clothing of Nayar women, later adopted by the modern kerala as kerala saree. Travancore Nayars, Mundum Neryatum is the ' mantra koti- devine clothing' gifted by the groom to the bride at the moment of wedding. Now in modern kerala, it's the most celebrated kerala saree.
Surviving medieval Kerala mural paintings depict existence of three-styles of clothing worn by women, these include one-piece mundum, single-piece sari with over-lapping pleats resembling nivi-drape worn today byMohiniyattam dancers and two-piece mundum neriyatum attire which evolved intoKerala sari.[9]
The mundum neriyatum is traditionally white or cream in colour and consists of two pieces of cloth, which have a coloured strip at the border known askara. The piece of cloth that drapes the lower garment is called the mundu. It is worn below the navel and around the hips, similar to themundu worn by men inKerala. The piece of cloth that is worn as the upper garment is called the neriyatu. One end of the neriyatu is tucked inside the pavada or petticoat and the remaining long end is worn across the front torso. The neriyatu is worn over a blouse that reaches quite above the breast bone. It is worn diagonally from along the right hips to the left shoulder and across the midriff, partly baring it. The remaining loose end of the neriyatu is left hanging from the left shoulder, resembling the 'nivi sari'. Today the 'nivi drape', is the most common form of the sari.[10] A mundum neriyatum is starched before being draped and is worn over a blouse that matches the colour of the border or kara.
The mundum neriyatum is worn as everyday costume and also as distinct costume on festive occasions, in which case the Kara is ornamental in couture. During the Keralite festival ofonam, women of all ages wear the mundum neriyatum and take part in folk dance meant only for women calledkaikottikalli. The mundum neriyatum for festive occasion has golden coloured borders or a broad zari border known asKasavu, lending the costume another name of "Kasavu Sari". The colour for the blouse of the mundum neriyatum for this occasion is determined by the age and marital status of the woman. Young unmarried girls wear green coloured blouse, while married middle aged mothers wear red blouses.
The kasavu or the golden border is either pure golden layer, copper coated or artificial. The fabric of mundu-sari is cotton and is always woven by hand. Kara or simple line designs adorn the bottom of these saris, while at times small peacock or temple designs embellish the pallu. The mundum neriyatum is also known asSet mundu, Kasavu mundu, Mundu-sari, set-sari, or set veshti. The veshti is another version of the sari which consists of small upper clothing resembling a blouse-like garment worn without the pallu along with a mundu as lower garment.
TheKerala sari is worn as a garment that consists of a single piece of cloth. Otherwise, the Kerala sari closely resembles the mundum neriyatum and is often worn byMalayali women as aquasi mundum neriyatum.
The mundum neriyatum is the cultural costume of women of theMalayali community.[1][2] The grace and appeal of the golden borders contrasting with the otherwise plain white mundum neriyatum of Keralite women has come to symbolize Malayali women. Both the traditional and modern styles of the mundum neriyatum are depicted in the paintings of the Indian painterRaja Ravi Varma. The mundum neriyatum was modified in several paintings depicting Shakuntala from the Mahabharata to a style of draping now popularly known as the 'nivi sari' or 'national drape'. In one of his paintings theIndian subcontinent was shown as a mother wearing a flowing nivi sari.[10]
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