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Thelungi is a clothing similar to thesarong that originated in theIndian subcontinent. The lungi, which usually multicoloured,[1] is amen's skirt usually tied around the lowerwaist below the navel. It can be worn ascasual wear andnight wear.[citation needed] It is favoured in hot and humid climates where the airflow it allows makes it more comfortable than alternatives.[2]
They are especially worn in hot regions. There are also cheaper "open" lungis, in identical dimensions but not sewn into a tube shape. The standard adult lungi is 115 centimetres (45 in) in height and 200 cm (79 in) in length, when open. Children's lungis are approximately two-thirds of this size. They are normally woven fromcotton and come in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are used for ceremonial purposes such as weddings. The most common styles are solid-colored andplaid, reflecting the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of producing these patterns on a power loom. Blue is particularly popular, since it fades to pleasant tones in contrast to other colors. Regardless of the design or color, lungis are often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe containing reinforced weaving to prevent fraying.
Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men or, more rarely, women. They are tied or fastened in various ways and can be used in different cultural activities, ranging from normal daily life to elaborate wedding ceremonies. For daily purposes, a simple "double twist" knot is most popular, where two points in the upper edge of lungi are brought together and twisted around twice, with the ends tucked in at the waist. However, it is also common for wearers to simply tie a double "pretzel knot" from 2 points on the upper border,[3] which produces a more secure knot. The lungi's length can also be adjusted, for example, by tucking in the lungi at the waist to make it resemble a short skirt. This is mostly used for labourers who have to work for a long time under a hot sun.
The lungi (Bengali:লুঙ্গি), is the most commonly seen dress of Bangladeshi men, although it is not normally worn for formal occasions. In Bangladesh, lungis are worn by men, almost universally indoors, but commonly outdoors as well. Elaborately designedtartan cotton,batik, orsilk lungis are often presented as wedding gifts to the groom in aBangladeshi wedding. The typical Bangladeshi lungi is a seamless tubular shape, as opposed to the single sheet worn in other parts of South and Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh, the lungi industry is concentrated inSirajganj,Kushtia,Pabna, andKhulna. Bangladeshi women do not wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in theChittagong Hill Tracts. The lungi tradition of Bangladesh can be traced back toBengal Sultanate when Men used to wear lungis orsarongs of cotton fabrics of various colors along with turbans, dhutis, leather shoes, and belts to wrap their robes on the waist. The word Lungi is aBurmese influenced word in theBengali vocabulary, came from the wordLongyi. Lungi is also believed to be a variation ofDhoti, the wordDhoti came from the Bengali word"Dhowa" which means "Wash".
In April 2013, the Baridhara Housing Society—a housing society in Dhaka—banned the lungi and began refusing entry to those who wore them. Many opposed the ban, however, taking to social media sites such asFacebook andTwitter to criticize the decision. A march took place on 13 April to oppose the ban.U.S AmbassadorDan Mozena has been seen wearing a lungi in front of his house.[4]
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In India, the customs of wearing lungis vary by state. It can be worn with or without the traditional unsewnkaupinam or modern sewnlangot, both of which are types of traditionalloincloth undergarments.
InKerala, the lungi is generally colourful and available in various designs, and is worn by both men and women. It is also called 'kaili (കൈലി)'. Labourers typically wear it while working. A mundu/dhoti is a variation of the lungi and is mostly plain white. It often bears golden embroidery (kasavu), especially at the border. It is worn as formal attire and on ceremonial occasions like weddings, festivals, etc. Saffron-coloured lungis are known askaavi mundu. Men sometimes tuck up theirmundus or lungis with the bottom of the garment being pulled up and tied back on to the waist. In this case, the mundu or lungi only covers the body from the waist to the knees.
InAndhra Pradesh,Telangana,Karnataka, andTamil Nadu, only men wear this garment. It is also known askaili orsāram/chāram in South Tamil Nadu.
InTamil Nadu, theveshti ordhoti is a traditional wear. People wearveshtis for formal occasions whereas lungis are worn as informal or casual wear by some. Lungis with checked pattern are more popular.
It is common on the Konkan side of the state ofKarnataka, mostly worn by theNawayath people fromBhatkal. Most of them wear it as their daily attire. It is as a mark of tradition inBhatkal. They are mostly sewn in a cylindrical shape.
InPunjab, lungis are worn by both men and women. The male lungi is also called atehmat,[5][6] while the female lungi is called alaacha. They are part of traditional dance attire inBhangra dance groups, but are also popular in rural areas as home wear. They are generally tied in a different way than in other parts of India and are, as a rule, unstitched and very colourful. Wearing the lungi has declined in the Punjab region in recent years.[7][when?]
InOdisha andWest Bengal, the lungi is primarily worn at home by men of all societal classes. Hindu men generally avoid wearing lungis on the street. In Odisha,Sambalpuri with the Sambalpuri pattern andmule based lungis fromKhordha are available in addition to normal cotton fabric lungis.
InBihar andHaryana, the lungi is considered a night garment for men. They are not worn outside the homes
InJharkhand,Chhattisgarh, andMadhya Pradesh the lungi is often worn by tribal people. Previously, they used to wear a small cloth around their waist.
InMaldives, it is known asmundu. In modern times, it is worn by elderly men exclusively.
InMyanmar, it is speltlongyi. For men, the longyi is known as apaso (Burmese: ပုဆိုး), and for women, it is known as ahtamein (Burmese: ထဘီ). Longyis of different fabrics, including cotton and silk, are worn for both informal and formal occasions.
InThailand, it is known as apa kao mah (Thai: ผ้าขาวม้า) for men and apa toong (Thai: ผ้าถุง) for women.
InAfghanistan it is mainly used by men in public Hammams (steam bath) the word is shorten to Lung (Farsi: لنگ حمام). There is only one colour, cream and occasionally red. In Iran is known as (Farsi: لنگ یزدی)
For men in hot and humid cities such as Delhi, [the lungi] is said to be a most appropriate way to ventilate the legs.
