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When we were little, Juls and I used to fight over who gets to ‘swing’ in dad’s lungi.
Yup, you read that right.
Let me start again.
When daddy wears a lungi, and then sits on his sofa (yup he has his own sofa spot), it forms a little seat of cloth where little kids can park their ickle bottoms and ‘swing’. I became heavier quicker than the little one did, so she got most of the lungi swinging time. And Jon? Well we girls bullied him too much for him to get a chance of anything in the house at all.
Before I continue with my story I should explain what a lungi is to all those non-desi people out there…I have to a lot of international readers ok.
The lungi, can also be known as a sarong, dhoti, mundu etc. is a garment worn around the waist. In some places like Burma Malaysia Singapore India Sri Lanka Punjab , West Bengal and Bihar . The mundu which is popular in the South of India is white in colour and has a gold border and is usually worn for formal events and ceremonies. But the lungi I am talking about is the typical, casual (cool) South Indian one, available in every single colour and print, usually in a checked or striped pattern.
Okay so yeah, I’m not here to give you a history lesson, you get the point.
A couple of months ago we were sitting and talking and realised that our parent’s generation were the last of the lungi race. In our family at least… which constitutes of the whole of Mangalore, so that’s saying a lot. Not a single one of my fifteen male first-cousins can even imagine wearing a lungi, unless it is for a dance/play thing which they get roped into during a family wedding. They’re more than comfortable in their boxers.
I can’t imagine dad and all the uncles going to bed without changing into a lungi first. Heck, they kick off the darn trousers and belts as soon as the sun sets, just so they can be comfortable enough to relax the rest of the evening drinking and smoking in lungis. It’s such a homely sight
=)
But yeah, I’m not holding it against these boys. It’s not like I’m going to wake up every morning and oil my hair and put fresh jasmines in it. It’s just sad that our children won’t know what a lungi swing is. Actually I don’t think kids nowadays know what a normal swing is, unless it comes in a digital format on one of those computer/ps3 games or whatever those things are.
I think I’ll end with some ‘interesting’ lungi stuff I found on the internet:
-www.lungi.co.uk
(yup there’s a site)
The Song Of The Lungi
When in white, you are my formal wear.
When in design, you are a festival!
What good are those trousers?!
If I wrap you around my head,
you become a turban.
You are a blanket if I am cold.
And a sail when the wind is good.
After I play in the sea,
you become my towel.
A flag when I wave
A trap to catch the mango!
Ready for Cricket when I fold you in half,
Ready for hanging when I twist you as a rope
ready as bed when I'm struck at fairs
You become a shawl when I need modesty
and a carrying bag during a loot.
The trousers are no good!
(Inspired by the "Trousers are no Good!" folksong, which in turn is inspired by the classic "Neenarigadeyo Ele Manava" (the humans are no good).
https://www.kamat.com/kalranga/attire/lungi.htm)
Interesting Facts about Lungis
> Male students of Trivandrum
> Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu is the Paris
> Seventy percent of the India Coimbatore
> Foldability of the lungi is very handy for fighting villains on the street, as Mohanlal and
Mammooty and other actors have demonstrated on the silver screen
> In addition to providing comfort, the lungi also acts as a ventilation factor in summer.
(www.tradeindia.com/about_products/796/Lungis.html)
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And last but not least, the world’s best lungi dancer-
The lungi is going to die soon, but I hope it makes a kickass comeback someday.
11 comments:
Ummm... what are you talking about?! - I personally wear my lungi everyday. But obviously, only in the privacy of the confines of my home. - It's not something many of us will admit to under normal circumstances...but quite a few of us, when we are at home in our native towns and cities almost always usually wear the Lungi once we are at home for the night. - WHICH COUNTRY ARE YOU FROM??? (Is it the same one where 70% of the population lives in villages?!) - I never could comprehend such obnoxious elitist folk such as yourself!
umm hello, I was just talking about my family. Not the whole country. Maybe you should read the post again. Obviously I know that 70% of the population of India live in rural conditions.
I'm assuming you're not one of the young fifteen males from my family, so good for you and your lungi!
=)
Do you have copy writer for so good articles? If so please give me contacts, because this really rocks! :)
Thank you.
But I wouldn't give out anything to someone called 'anonymous'.
=)
I am reading this article second time today, you have to be more careful with content leakers. If I will fount it again I will send you a link
Thanks, I don't know whether to be upset or flattered.
And what is with all the "anonymous'"
I think I'll have to dis-enable the anonymous option...
NOTE: all the "anonymous" above are not from the same person.
- I should know cause I was the one who made the first comment.
=)
PS - in response to your unflattering defense to my remark, i would only like to state one line from your post to strengthen my case
"The lungi is going to die soon, but I hope it makes a kickass comeback someday." - I am not sure how this statement is supposed to refer only to ur 15 ...
maybe u could do that job better.
Point taken! I should have added 'in my family' at the end of the last line.
Guess you win your 'case'.
Congratulations!
And yes, I did realise that all the anonymous' were not the same person; I didn't state otherwise.
=)
Flygirl!!!!
It's so good to see you back on the blogosphere again! =) =)
You actually did some good research there. I mean many a times i would wear a Mundu and my friends would go like, Hey dude, cool Lungi man! I mean most people don't know that they are fundementally different things!
and yeah,You have no idea how fans go bizzerk when Mohan Lal folds his mundu (or lungi, depends on what role he is playing). It's just insane!
I hope the 'Lungi' doesn't die! I feel like wearing one now!
It's such a happy post! Me likes!
=)
Thank you Shazzy.
remember, I am a fan of your mundu!
I love your writing! Hilarious and spot-on! Do keep it up regularly!
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