What To Wear Under A Lungi
Lungi is traditional and a casual apparel which is worn by men. Underwear is not like bra, which can be removed during sleep. Women are protected with blouse, so no need to wear bra but for men nothing, so men should wear underwear whenever they wear lungi irrespective of time and place (day/night, in/out). It is a matter of dignity.
In India, the customs of wearing lungis vary by state. It can be worn with or without the traditional unsewn kaupinam or modern sewn langot, both of which are types of traditional loincloth undergarments.
In Kerala, 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 as kaavi mundu. Men sometimes tuck up their mundus 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.
In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, only men wear this garment. It is also known as kaili or sāram/chāram in South Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil Nadu, the veshti or dhoti is a traditional wear. People wear veshtis for formal occasions whereas lungis are worn as informal or casual wear by some. Lungis with checked pattern are more popular
Advantages & Benefits of wearing Lungi:
1. Comfort:
Lungi is the most suitable garment for our tropical climate. It is very comfortable to move around in a Lungi. In our culture, we are used to sitting on the floor and this is easier in a lungi when compared to the difficult task of sitting on the floor while wearing jeans.
2. Easy to wear:
It’s easy to wear and it hardly takes more than a minute to wear a lungi. You just need to tie it correctly and you’re ready in a minute.
3. Avoid bad odor:
While wearing pants, there is a greater chance of bad odor due to the excessive accumulation of sweat around the genitals. This is caused due to less airflow between your legs and private parts. Wearing a Lungi is a very good solution to this problem.
4. Easy to sit on the floor:
As mentioned earlier our culture demands us to sit on the floor while eating lunch and while doing Pooja. It’s very difficult to sit in the floor wearing a pant because it is not very flexible like a lungi.
5. Continuous Air Flow:
Lungi keeps your kegs and private parts thoroughly aerated throughout the day. This keeps unnecessary skin diseases at bay. This does not lead to the bad odor caused due to the bacterial action in excessively sweaty areas.
