A boy in a village of Narail, Bangladesh wearing a lungi with simple twist knot

The lungi (Bengali: লুঙ্গি, Hindi: लुंगी, Urdu, Saraiki, Punjabi, Sindhi:لنگی, Telugu: లుంగీ Oriya: ଲୁଙ୍ଗି, Malayalam: ലുങ്കി, Tamil: லுங்கி, or Saram(சரம் ), also known as a sarong, is a traditional garment worn around the waist in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula . It is particularly popular in regions where the heat and humidity create an unpleasant climate for trousers.

Design[link]

Unlike dhutis, which are linear like sheets, lungis are sewn into a tube shape like a skirt. There are also cheaper "open" lungis, in identical dimensions but not sewn into a tube shape. The standard adult lungi is 115 cm in height and 200 cm in length, when open. Children's lungis are available in approximately 2/3 of this size. They are normally woven from cotton and come in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are available for ceremonial purposes such as weddings. The most common styles are either solid-colored or plaid, 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.

Usage[link]

A collection of lungis purchased in Dhaka, showing original wrapping

The border of a Bangladeshi lungi, showing the black & white reinforced weave border to minimize fraying

Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men and/or 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, 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.

Regional variations[link]

Bangladesh[link]

Bangladeshi actor Zubair Hasan from Sydney, Australia wearing a traditional lungi and holding up a colorful lungi.

The lungi (Bengali: লুঙ্গি /luŋɡi/) is the most commonly-seen dress of Bangladeshi men, although it is not normally worn on formal occasions. In Bangladesh, lungis are worn by men, almost universally indoors and commonly outdoors as well. Elaborately-designed tartan cotton, batik, or silk lungis are also often presented as wedding gifts to the groom in a Bengali 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 in [[Sirajganj], [Kustia],[Khulna]]. Bengali women do not traditionally wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in some parts of southeastern Bangladesh.

Myanmar[link]

In Myanmar, the lungi is called longyi in Burmese. For men, the lungi is known as a paso (Burmese: ပုဆိုး), and for women, it is known as a htamain (Burmese: ထဘီ). Lungis of different fabrics, including cotton and silk, are worn for informal and formal occasions.

Somalia[link]

In Somalia, the lungi sarong is referred to as a macawis. It is commonly worn by Somali men as casual wear. The traditional color of the macawis is plain white. However, due to trade with the Southeast Asian islands and the Indian subcontinent as well as the location of Somalia on the Spice Route, colourful Southeast Asian-style lungis have been introduced to the country.

India[link]

A lungi clad Oriya man in Baleswar, Orissa

In India, the customs behind wearing lungis varies by state.

In Kerala, the lungi, generally colourful, and available in varying designs, is worn by both men and women. Physical laborers use it as a working dress. A Kerala dhoti in plain white, known as mundu, often bears a golden embroidery, especially in the border length, known as kasavu, which is worn on ceremonial occasions like weddings, festive occasions, etc. Saffron-coloured mundus are also known as kaavi munde. The men generally tuck up their mundus(Kerala dhoti) or lungis with the bottom of the garment being pulled up and tied back on to the waist. This would mean that the mundu (Kerala dhoti) or lungi only covers the body from the waist to the knees.

In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, only men wear this garment, which is not worn in a fashion similar to that of men in Kerala - while Keralites tie it at the RIGHT side the Tamilians tie it to their LEFT. Note - Some of the Muslim communities in Kerala also tie mundu to their LEFT. It is also known as Kaili or Saaram/Chaaram in South Tamil Nadu. The Muslims of Tamil Nadu are found to favor the white colored lungis on formal occasions.

In Punjab (both Pakistani and Indian portions), lungis are worn by both men and women. They are part of traditional dance attire in Bhangra dance groups, but are also popular in rural areas or as home wear.They are generally tied in a different way then in other parts of India and are, as a rule, unstitched and often very colourful.

In Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal lungi is primarily home wear for males of all classes of society. Hindu men generally avoid wearing lungis on the street.

In Orissa Sambalpuri with Sambalpuri pattern and mule based lungis from Khordha are available in addition to normal cotton fabric lungis.

In Haryana it is considered a night dress for men.

Pakistan[link]

In Pakistan, the lungi is worn in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. In the past it used to be very widely worn, but its use has declined considerably in Punjab and is now usually worn by the elderly, as younger people have started wearing the shalwar. Though it is still worn casually by men throughout the Punjab as a form of night dress or as a casual garment worn only within the house during the hot summer months.

Lungis are popular amongst women in Southern Punjab and Sindh, where many lungis bear a certain type of embroidery or pattern. In Sindh the lungi is the most common dress amongst the lower castes and agricultural workers, whereas the upper classes (mostly of Baloch and Rajput descent) wear the wide, baggy Balochi style shalwar.

In the Jhangvi dialect of Punjabi, it is called Majhli but its use with the passage is declining and is being replaced by Shalwar.

Yemen[link]

In Yemen, the garment is called a Futah and is worn by males of all ages.

Oman[link]

In Oman, the garment is called a Izaar. A white Izaar is worn underneath the Thobe and coloured Izaar maybe worn by fishermen and during times of menial labour without Thobe.Sometimes a shorter knee long Izaar is worn on top of the other as part of traditional dance attire.

Saudi Arabia[link]

In Saudi Arabia, the garment is called a Izaar.The tribes people of the southwestern regions like Asir generally wear their own weaved Izaar, similar to those used by tribes in Northern Yemen. They are often black in colour, unstitched and may have tassels. Other Saudis may wear imported Bangladeshi, Indian or Indonesian plaid or striped izaars as a comfortable home wear or for sleeping.It is common in coastal areas. It is also worn by fishermen.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore[link]

In these regions the Malay wear the Sarong, which also similar to the Lungee. However, the term Lungi is not used.

References[link]

External links[link]

• A Tamil village man in Lungi and Dhalappa
• How to tie a Lungi

See also[link]

• Indian Dress
• Kilt
• Kanga
• Lungee
• Longyi
• Dhoti
• Mundu
• Sarong