Chatta & Mundu will be wiped from the face of this earth....when our grandmothers pass away....so will this traditional dress. Nobody in this present generation know how to wear Chattayum Mundum. Don't you think that is bad? As a christian women from Kerala...having seen our sweet grandmothers in this cute attire...would you allow this attire to go extinct?
Literatures have already started writing about chatta & mudum as..." The Christian woman wore a white mundu about seven yards in length and 1 ¼ yards in breadth with a fan like frill at the back. They used to cover the upper part of the body with full or half sleeved white blouses called ‘Chatta’. While going out, they threw over their shoulders and bosom another piece of cloth called ‘Kavani’. The women took great interest to beautify the Kavani with embroidery works." The christian women wore...they no more wear. That is a pity!
Ok...Chatta & Mundu is a cubersome attire, but so is Sari. Then why is Sari so sought after? Mundu resembles the down part of the Sari with the change being the pleats are at the back. Chatta resembles the Saree blouse with the change being that the sari blouse is short and clings tightly to the body, while the Chatta is just like any other top with a V neck. The best part is that Chatta does not expose your belly and you don't have to worry about peeping toms.
I understand it is not easy to change into chatta and mundu overnight... and you shouldn't. You should have a choice to wear whatever you what. But your wardrobe should contain a chatta and mundu. And you should know how to wear one. And you should encourage your daughters and others also to do the same. Wear the Chatta and Mundu to Church once in a while. At first, there will be uproar, teasing, laughter and what not. But second time, everyone will appreciate. And the third time, it will be very normal.
How do I know? I have gone through this.
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ReplyDeleteMuslim women of Malabar first used chatta and mundu. Arab merchants who visited Calicut were allowed by the Zamorin to marry local women, primarily from lower castes. Nairs belonged to the higher caste and they controlled the army of the Zamorin. There is nothing on record to show that Nair women married the Arab merchants. But there is a specific decree of the Zamorin that Mukkuvas (fishermen community) and cherumas were given freedom to marry Arab immigrants. Many of the Arab merchants settled in Malabar.Most womenfolk , including women of upper castes,in those days were wearing only a loins cloth to cover the bottom area and were topless. The Arabs introduced a dress pattern for their wives. The Arabs gave their native wives a long cloth to cover the bottom area and to cover the breasts they gave a blouse with full sleeves. The long cloth was called 'mundu,' and the full sleeve blouse was called' kuppayam.' In some cases shawls were also used above the full-sleeved blouses. Syrian immigrants would have also given chatta and mundu to preserve Christian modesty, unlike Hindu women who were almost naked except the genital area.
ReplyDeleteWhile searching for the meaning of the word 'chatta' and 'mundu,' it is found in the lexicon that its origin is Tamil and even now 'shirt' or any upper clothing or outer covering is known as 'chatta' and 'dhoty is known as 'mundu' in Tamil.. When missionaries from Persia came to Kerala they were surprised to see most women were almost naked except a loins cloth to cover the genital area. Men were also wearing only loins cloth. This type of dress was not restricted to lower castes alone. Even the Zamorin dressed in this pattern, but his body was adorned with gold ornaments and diamonds. Nair and Nambudhiri women were also topless except the loins cloth. The Portuguese made widespread conversion and they were responsible for making clothing compulsory for Christian converts. Since they were in power and authority for more than 155 years, there was no difficulty for them to introduce dress code for Christian converts. When CMS and LMS missionaries converted the natives, wives of the missionaries made converted native women to cover the upper area with a collarless shirt called 'chatta' and .the bottom area with a long piece of clothing called 'mundu.' There were riots and protests by high caste people when they saw Christian women covering their breasts with chatta and lower region with mundu. Travancore government took oppressive steps to prevent Christian converts from covering their breasts. When Nair women were not covering the breasts, how could these converts cover their breasts?, they clamoured. Christian women were attacked and even churches were burnt. There were widespread arrests. Many died in the rebellion . When situation became worse due to the oppressive measures of the government, Madras government intervened ordered the Maharajah of Travancore to give freedom to Christian women to cover their breasts. That was how Christian women got the right to cover their breasts. Gradully Nair women also imitated Christian women and covered their breasts..
ReplyDeleteChatta and mundu became the common pattern of dress for ordinary women. Sari became a dress of the wealthy. Today in Kerala, most village women and maid servants use chatta and mundu. Now maid servants are switching over to nighties when they go to work in the houses of others.