Western attires such as jeans, T-Shirts, Salwar, kurta, churidar etc have become an inseparable part of the present day's women's life in Tamil Nadu.
Before the arrival of other modern dress culture, the half sari was the only traditional dress for the grown up girls in Tamil Nadu. This half sari is called as 'Dhaavani' in Tamil. When old ladies gather with their friends they usually talk about their teenage life in their villages.The people those who are settled in cities are those, who hail from different villages.Almost everyone has a longing for their village life.Especially for women the teenage memories would fill joy in their mind. The symbol of those memories is their HALF SARI.
Before this millennium, the school uniform for the grown up girls (class 11 and 12) were only half sari in all the government schools of Tamil Nadu. Till class 10 they used to wear shirt and skirt. If some girls are seen physically developed, they are advised to wear half sari in high school itself, while other girls in their class used to wear long skirts and shirts.
If a girl starts to wear half sari, whether she is mentally matured or not she was treated as a grown up. Even the girls felt that they were no more a child. Before that no parents allow them to participate in any of their conversations. They used to say,"small children should not interfere in adults conversations''. Even in functions, small children were not given any responsibilities. The grown up girls, that too those who wore half sari, were given some responsibilities, so that they could learn something from that. If a girl starts to wear half sari she was not allowed to play outside with other children especially boys.
If a girl is given half sari( that is when she attends her puberty), it is meant that her parents are ready to get her married. Girls got married in their teenage on those days.
Girls used to go to, fetch water from ponds, rear cattle and goats, bring woods for fuel, cut grass for cattle,etc. Some girls go to institutions by bicycle, even then they din't feel any inconvenience in that dress.Because of those hard works, naturally they had good figure of their body. The problem of obesity was so less on those days.
This sari has some scientific reasons to be proved as comfortable dress for hot states like Tamil Nadu.They used to tie the skirt tightly in their hip, blouse with correct shapes, which is scientifically proved as good. Since South India has hot weather, the sari they wear gives good circulation of air to their body. Mostly cotton saris are worn for daily usage,so that it protects their skin from sun rays.
Half sari was the only dress for the college going girls.The girls used to buy this dress according to their financial status, since there were many varieties in this dress. In poor families, those who can't buy a new dress for their grown up girls, the mother used to tear her sari( a lengthy one normally 6 yards) in to two parts, so that it can be wore as half sari.
Once the girl got married she wore only sari. Even then her mind loved to wear half sari. Some girls didn't know to wear sari, so those girls wore half sari even after marriage till they learnt to wear the sari.
Some people used to say it as a sexy dress and it doesn't built majestic personality in them. But we can't forget our history, which teaches us about many women fighters and reformers who played vital roles in the transformation of this society. The traditional dress has its majestic beauty. Even in Tamil movies if a glamour artist plays a powerful character such as a Teacher, a Collector, a Reformer etc the same artist wears only sari.There we won't see them as a glamour girl, but see as that character itself. So dress has some power over dignity and respect.
Ornaments along with this half sari gives more perfection to this dress.
In those days the women stages were recognized easily. Till the age of 12 they wore skirt and shirt, from 13 till marriage they wore half sari and after marriage only sari. They never used to dye their hair even if it becomes white, which made easy to recognize their stage and age.
Nowadays the girls wear churidars and other western attires according to their wish and flexibility.These dresses are also fine and good for the girls.Not only the girls wear it,women of all age wears them. Today's women likes to dress well, which is a good improvement in our society. So it becomes difficult to identify their stages.Grandma and grand-daughter wears similar dress and enjoys it. This is a great development in the world of women in our Tamil culture.
If some elder person in a family asks to wear half sari, the girls conclude saying it as an old fashioned dress. But we could not stop our mothers (especially South Indian) purchasing an half sari for their grown up daughters. That's why more fashionable half saris are sold in the markets.
Most of the girls have a set of half sari as only a collection with other models.North Indian women wears a dress called as Lehenga which can be said as another form of our half sari. This lehenga is wore as a bridal dress for brides even in Tamil Nadu for their wedding receptions.
Even though we are in the modern world and accepting the life as it goes on, our mind used to travel to the past and long for those beautiful days, because we are the generation who visualises and enjoys the traditional life and technological life together.
- Tamizh Iniya
Before the arrival of other modern dress culture, the half sari was the only traditional dress for the grown up girls in Tamil Nadu. This half sari is called as 'Dhaavani' in Tamil. When old ladies gather with their friends they usually talk about their teenage life in their villages.The people those who are settled in cities are those, who hail from different villages.Almost everyone has a longing for their village life.Especially for women the teenage memories would fill joy in their mind. The symbol of those memories is their HALF SARI.
Before this millennium, the school uniform for the grown up girls (class 11 and 12) were only half sari in all the government schools of Tamil Nadu. Till class 10 they used to wear shirt and skirt. If some girls are seen physically developed, they are advised to wear half sari in high school itself, while other girls in their class used to wear long skirts and shirts.
If a girl starts to wear half sari, whether she is mentally matured or not she was treated as a grown up. Even the girls felt that they were no more a child. Before that no parents allow them to participate in any of their conversations. They used to say,"small children should not interfere in adults conversations''. Even in functions, small children were not given any responsibilities. The grown up girls, that too those who wore half sari, were given some responsibilities, so that they could learn something from that. If a girl starts to wear half sari she was not allowed to play outside with other children especially boys.
If a girl is given half sari( that is when she attends her puberty), it is meant that her parents are ready to get her married. Girls got married in their teenage on those days.
Girls used to go to, fetch water from ponds, rear cattle and goats, bring woods for fuel, cut grass for cattle,etc. Some girls go to institutions by bicycle, even then they din't feel any inconvenience in that dress.Because of those hard works, naturally they had good figure of their body. The problem of obesity was so less on those days.
This sari has some scientific reasons to be proved as comfortable dress for hot states like Tamil Nadu.They used to tie the skirt tightly in their hip, blouse with correct shapes, which is scientifically proved as good. Since South India has hot weather, the sari they wear gives good circulation of air to their body. Mostly cotton saris are worn for daily usage,so that it protects their skin from sun rays.
Half sari was the only dress for the college going girls.The girls used to buy this dress according to their financial status, since there were many varieties in this dress. In poor families, those who can't buy a new dress for their grown up girls, the mother used to tear her sari( a lengthy one normally 6 yards) in to two parts, so that it can be wore as half sari.
Once the girl got married she wore only sari. Even then her mind loved to wear half sari. Some girls didn't know to wear sari, so those girls wore half sari even after marriage till they learnt to wear the sari.
Ornaments along with this half sari gives more perfection to this dress.
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| HALF SARI |
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| LEHENGA |
Nowadays the girls wear churidars and other western attires according to their wish and flexibility.These dresses are also fine and good for the girls.Not only the girls wear it,women of all age wears them. Today's women likes to dress well, which is a good improvement in our society. So it becomes difficult to identify their stages.Grandma and grand-daughter wears similar dress and enjoys it. This is a great development in the world of women in our Tamil culture.
If some elder person in a family asks to wear half sari, the girls conclude saying it as an old fashioned dress. But we could not stop our mothers (especially South Indian) purchasing an half sari for their grown up daughters. That's why more fashionable half saris are sold in the markets.
Most of the girls have a set of half sari as only a collection with other models.North Indian women wears a dress called as Lehenga which can be said as another form of our half sari. This lehenga is wore as a bridal dress for brides even in Tamil Nadu for their wedding receptions.
Even though we are in the modern world and accepting the life as it goes on, our mind used to travel to the past and long for those beautiful days, because we are the generation who visualises and enjoys the traditional life and technological life together.
- Tamizh Iniya
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