Identification

• The sarong is the lower article of clothing commonly worn by both by both men and women. A typical sarong is 3 feet wide and 7 feet long, and is worn like a skirt.
  
  

Type: Mundu

• Malayali man and woman wearing mundus.
  
  The mundu is what the sarong is called by the Malayali, who reside in the Southwest Indian state of Kerala. People living in the Maldives use a similar word for the garment. The main distinction between the Malayali-style sarong and those of the Malays and Javanese is that the mundu lacks either the batik or checkboard designs common to the Malay-Indonesian style. Instead, the mundu is usually cream or white in color.
  
  

Type: Dhoti

• "Dhoti" is a term that has entered the general lexicon for the sarongs worn by Indian men, but the term is actually Hindi in origin. The same basic garment is called suriya in Assamese, laacha in Punjabi, pancha in Telugu, and veshti in Tamil. There are yet more names in use by other nations within the borders of India, all of them close cousins of these terms. The dhoti is considered formal wear for all occasions other than traditional family events and government functions. As in Kerala, these are typically off-white, but there are special occasions or roles that might call for a different style of dhoti: Marathi Hindu priests often wear a "sowlay," or deep red dhoti, for service at the temples.
  
  

Differing Tops

• One of the cultural distinctions that does differentiate dhotis in India is what the rest of the outfit consists of. In Northern India, the dhoti is worn with the kurta, or loose-fitting long shirt. In Southern India, it is common to pair a dhoti or mundu with a angavastram, or cloth worn over the shoulder. The major Southern Indian exceptions are the Tamils, who wear a chokka (plain shirt) and the Telugu (who wear a local version of the kurta).
  
  

Type: Lungi

• Bengali boy in a Lungi.
  
  The Lungi lurches back in the direction of the Malay-Indonesian sarong, as it is not as severe as the mundu or dhoti. This version of the sarong is worn by Bengalis, many of whom live in the East Indian state of West Bengal (home of Kolkatta).