Traditional dress and Jewelry of Kerala

Breathtaking Traditional Dress and Jewelry of Kerala

The traditional dressing sense of Kerala people is a vivid beauty description of their landscape and cuisine. The traditional woman Saree costumes adorned with lots of jewelry from her waistline to the neck. People of Kerala live serenity and peace, and hence their traditional wear is off-white or pure white. Each occasion like their traditional festivals and marriage comes with new attire that reflects the time of the day.

Women Traditional Dress and Costume

Women of Kerala and especially the Hindu women are known to wear traditional Kerala Saree that is off-white with golden Kasavu Border. The Saree is a unique set of separate clothes referred to as the Neriyathy and Mundu. The Mundu is used to cover the lower part of the woman body while the Neriyathy for the top part. The most expensive and exquisite ones are usually worn on special occasions. For the Christian women of Kerala, they wear the same design of mundu with a small extension in the back that looks like a fan and the blouse that accompanies Mundu is known as Chatta. The Muslim women are known to wear Purdah, a long gown that looks like a dress and covers the entire body. The older Muslim women of Kerala are known to wear Mundu with a colorful blouse known as Chatta and a head gear Neriathu to cover their heads.

The Kerala women wear the set mundu for their traditional dance Thiruvathira during Onam celebrations.

Men traditional costumes

The Men of Kerala are known to wear a bottom called Dhoti or Mundu accompanied by a unique designed Jubbah or shirt. Men also have a casual bottom wear known as Lungi, however, in the recent years, the people have adjusted to the taste and designs of western wear. The older generation men have maintained their traditions, and they do not wear any shirt instead they love to drape a cloth known as Mel-Mundu that covers their upper body.

Traditional wedding costumes

The traditional costumes for brides in Hindu marriages in Kerala are sarees which have different shades and bright colors adorned with heavy embroidery work. Most women during their wedding prefer the Kanchipuram silk sarees. The sarees embellished with stones, crystal work, and beads and they come in colors like maroon, green, red, orange, etc. The colors of each sarees are carefully chosen according to the auspicious day. Men prefer to wear silk dhoti or a Kasavu mundu and a shirt.

Kerala is also famous for the hand-woven sarees (Kai Thari) that are done in the villages to create a unique handloom sarees. For the young ones, they love the traditional half sarees and also the Pattu Pavada that are either plain or silk.

Kerala Jewelry

Any attire in Kerala is not complete without jewelry. They love wearing gold and not just one, but many gold ornaments are part of their traditional costumes and especially during festivals. During marriages, gold jewelry is an integral component. The old traditional jewelry worn includes the Palakka Mala, Kasu Mala, Addiyal, Nagapada Thali, Mullamottu Mala, Karimani Mala, Cheruthali, Kashali, Jhimki, Manga Mala, etc.

Other than the bridal and other festival jewelry, the people of Kerala also have jewelry individually adorned for their gods in the temples. This jewelry is known as Thiruvabharnam, and it is sacred.  The older generation of men used to pierce their ears and put on small gold stud known as Kadukkan. The Mulla Mottu Mala is a necklace that looks like jasmine buds, and it usually has gold or precious stones of different colors or beads. The ankles are either made of silver or gold.

Kerala has unique and stunning traditional costumes and Jewelry.