Dhoti Weaving
A dhoti is a rectangular piece of plain cloth which is usually of 4 to 6 meters long and it is worn around the waist, legs along with a knot to keep it secure on the waist, it slightly resembles a long skirt. It is also referred to as mundu, veshti or pancha which is generally worn with a shirt, kurta or top. Dhotis are commonly worn by men and even now they are considered as a formal wear in few parts of India.
In most of the parts of south India this garment is generally worn for traditional or cultural occasions. The wearing of Panchae or Dhoti differs from one state to another, in south India the garment is folded in half thereby revealing the legs from the knee downwards. In some places the garment folded half it is considered disrespectful to the elders, superiors or women. In other cases when men faces the huge crowd they loosen the pancha allowing it to cover the legs completely.
Different parts of India address this fabric in different ways such as panche in Karnataka, pancha in Andhra Pradesh, dhoti in Maharashtra and veshti in Tamilnadu. This garment is generally of off white, cream or white in colour worn on religious occasions and weddings. It is said that the Dhoti is completely worn along with the extra piece of cloth called angavastram or Shellya of generally 2 meters worn on the shoulders. The borders of the dhoti and sari generally has the different colours either with continuous or non- continuous weft created with balanced colour borders.
Melukote is one of the consecrated places located at the Mandya district of Karnataka which is built on the stony hills commonly called as Yadugiri. It is about 51 kms away from Mysore and about 133 kms away from Bangalore.
Dhotis are the short piece of cloth fastened around the waist which is been carried tightly between the two legs to the back of the body and tucked onto the waist. Lungis or dhotis gained their attractiveness when sewed with a balanced border generally using the traditional motifs. Off-white dhotis or lungis were commonly found in the 1916 with contrast borders of rudraksha and floral motifs woven on them with the help of a throw shuttle pit loom. It is also called Ambasi phadiki dhadi panje due to the place at which it is woven at the village of Lakkundi with the Throw shuttle pit looms called in Kannada as the kuni maga.
