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A Langot normally is associated with a Pehalwan or Indian wrestler in the same way a Sumo wrestler is associated with the Japanese fundoshi or whatever it is. In fact I find that there seem to be more people in North India wearing the Kaupina or simple South Indian Komanam than the Langot. But this is only an impression and I welcome observations on this.
Meanwhile, here is a concise and clear introduction to the North Indian Langot by one Prof Dattatray Parasnis. There is a useful diagram as well which helps in understanding how the Langot is put together.
From the diagram it is clear that the Langot is a double fold strip of cloth that is passed between the legs and secured - first time from back to front, then the reverse way and finally secured or tucked at the back. Even the Komanam is usually and preferably double fold. But it is not a stitched garment and it is always draped from front to back unlike the Langot. The Komanam will be described in detail very soon.
(From the Newsletter of The Institute of Draped Clothes, Nov 2003 - URL : http://www.idcw.org.uk/ )
THE "LANGOTA"
By Prof. Dattatray Parasnis
It surprises me that the Indian wrap-round male underwear known as 'langota' has not been described anywhere. If you let a search engine like Altavista.com or Google.com look for it you will find a number of pages where it is mentioned but nowhere is there any description of it or how it is worn. I am sending you a sketch of the 'langota' and a description of how it is put on (below). The word is pronounced as one would in English the combination 'lung-oat'.
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The great Mogul Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar, the founder of the Mogul dynasty who ruled India, mentions in his fascinating memoirs for the Muslim year 932 (by our reckoning 18 October 1525 to 7 October 1526) that the peasants and simpler people of India wear no clothes but a 'langota'. The worn appearance of this garment seems to have been much the same as the present 'langota' or the Japanese fundoshi, but from Babar's description, it seems to have been a two-piece garment.
Unlike fundoshi, which seems to be disappearing in Japan, the langota is in use among a section of the male population in India. It is almost mandatory for traditional wrestling, gymnastics, asanas in Yoga, playing kabbadi, old martial art training in South India etc. When I was young it was the only underwear many men ever used.
1 comment:
THE Langot as it is usually called is a form of undergarment being worn by Indian Males for covering up the genetials. It is also almost compulsory for peoples who practice indian form of wrestling and other martial arts. It is believed that wearing a tight langoat prevents certin genetial diseases and also help increase the sperm count. I dont know whether its scientifically proved or not.
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