Indian Pavada Or Half Sarees - The Fading Tradition Of The South

The half-saree of south India is very age-specific, unlike the saree or the salwar-kameez. It solely belongs to the young generation and no woman past her teens would generally wear it. The half-saree scripts a sartorial evolution from girlhood to womanhood. It combines the feistiness of a girl with the feminine elegance of a young woman. That is one cause possibly why south Indian filmmakers are rediscovering the half-saree, giving the piece of clothing a fresh lease of life.

Half Saree was very common among young girls of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Full skirt, short blouse and a davani (shawl) constitutes this dressing style. It is considered to be originated in Tamil Nadu, but is very commonly used in Kerala till about 30 years back. These days with all contemporary fashions, half saree has almost entirely disappeared among Kerala girls.

If the songs, `Pavada prayathil' and `Pavadai davaniyil', were to be written at present, the lyrics would not be the same anymore, for, the pavada is almost missing from the Malayali girl's wardrobe. In Kerala, only the `audacious’ wore the salwar kurta two decades ago. The foray of the electronic media and salwar kurtas found their way into the hearts of Malayali girls. If you want to see Malayali girls in pattu pavada-blouse sets in our day, then you have to be invited to a marriage ceremony. Or you should stopover a temple or wait for November 1 (Kerala Piravi Day).

Traditionalists, however, need not fret. A few still favor the Indian pavada. Young girls are still getting pavadas stitched. But it's impractical to think that pavada will be worn as it used to be 15 to 20 years ago. But things now have enhanced from the way it was five years ago, when the pavada or the half sari was barely seen. Wearing pavada and blouse in everyday life is very uncomfortable and tiresome. Getting on and off buses, in weighty pavadas, is very difficult. It is an ornamental outfit, and not a functional one. Hence, it is best to wear it on choice occasions. Most people buy it only once a year, during Onam, and that's the only time it is hugely worn.

Even mothers don't want to compel their daughters to wear the Indian pavada today. Of course, the pavada is very gorgeous and traditional and mothers, however, would love to see their daughters wear the pavada-blouse often. It gives a certain distinguished look to the teenager. Just as the sari has displaced the mundum neriaythum, salwar kurtas have replaced the pavada – blouse. Pavada often means the pattu pavada, stitched in shimmering Kancheevaram. For some people the pavada is made in no other material. The flamboyance is part of the fashion statement it makes. But Pavadas in printed georgette or other synthetic fabrics, which make good formal as well as casual wear, were admired even a decade ago.

Some girls dislike the pavada because it is "revealing". "With salwar kurta, are worn with dupattas. But what can be worn with a pavada-blouse set? Even a half sari can appear revealing if not worn properly. As far as dressing is concerned, Hindi films and TV channels are the bibles for youngsters. At some point, the pavada did become the apparel of the not-so-modern heroine, the village belle. But even in this case, it was a singular version of the pavada -- a cross between the north Indian ghagra/lehenga and our conventional pavada. Aishwarya Rai and Sreedevi were seen wearing it in `Kandukonden Kandukonden' and `Devaragam' respectively. And they indeed looked stunning.

Designers are sensible when they say that we cannot imagine the pavada to make a comeback. To the modern girl, it is indeed a formal dress. One aspect that works to the benefit of the Indian pavada is that it can be tailored and improvised to suit the wearer's taste. This encourages young women to check it out. The girls are keen on adding current elements to the conventional design. That is, they want the half sari to be embellished or the blouse to be embroidered. The designers acknowledge that the Indian pavada has become a costume, almost a `uniform' for precise occasions like south Indian weddings or festivals like onam. There's something traditional and beautiful about the dress. It seems to bear the spirit of the south Indian culture.

Boutiques come to the forefront for toddlers with cute readymade pavadais for younger children. These come in silk, raw silk and cotton fabric with embroidery and appliqué work. Fabrics for stitching the pavadais are also obtainable. For older girls designer boutiques are sanctuaries for pavadai dhavinis. Here one can pick and mix and match the fabrics for the skirt, blouse and dhavinis or dupattas. The colors and fabrics available in this boutique are abundant for the pavada dhavinis.

The kids today love pavadayum blousum, kuppi vala (glass bangles) and mulla poovu (jasmine). So, take heart, traditionalists…all is not lost.