Onnara

What is Onnara?

Onnara is a traditional undergarment worn by women in Kerala, the southernmost state of India, mostly by Hindu women and across ages. It is not an outer saree but a dothi, or sarong, a length of cloth wrapped around the waist. The cloth is cotton, woven on handlooms, and cut to about 6 muzham by 3 muzham; one muzham is roughly 1.5 ft. It is tied in a particular style that holds it tight, so it cannot come loose by accident. It sits beneath a pavada, a saree or a mundu. In parts of the state it is also called thaar.

Where does Onnara come from?

The source gives no origin date or founding story for onnara. It records the garment as traditional in Kerala and notes how the name shifts across the state: onnara is used mostly in northern Kerala, while thaar is more common in the south. The two are not simply different words for an identical tie. The source says thaar is worn in a simpler way than onnara and that there are different types of thaar. It does not explain when or why those local customs diverged.

How is Onnara made?

Onnara is made from cotton cloth woven on handlooms. The piece used for the waist tie measures 6 muzham by 3 muzham, with a muzham equal to about 1.5 ft. The source does not describe the loom type beyond handloom, the yarn count, the dyeing, or any finishing stage. What it does describe is the making of the garment in use: the cloth is draped around the waist in a set style and tied tightly enough that it cannot be released by accident.

Colours, motifs and borders

The source names no colours, motifs, border or pallu for onnara. Its description is limited to a cotton handloom cloth of a set size, tied around the waist. There is no account of ornament, patterned borders or a decorated end. The garment's character, as the source presents it, lies in the tie and in its use as an undergarment rather than in named design features.

How Onnara is worn

Onnara is wrapped around the waist and tied in a particular style. The tie is tight and is meant to stay secure, so it cannot be accidentally released. It is worn under outer clothing, not on its own: the source lists a pavada, a saree or a mundu as the garments above it. The cloth used is about 6 muzham by 3 muzham. The source does not set out each step of the tying, only the outline and the secure result.

When Onnara is worn

The source says onnara is worn by women of all ages, mostly among Hindu women in Kerala. It presents the cloth as an undergarment rather than as a visible outer saree, worn beneath a pavada, saree or mundu. It does not name weddings, festivals, mourning or ritual occasions for onnara. Nor does it say that the garment is restricted to one stage of life. Its occasion, in the source's account, is ordinary dressing, with the underlayer hidden under the outer garment.

Styles of Onnara

The main variation the source records is one of name and local custom. In southern Kerala the word thaar is more often used; in northern Kerala onnara is the usual term. The source notes that thaar is worn in a simpler way than onnara and that there are different types of thaar. It does not list those types or describe regional styles of onnara beyond this north-south difference in vocabulary and tying.

What Onnara means

Onnara is described as part of the dress of Hindu women in Kerala, worn by all ages as a hidden underlayer. The source gives no Geographical Indication, no named weaving community and no revival campaign. Its cultural detail is mainly linguistic: the garment is called onnara in northern Kerala and thaar more often in the south, with a simpler tie for thaar. That local naming is the strongest sign in the source of how the garment belongs to different parts of the state.

Questions people ask about Onnara

Good reading and sources

• Onnara on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data