Uttariya

Not to be confused with Uttarayana.

An uttariya (uttarīya) is a loose piece of upper body clothing with its origins in ancient India. It is a single piece of cloth that falls from the back of the neck to curl around both arms and could also drape the top half of the body.^[1][2][3][4] An uttariya is similar to a veil, a long scarf and shawl.^[5] The Vedas describe the garment to comprise various loose cloths worn for upper body such as upavasana, parayanahana and adhivasa, varhatika and varnaka, uttarsangha samvyana.^[5]

Relief depicting men wearing an antariya and an uttariya, 1st century CE.

Etymology

The word uttarīya is from Sanskrit. It is a compound word, consisting of the words uttara (उत्तर) and suffix īya (ईय).^[6]

History

the uttariya was a garment for upper body in the Vedic period (1500 and 500 BCE).^[5] The garments worn in the Vedic period mainly included a single cloth wrapped around the whole body and draped over the shoulder. People used to wear the lower garment called paridhana which was pleated in front and used to tie with a belt called mekhala and an upper garment called the uttariya (covered like a shawl) which they used to remove during summers. "Orthodox males and females usually wore the uttariya by throwing it over the left shoulder only, in the style called upavita".^[7] There was another garment called pravara that they used to wear in cold. This was the general garb of both the sexes but the difference existed only in size of cloth and manner of wearing. Sometimes the poor people used to wear the lower garment as a loincloth only while the wealthy would wear it extending to the feet as a sign of prestige.

The Mahabharata (compiled between 4th BC 4th CE) refers the use of the uttariya as a garment.^[8][9][10] The colors of the uttariya were associated with distinct varna in society then. The Pandavas were observed wearing white.^[8]

Women were using two uttariya sometimes. One for covering the head another across the arms. Women used satanmasuska or Sattanapatta (also known as kurpsika or kanchuki) to cover their breasts. As per mention in Buddhist Pali literature during the 6th century BC, Sari śāṭikā (Sanskrit: शाटिका) is an evolved form of combining Sattanapatta, the uttariya and the antariya.^{[1][2][3][11][12][13]}

It was usually made of fine cotton or silk, but can be suggested also with fine hide.

Carvings that feature this garment date back a long way but there are few examples of this garment surviving so fashion historians study the reliefs.^[14]

Contemporary use

Rituals in Hindu temples

Priests in Hindu temples adorn the murti of a temple's deity with an uttariya, employed for the upper body, while the deity's lower body is dressed with a tadapa.^[15][16]

Buddhist clothing

Laymen of the Buddhist community would typically be dressed with the antariya, accompanied by an uttariya and a larger chadder, all colored in saffron.

Daily use

The uttariya is still worn throughout Indian subcontinent and is traditionally worn over kurta, achkan, or a sherwani. It was usually used in combination with the antariya, an ancient version of the dhoti, held with a sash or a cummerbund. The uttariya is also used as a dupatta, turban, by both men and women.

See also

• Antariya
• Adivasah
• History of clothing in the Indian subcontinent
• Pratidhi
• Sari
• Stanapatta
• Nivi (garment)

References

1. "Women's Sarees guide and information resource about Women's Sarees : Clothing, Style and Fashion Style Directory by Apparel Search". www.apparelsearch.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
2. "The history of sari: The nine yard wonder - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
3. Ananth Prabhu G (2020-05-30). Glorious Bharat - Part 1. Ananth Prabhu G. p. 39.
4. Shastri, Ajay Mitra; Varāhamihira (1996). Ancient Indian Heritage, Varahamihira's India: Historical geography, religion, and society. Aryan Books International. p. 224. ISBN 978-81-7305-081-7.
5. Ayyar, Sulochana (1987). Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum. Mittal Publications. p. 34. ISBN 978-81-7099-002-4.
6. Mehta, Tarla (1995). Sanskrit Play Production in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1057-0.
7. Ayyar, Sulochana (1987). Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum. Mittal Publications. pp. 95–96. ISBN 9788170990024.
8. Vaidya, Chintaman Vinayak (2001). Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-1564-9.
9. Varadpande, Manohar Laxman (1987). History of Indian Theatre: Classical theatre. Abhinav Publications. p. 47. ISBN 978-81-7017-430-1.
10. Jain, Simmi (2003). Encyclopaedia of Indian Women Through the Ages: Ancient India. Gyan Publishing House. p. 99. ISBN 978-81-7835-172-8.
11. Prasad Mohapatra, Ramesh (1992). Fashion Styles of Ancient India: A Study of Kalinga from Earliest Times to Sixteenth Century Ad. B.R. Publishing Corporation. p. 35. ISBN 9788170187233.
12. Prachya Pratibha, 1978 "Prachya Pratibha, Volume 6", p. 121
13. Agam Kala Prakashan, 1991 "Costume, coiffure, and ornaments in the temple sculpture of northern Andhra", p. 118
14. Kumar, Raj (2006). Paintings and Lifestyles of Jammu Region: From 17th to 19th Century A.D. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7835-577-1.
15. Ghurye, G. S. (1947). "Some Notes on Hindu Costume". Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. 8: 97–172. ISSN 0045-9801. JSTOR 42929589.
16. B Samall - JASO, Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford, 1998 - anthro.ox.ac.uk. "Applique Craft in Orissa, India: Continuity, Change, and Commercialization" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)