Woman with mundu, blouse and thorthu

When Mundu (white dhoti), blouse and thorthu (a medium sized cotton towel) unite together, it forms the fine attire of a rural Kerala woman.

Until the very recent times, these three constituted the dress of a workingwoman or homemaker in rural Kerala. Even now, in most remote places, this dress code is preserved.

The Mundu is a long piece of loincloth wound over an underskirt. It can either be white or coloured called lungi or kaili. A blouse that is normally used with a sari (saree) is worn with it. The thorthu or towel is used to cover the upper part of the body.