Half saree/ Pavadai Dhavani

Vannakam Chennaites

Practising little bit tamil. We've always seen the beautiful girls in tamil movies wearing half saree which I now learnt is called pavadai and Dhavani.

(Here the underskirt for the saree is called pavadai and in hindi its called lehenga (pronounced langa)

Can married ladies wear the half saree or is it meant for young girls. I was thinking that it would be so much easier to get ready for a wedding (especially when you don't have mum/ sister/ aunt around to tie your saree).

Don't want to commit a cultural faux pas.

Regards Neesha

Hi Neesha,

Pavadai Dhavani is normally not worn by marred women. In fact, I can say not worn at all. You mcay wear a gaghra with a lehnga, its fine. Nowdays, U can also wear a grand salwar suit ot a wedding - more so if it is a reception.

But, nomrally dhavani is worn between puberty and marriage by girls.

Hello Neesha,
paavadai dhavani is a dress which a young girl wears in her transition from a girl to a woman. It is also called half saree, so we get a sort of training to wear saree. So after marriage, it is not apt to wear one.
Now ready to wear saree in silk is available in Paalam Silks in T.Nagar. If possible get that. Or lehenga would be a good choice.

Dear Archana and Varelekshmy

Thank you for guiding me. I would have started a new fashion here which would have been against the culture!!


We are hoping to come to India this December so you can guide us on how and where to buy sarees.

Alas my youth has passed.

Neesha

pavadai davaniyil paartha uruvama idu ....this is it. sunkan

Originally Posted by sunkan

pavadai davaniyil paartha uruvama idu ....this is it. sunkan

i love pavadai and dhavani(though we all wear on rare occassions). i really miss it. hey do you all know something, when we visited india last year, we went to many places, mostly were chennai and coimbaotre, we had been to some marriages and functions, but never really get to see a girl wearing pavadai and dhavani, actually we just saw one i guess...................................

Pavadai Dhavani is meant for puberty - to make a girl comfortable when she might be uncomfortable with the changes happening. But now-a-days young girls refuse to wear it saying that they feel more covered and comfortable in chudithar. Even village school uniforms have changed to chudithar !!

I have 3 growing-up-nieces who have told me that they would prefer me to buy them jeans :) though none of them are living in cities.

Times have changed !

Hi Sunkan, Girija, Abhi

Thanks for the lovely photo Sunkan. I also browsed the net and saw so beautiful ones. Alas I feel cheated that I passed my youth without wearing it a least once!! I have worn gaghra choli so I suppose that was close.

When I come to India I'll buy some and give to my young cousins so that they can introduce it here and so by the time Mayuri grows up she'll also wear them!!

I've noticed that some look like the benares and silk saries that we have- only used once or twice for a wedding - can you make it from a saree or is it ready made?

Regards Neesha

Hi,
you get the set in pure Kancheepuram silk also, the cost is sround Rs.7000/-. If you want you can stitch your old saree, for davani you will have to buy the tussar or some other material which is available plenty here. You can also buy good dupattas in silk or any other material to match the pavadai and blouse. You can have the pallu in the front of the pavadai or can make it a blouse.
In that case, you will have enough material to stitch a kameez for your self or your daughter (you can stitch a kameez in silk cotton or such material and get a different dupatta for that too).