Mandya is not only known for sugarcane or Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam, but it is also famous for its unique knickers which is also called ‘Mandya Chaddi’. However, with modernisation, it has nearly disappeared in the district.
Mandya Chaddi, which used to be 20 inches in length with loose fitting breeches, used to reach below the knees and tied with a cord around the waist was worn by all the men in the district. They were easily recognised in the crowd from their shorts as it had become traditional attire.
Nanjegowda, an 80-year- old farmer from Hosahalli in Mandya, said as the men used to work in agriculture land, the chaddi was comfortable to wear and work.
“Only during functions, we used to wear lungi on the chaddi, but otherwise all were in Mandya Chaddi with stripes”, he said.
The cloth is usually purchased from either Bangalore or Mysore. In Mysore, once famous ‘Hanneradani Galli’ near Sayyaji Rao Road is famous for cloth merchants. “Only during functions in the house or during festival we used to purchase cloth for the entire family. We used to purchase 15 or 20 mts length single cloth and all the men in the family used to get shorts stitched from the same cloth”, he said and added that now the people prefer trousers rather than chaddi.
A nearly decade ago the shops at the Hanneradani Galli had been demolished and recently Garuda Mall has come up in that place.
Mandya chaddi was also worn for protest. In 1978, the farmers of Mandya conducted Mandya-Bangalore Chaddi Yatra wearing shorts against the then CM D Devaraj Urs for his decision to construct Varuna Canal from KRS to Mysore.
Similarly, in some of the Kannada movies, the actors have worn the chaddi just to woo the farmers from Mandya and other districts to watch the movies.
S R Tailors on 3rd Main Road is one of the oldest tailoring shop in Mandya. Rajesh Pisseya, the owner of the shop, said the people are now ashamed of wearing Mandya Patapati Chaddi.
“However, there are a few old people in the village, who still come and get the Chaddi stitched,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by B K Lakshimikantha / ENS – Mandya / June 01st, 2013