Introduction
In Hinduism, there is a philosophy behind choosing the right kind of clothing, and accordingly various types of clothes are prescribed which not only protect us from negative energies but also imbibe in us positive and spiritual energies. A specific line of clothing is prescribed for dharmaacharan “righteous behavior,” which includes attire, such as dhoti, uparna “a shawl,” mala “rosary,” gandh “sandalwood paste,” etc. It is believed that wearing a right type of clothes attracts positive waves from the atmosphere toward an individual. The Hindu Shastas forbid the followers to remain impure and naked. According to Apastamba Dharmasutra (1.5.15.8-9), naked state and impurity attract negative energies. The clothing of gods and goddesses tell us a lot about Hindu mythology and what would have been the clothes and dressing styles of our ancestors [2].
In Hinduism, there are three chief deities at the head of hierarchy of gods: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (administrator), and Shiva...
References
Arthur LB (2000) Undressing religion: commitment and conversion from a cross-cultural perspective. Berg, Oxford
Bulfinch T (1940) The age of fable: or, stories of the gods of Greece and Rome, the deities of Egypt, and the Eastern and Hindu mythology. Philadelphia: David Mckay
Dowson J (2014) A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion: geography, history and literature. D.K. Printworld, New Delhi
Dwivedi AV, Murray SB, Light AU (2015) God and popular culture: a behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry’s most influential figure. Vol 2. Praeger, Santa Barbara
Gibson L (2003) Hinduism. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, Austin
Johnson DD, Pendergast S, Pendergast T (2013) Fashion, costume, and culture: clothing, headwear, body decorations, and footwear through the ages. UXL, Detroit
Kozlowski GC, Kingsley B, Knowledge Products, Blackstone Audiobooks (2007) Hinduism. Knowledge Products, Ashland
Steyn C, Dadoo Y (2000) Religion in life orientation: a facilitator’s multi-religion guide for the foundational school phase. University of South Africa, Pretoria
Varshney DC (1990) Myths and symbols in Hindu mythology: a legal interpretation. Ajanta Publications (India), Delhi
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Dwivedi, A.V. (2018). Clothing (Hinduism). In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Clothing (Hinduism)- Published:
- 18 June 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-2
-
Original
Clothing (Hinduism)- Published:
- 20 March 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-1