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Clothing (Hinduism)

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Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Introduction

In Hinduism, there is a philosophy behind choos- ing the right kind of clothing, and accordingly various types of clothes are prescribed which are believed not only to protect Hindus from negative energies but also to attract positive and spiritual energies. A specific line of clothing is prescribed for dharmaacharan, which refers to ritual activity and translates literally as “righteous behavior.” This includes attire, such as the dhoti, uparna (or shawl), mala (or “rosary”), gandh (sandalwood paste), and so on. It is believed that wearing the gright type of clothing attracts positive waves from the atmosphere toward an individual. The Hindu Shastras forbid followers from remaining impure (unbathed) and naked. According to Apastamba Dharmasutra(1.5.15.8-9), the naked state and impurity both 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 Hindus in ancient times...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Humanities & Social Sciences – Languages & Literature, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, India

    Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi

Authors
  1. Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
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Correspondence to Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA, USA

    Jeffery D. Long

  2. The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Rita D. Sherma

  3. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, TX, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  4. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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Dwivedi, A.V. (2021). Clothing (Hinduism). In: Long, J.D., Sherma, R.D., Jain, P., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-2

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  • 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

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Clothing (Hinduism)
    Published:
    18 June 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-2

  2. Original

    Clothing (Hinduism)
    Published:
    20 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_452-1

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