Langa oni

A Langa Oni (in Telugu) (or Dhavani in Tamil language) is a traditonal dress worn mainly in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala by young girls between puberty and marriage. It is also called as two-piece saree or half saree or Paavadai Davani and comprises langa or Lahengaor Pavadai which is tied in the waist using string and an oni or Davani, a see through fine cloth usually 2 to 2.5 metre in length which is draped diagonally over a choli (a tight fitting blouse, same as worn for saree) and is usually woven with cotton or silk. A variant of this is Gagra choli of North India (the difference between the both being in the way of draping the oni or pallu).

The half saree provides a smooth switching from paavadai (full skirt) and sattai (tops), the traditional dress of small girls, to the complexity of draping a saree. Usually the paavadai and oni are brightly colored and contrasting to each other and look like the sari. Just like the sari, oni is also worn by wrapping it around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff.

The influence of western culture and apparent thought of inconvinience of wearing the dress has made many girls to switch from this traditional attire to modern outfits . In recent years, however, Langa Oni is gaining popularity among girls again due to media attention and due to the work of many designers who have brought in many new designs. Once being very simple, Langa Oni now portray extravagant embroidery, mirror or zari work with bold colors like black, grey etc which were once considered inauspicious. The fabric has also been changed from the usual silk or cotton to chiffon, gorgettes and other synthetic materials like crape, georgette, chiffon or nylon. Modern skirts are usually made of light to mid-weight fabrics like denim, jersey, worsted or poplin. Skirts of thin or clingy fabrics need slips to help the material of the skirt wear in a better way. All these changes have made the dress popular again. Once, worn by the south indian community on family functions and festivities, Langa Oni are nowadays worn even as party wears.