Onam 2026: The Many Threads Behind Kerala’s Kasavu

This is a garment with a history shaped by Buddhist and Jain literature, Graeco-Roman trade, Travancore royalty, migrant weavers and the spice trade. What is now closely associated with Onam is therefore not the product of a single tradition. Its story is one of ideas, materials and techniques moving across regions and being absorbed into Kerala’s textile culture.

The garment has changed in form and design, but the traditional design remains the same, handwoven cotton suited to Kerala’s tropical climate, set against the gold of the Kasavu border.This forms a quintessential part of Onam, worn by men and women as part of the festival’s customary dress.

A Garment With More Than One Origin

The history of the Mundu does not begin in Kerala. Versions of the garment’ origins can be traced to the Buddhist era, with references in Buddhist and Jain literature to garments resembling the Sattika, an unstitched cloth. The Mundum Neriyathum, the traditional two-piece attire worn by women, has also been connected to these older forms, with the Mundu associated with the Antariya and the Neriyathu described as an extended form of the Sattika.

There is another strand to the story. Kerala’s position on the Malabar Coast placed it within ancient trading networks linking India with the Mediterranean world. The Mundum Neriyathum can be linked to the Graeco-Roman Palla, an unstitched cloth with a coloured border worn over another garment and pinned at the shoulder. Traders may have introduced versions of such clothing to South India, where they changed over time. The result is a history in which the Mundu is a garment shaped by the intermingling of various cultures. 

The garment’s present identity, however, is closely tied to Travancore and the textile developments of the early 19th century. Maharaja Balaramavarma and his prime minister, Ummini Thampi, invited Shaaliyar weavers from Nagercoil in present-day Tamil Nadu to settle in Kerala. The weavers produced handwoven cotton garments for the Travancore royal family, and their work subsequently found favour among the upper classes. The handloom industry expanded from there, eventually spreading to places including Ernakulam and Thrissur.

How Gold Was Added

The defining feature of the Kasavu is not simply the cloth but the contrast between the plain cotton body and its metallic gold border. The development of this border can be linked to Kerala’s spice trade. European traders, including the Portuguese and Dutch, were involved in the region’s expanding textile and spice networks, while gold entered Kerala through trade. This gold was eventually turned into thread and incorporated into the borders of garments worn by the wealthy.

The result was a textile that communicated the wearer’s status. The body of the garment was fine cotton, suited to Kerala’s humid climate, while the gold border introduced another register altogether. Traditionally, the Kasavu remained deliberately spare: a cream or off-white body with a gold edge. Small motifs could appear on the fabric, including peacocks, temple forms, mango paisleys, trees and flowers.

There is also a layer of folklore around the gold. One tradition associates the practice with the reign of the mythical King Mahabali, under whom people were encouraged to weave gold and cotton as a mark of identity. Whether read as folklore or as part of the cultural memory surrounding Onam, the story adds another reason the material combination has remained tied to the festival. During Onam, the gold-and-cotton garment is worn by both men and women as part of the celebration.

From Pit Looms To Onam Wardrobes

The making of a Kasavu Mundu is as significant to its story as its origins. The process begins with cotton yarn, often coming from Salem in Tamil Nadu, while zari is sourced from Surat in Gujarat. The cotton is spun into yarn and soaked in water and kanji, or rice starch, for about a week before being prepared for weaving. The yarn is then stretched into the warp, re-starched and brushed with a coconut-fibre comb.

Even the preparation of the loom is governed by the local climate. Traditionally, the warp is set between 4 AM and 7 AM, when conditions are cooler and humidity is considered suitable. Weavers knot the prepared threads onto the loom and use melted wax on their fingers to help grip the fine yarn. The weaving itself takes place on a traditional pit loom or handloom, with the weaver using foot pedals to control the heddles while the horizontal weft is passed through the warp. The Kasavu border is woven into the edge towards the end of the process.

Some production has moved to power looms to meet demand, although differences in texture remain perceptible to connoisseurs. The designs, too, have expanded. Alongside the traditional gold border, contemporary versions can feature green, red, orange and maroon, sometimes outlined with gold. The set mundu itself remains a two-piece garment, with the Mundu wrapped around the lower body and the Neriyathu worn over the shoulder. A similar six-yard construction becomes the Kerala Kasavu Saree.

This ability to change without losing its basic form is central to the Mundu’s continuing place in Kerala. It is worn for Onam, Vishu, weddings and temple visits, while the set mundu is also described as suitable for everyday wear. The Onam Mundu is consequently best understood not only as an emblem of Kerala, but as a material record of its history. 

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