[Advaita-l] Sandhyavandana procedure doubt

[V Subrahmanian]

I think climatic condition too could be the reason behind the differences
in the upper-cloth requirement.  We see the Tamil and Malayalam brahmins
(and of course nambudiris) without the upper cloth draped mainly due to the
predominantly sultry weather conditions in those regions almost throughout
the year.  It would be a real torture to wear the upper cloth during
rituals for long.  Those are places where people have two baths a day.
They long to be home to take off their shirts and vests and remain bare
upper bodied.  In places like Sringeri and the rest of Karnataka a clothing
on the upper body becomes almost essential.  Even a shawl is worn on most
occasions.  It is only during cooking, etc. that the men involved remain
without the upper garment.

In fact I have even heard that 'ekavastram' is allowed only in pitR kAryams
and that two vastrams are a must in all shubha karyams.  They also say the
second (and third in some customs) upavItam (pooNal) for a gRhastha is
representative of the vastram.

subrahmanian.v