Dhoti
Encyclopedia
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India
, Bangladesh
and Sri Lanka
. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan
, but the use is fast declining. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.
Pancha wearers are predominant in the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala
, Andhra Pradesh
, Maharastra, Karnataka
, Bihar
, West Bengal
, and Orissa
. In the northern parts of Gujarat and southern parts of Rajasthan
the Pancha is worn with a short kurta
called kediya on top. In northern India and Bihar
, West Bengal
, the garment is worn with a kurta on top, the combination known simply as dhoti kurta. In Tamil Nadu
, it is worn with an vaetti (another unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders) or else with a chokka (shirt) in Andhra Pradesh
or jubba (a local version of kurta). The lungi
is a similar piece of cloth worn in a similar manner.
dhauta. The garment has numerous other names related and unrelated, including வேட்டி vEtti or வேஷ்டி vEshti in Tamil
, ଧୋତି Dhotī in Oriya
, called ધૉતિયુ Dhotiyu in Gujarati
, চওৰকীয়কা Suriya in Assamese
, ধুতি Dhuti in Bangla, ಢೊತಿ/ಕಛ್ಛೆ ಪನ್ಛೆ Dhoti or Kachche Panche in Kannada, Dhotar, Angostar, Aad-neschey or Pudve in Konkani
, മുണ്ട് Mundu
in Malayalam, ధోతీ/పంచె Dhoti or Pancha in Telugu
, धोतर Dhotar in Marathi
, ਲ਼ਾਛ Laacha in Punjabi
and "Mardaani" in villages of UP, Bihar, Terai.
The Pancha is considered formal wear all over the country. In addition to all government and traditional family functions, the Pancha is also considered acceptable at country clubs and at other establishments that enforce strict formal dress codes. The same is true across the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Bangladesh
, Sri Lanka
, and the Maldives
. In many of these countries, the garment has become something of a mascot of cultural assertion, being greatly favoured by politicians and cultural figures. Thus, the pancha for many has taken on a more cultural nuance while the suit-and-tie or, in less formal occasions, the ubiquitous shirt and pants, are seen as standard formal and semi-formal wear.
In southern India
, the garment is worn at all cultural occasions and traditional ceremonies. The bridegroom in a south Indian wedding and the host/main male participant of other rituals and ceremonies have necessarily to be dressed in the traditional pancha while performing the ceremonies.
Unspoken rules of etiquette govern the way the Pancha is worn. In south India, men will occasionally fold the garment in half and this reveals the legs from the knee downwards. However, it is considered disrespectful to speak to women or to one's social superiors with the Pancha folded up in this manner. When faced with such a social situation, the fold of the Pancha is loosened and allowed to cover the legs completely.
The pancha is worn by many orthodox Jain males when they visit the temple for prayer, as they are required to wear unstitched clothes in accordance to their belief in ahimsa
. They wear a loose, unstitched cloth, shorter than the panchaon the top.
Pancha are worn by western adherents of the Hare Krishna
sect, which is known for promoting a distinctive dress code among its practitioners, with followers wearing saffron
or white coloured cloth, folded in the traditional style. Mahatma Gandhi
invariably wore a pancha on public occasions, but he was well aware that it was considered "indecent" in other countries and was shocked when a friend wore one in London. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.
The genteel Bengali
man is stereotyped in popular culture as wearing expensive perfumes, a light kurta and an elaborate dhuti with rich pleats, the front corner of the cloth being stiffed like a Japanese fan and holding it in his hand; while feverishly discussing politics and literature. It is considered the most elegant costume and is worn at Bengali weddings and cultural festivals.
Over the past century or more, western styles of clothing have been steadily gaining ground in the region, gradually rendering the pancha a garment for home-wear, not generally worn to work. It is less popular among the youth in major metropolises and is viewed as rustic, unfashionable and not 'hip' enough for the younger age-set. However, use of the pancha as a garment of daily use and homewear continues largely unabated.
region and the bordering Indian states.
In 2008, the newly elected first Vice-president of Nepal, Mr. Permanand Jha sparked protest and rallies in Nepali speaking areas of the country after he took the oath wearing Dhoti-Kurta, the traditional garment of the people of Terai.
Dhoti is a derogatory term used to refer people from India inside or outside Nepal and doesn't apply to the people of Terai
origin who are Nepali citizens. People from the Terai region are generally referred to as Madhesi
in Kathmandu and most of the hilly urban centers of Nepal.
The garment is known as the vaetti in Tamil Nadu
and Mundu
in Kerala
. It is called pancha in Andhra Pradesh
and panche in Karnataka
and dhuti in Bengal
. The word is related to the Sanskrit pancha meaning five. This may be a reference to the fact that a 5-yard-long strip of cloth is used. It is also related to the Sanskrit
word dhuvati. In one elaborate south Indian style of draping the garment, five knots are used to wrap the garment, and this also is sometimes held to have originated the word.
It is usually white or cream in colour, although colourful hues are used for specific religious occasions or sometimes to create more vivid ensembles. Off-white dhuti are generally worn by the groom in Bengali weddings. White or turmeric
-yellow is the prescribed hues to be worn by men at their weddings and upanayanam
s. Silk panchas, called Magatam or Pattu Pancha in Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh
respectively, are often used on these special occasions. Vermilion
-red dhotis, called sowlay, are often used by priests at temples, especially in Maharashtra
. Kings and poets used rich colors and elaborate gold-thread embroideries. Cotton dhotis suit the climatic conditions for daily usage. Silk panchas are suited for special occasions and are expensive.
There are several different ways of draping the panchas. The two most popular ones in south India are the plain wrap and the Pancha katcham or (five knots or five folds). The first style is mostly seen mainly in Tamil Nadu
, Kerala
, southern parts of other two south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka
. It is a simple wrap around the waist and resembles a long skirt and is usually 4 yards long. It will be folded in half up to knees while working. The second style consists of folding around the waist in the middle of the garment and tying the top ends in the front like a belt and tucking the falling left and right ends in the back. It is usually 8 yards long cloth. This style is popular across south Indian men while working in the fields.
The style in Andhra Pradesh
, Karnataka
and in North India, also worn in the West by devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
, consists of folding the cloth in half, taking the left side, pleating it vertically, passing it between the legs and tucking it in the waist at the back. The right side is pleated horizontally and tucked in the waist at the front.
Along with dhoti, the angavastram or thundu (an extra piece of cloth) will be draped depending on its use. Farmers carry it on one shoulder and treat it as sweat towel. Bridegrooms use it as entire upper garment. It will be folded decoratively around the waist while dancing. South Indian Hindu priests wrap about the waist as the extra layer. North Indian priests (especially those of ISKCON) may drape it across the body with two corners tied at the shoulder, or they may wear a kurta instead.
The dhoti is also worn in the Horn of Africa
, mainly by Somalis
and Afars
, where it is known as the macawis.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, but the use is fast declining. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.
Pancha wearers are predominant in the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Maharastra, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, and Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. In the northern parts of Gujarat and southern parts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
the Pancha is worn with a short kurta
Kurta
A kurta is a traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Pakistan , Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women...
called kediya on top. In northern India and Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, the garment is worn with a kurta on top, the combination known simply as dhoti kurta. In Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, it is worn with an vaetti (another unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders) or else with a chokka (shirt) in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
or jubba (a local version of kurta). The lungi
Lungi
The Lungi , also known as a sarong , is a traditional garment worn around the waist in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
is a similar piece of cloth worn in a similar manner.
Names in India
The Hindi name dhoti derives from SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
dhauta. The garment has numerous other names related and unrelated, including வேட்டி vEtti or வேஷ்டி vEshti in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, ଧୋତି Dhotī in Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
, called ધૉતિયુ Dhotiyu in Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, চওৰকীয়কা Suriya in Assamese
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
, ধুতি Dhuti in Bangla, ಢೊತಿ/ಕಛ್ಛೆ ಪನ್ಛೆ Dhoti or Kachche Panche in Kannada, Dhotar, Angostar, Aad-neschey or Pudve in Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
, മുണ്ട് Mundu
Mundu
The mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
in Malayalam, ధోతీ/పంచె Dhoti or Pancha in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, धोतर Dhotar in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, ਲ਼ਾਛ Laacha in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
and "Mardaani" in villages of UP, Bihar, Terai.
Custom and usage
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. In many of these countries, the garment has become something of a mascot of cultural assertion, being greatly favoured by politicians and cultural figures. Thus, the pancha for many has taken on a more cultural nuance while the suit-and-tie or, in less formal occasions, the ubiquitous shirt and pants, are seen as standard formal and semi-formal wear.
In southern India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, the garment is worn at all cultural occasions and traditional ceremonies. The bridegroom in a south Indian wedding and the host/main male participant of other rituals and ceremonies have necessarily to be dressed in the traditional pancha while performing the ceremonies.
Unspoken rules of etiquette govern the way the Pancha is worn. In south India, men will occasionally fold the garment in half and this reveals the legs from the knee downwards. However, it is considered disrespectful to speak to women or to one's social superiors with the Pancha folded up in this manner. When faced with such a social situation, the fold of the Pancha is loosened and allowed to cover the legs completely.
The pancha is worn by many orthodox Jain males when they visit the temple for prayer, as they are required to wear unstitched clothes in accordance to their belief in ahimsa
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is a term meaning to do no harm . The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hims – to strike; himsa is injury or harm, a-himsa is the opposite of this, i.e. non harming or nonviolence. It is an important tenet of the Indian religions...
. They wear a loose, unstitched cloth, shorter than the panchaon the top.
Pancha are worn by western adherents of the Hare Krishna
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
sect, which is known for promoting a distinctive dress code among its practitioners, with followers wearing saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
or white coloured cloth, folded in the traditional style. Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
invariably wore a pancha on public occasions, but he was well aware that it was considered "indecent" in other countries and was shocked when a friend wore one in London. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.
The genteel Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
man is stereotyped in popular culture as wearing expensive perfumes, a light kurta and an elaborate dhuti with rich pleats, the front corner of the cloth being stiffed like a Japanese fan and holding it in his hand; while feverishly discussing politics and literature. It is considered the most elegant costume and is worn at Bengali weddings and cultural festivals.
Over the past century or more, western styles of clothing have been steadily gaining ground in the region, gradually rendering the pancha a garment for home-wear, not generally worn to work. It is less popular among the youth in major metropolises and is viewed as rustic, unfashionable and not 'hip' enough for the younger age-set. However, use of the pancha as a garment of daily use and homewear continues largely unabated.
Usage in Nepal
Pancha are popular in the TeraiTerai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
region and the bordering Indian states.
In 2008, the newly elected first Vice-president of Nepal, Mr. Permanand Jha sparked protest and rallies in Nepali speaking areas of the country after he took the oath wearing Dhoti-Kurta, the traditional garment of the people of Terai.
Dhoti is a derogatory term used to refer people from India inside or outside Nepal and doesn't apply to the people of Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
origin who are Nepali citizens. People from the Terai region are generally referred to as Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
in Kathmandu and most of the hilly urban centers of Nepal.
Styles and varieties
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Mundu
Mundu
The mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. It is called pancha in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and panche in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and dhuti in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. The word is related to the Sanskrit pancha meaning five. This may be a reference to the fact that a 5-yard-long strip of cloth is used. It is also related to the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word dhuvati. In one elaborate south Indian style of draping the garment, five knots are used to wrap the garment, and this also is sometimes held to have originated the word.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
-yellow is the prescribed hues to be worn by men at their weddings and upanayanam
Upanayanam
Upanayana is the initiation ritual by which initiates are invested with a sacred thread, to symbolize the transference of spiritual knowledge .- Significance of the sacred thread :...
s. Silk panchas, called Magatam or Pattu Pancha in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
respectively, are often used on these special occasions. Vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
-red dhotis, called sowlay, are often used by priests at temples, especially in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Kings and poets used rich colors and elaborate gold-thread embroideries. Cotton dhotis suit the climatic conditions for daily usage. Silk panchas are suited for special occasions and are expensive.
There are several different ways of draping the panchas. The two most popular ones in south India are the plain wrap and the Pancha katcham or (five knots or five folds). The first style is mostly seen mainly in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, southern parts of other two south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. It is a simple wrap around the waist and resembles a long skirt and is usually 4 yards long. It will be folded in half up to knees while working. The second style consists of folding around the waist in the middle of the garment and tying the top ends in the front like a belt and tucking the falling left and right ends in the back. It is usually 8 yards long cloth. This style is popular across south Indian men while working in the fields.
The style in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and in North India, also worn in the West by devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
, consists of folding the cloth in half, taking the left side, pleating it vertically, passing it between the legs and tucking it in the waist at the back. The right side is pleated horizontally and tucked in the waist at the front.
Along with dhoti, the angavastram or thundu (an extra piece of cloth) will be draped depending on its use. Farmers carry it on one shoulder and treat it as sweat towel. Bridegrooms use it as entire upper garment. It will be folded decoratively around the waist while dancing. South Indian Hindu priests wrap about the waist as the extra layer. North Indian priests (especially those of ISKCON) may drape it across the body with two corners tied at the shoulder, or they may wear a kurta instead.
The dhoti is also worn in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
, mainly by Somalis
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
and Afars
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
, where it is known as the macawis.
See also
- KiltKiltThe kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
- LongyiLongyiA longyi is a sheet of cloth widely worn in Burma. It is approximately 2 m long and 80 cm wide. The cloth is often sewn into a cylindrical shape. It is worn around the waist, running to the feet. It is held in place by folding fabric over, without a knot. It is also sometimes folded up to...
- LungiLungiThe Lungi , also known as a sarong , is a traditional garment worn around the waist in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
- MunduMunduThe mundu is a garment worn around the waist in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, Kerala and Maldives. This garment is closely related to the Dhoti, Sarong, and Lungi. In South Kanara, a district of Karnataka state, the Tulu speaking folk and Beary community also wear the mundu. It is...
- SampotSampotThe sampot is a long, rectangular cloth worn around the lower body. It can be draped and folded in several different ways. The traditional dress is similar to the dhoti of Southern Asia...
- SariSariA sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
- SarongSarongA sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
- ShendytShendytThe shendyt is a garment which was made of cloth and was worn around the waist, typically extending to above the knees, in ancient Egyptian society...
- TogaTogaThe toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a cloth of perhaps 20 ft in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The toga was made of wool, and the tunic under it often was made of linen. After the 2nd century BC, the toga was a garment worn...
External links
- Mahatma Gandhi was shocked when a friend wore a pancha in London
- Dhotis
- How to tie a dhoti
- How to tie a veshti
- How to wear a dhoti
- Off-Duty Dhoti