Ethnic garment worn by men in the Indian subcontinent
For the far western area of the Nepalese region, see Doti.
The dhoti, also known as veshti,[1]mardani, dhotar, jaiñboh, or panchey, is a piece of cloth arranged around the legs to resemble trousers.[2][3][4] It is most popular in India and Nepal.[citation needed] The dhoti is a lower garment forming part of ethnic wear for men in the Indian subcontinent.[5] The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and usually knotted in the front.
The dhoti is considered to be the male counterpart of the saari worn by females to religious and secular ceremonies (functions).[6]Apitambar is a yellow silk dhoti worn on auspicious occasions.[7][8] The dhoti must not be confused with "dhoti pants" which are a new ready to wear trend, popular among women and typical of children.[9][10][11]
[edit]Khasi folk dancers wearing『Jaiñboh』dhotis and other traditional garb
It is also referred to as "dhautra" (IPA: /dʱɑwtɽɐ/) in Sanskrit, which means rope or cord. The dhoti evolved from the ancient antriya which was passed through the legs, tucked at the back and covered the legs loosely, then flowed into long pleats at front of the legs, the same way it is worn today as formal dhoti.[12]: 130 While a casual and short dhoti wraps around both legs firmly, in this style the back side of the dhoti is pulled to the front and tucked at the waist, before tucking the two loose ends at back, creating firmly fitted trouser-like dhoti that wraps around both legs. This style is more commonly worn by farmers and martial artists.[13][14]
Names and styles
[edit]Relief depicting men in anatariya and uttariya, 1st century CEAManipuri dancer dressed as Krishna in yellow dhoti
The garment is known by various names based on language, such as:
a In Marathi, a dhotar is not the same as a pancha (plural panche). While the former is worn around the waist, the latter is normally atowel used after bathing (compare below).
The pancha is worn by many conservative Jain men when they visit DerasarsorBasadis for puja; unstitched clothing is believed by some Jains to be "less permeable to pollution" and therefore more appropriate for religious rituals than other garments.[15] They also wear a loose and unstitched cloth, shorter than the pancha on top.
Hare Krishna, known for its distinctive dress code, prompts Western adherents to wear pancha, usually of saffron or white cloth folded in ethnic Bengali style. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.[16]
There's a distinction between the lungi, a similar garment often worn by people at their homes, as it is more casual and comfortable, dhoti is sometimes even worn by secular politicians.[20]
^Company, Fideler (1960). Life in Other Lands. Fideler. p. 78. Retrieved 3 January 2021. It is arranged to look like a pair of baggy trousers. This garment is called a dhoti and is usually made of cotton.
^K Parker, Lewis (1994). India. Rourke Book Company. p. 14. ISBN9781559160056. Retrieved 3 January 2021. Boys and men often wear a dhoti. This is a piece of white cloth wound around the waist. Dhotis look like comfortable, baggy pants.
^"Indian Dhoti". Indian Mirror. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021.