Thedhoti is anankle-length breechcloth,[1] wrapped around the waist and the legs, in resemblance to the shape oftrousers.[2][3][4] The dhoti is agarment ofethnic wear for men in theIndian subcontinent.[5][6] The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, of usually around 4 yards (3.7 m) in length.[7][8]
The dhoti is the male counterpart of thesari, worn by females toreligious andsecular ceremonies (functions).[9][10][11] Apitambar is a yellow silk dhoti worn on auspicious occasions.[12][13] Dhotis must not be confused with "readymade panchakachams"[14] or "dhoti pants", which are a newready to wear trend, popular among women and typical of children.[15][16][17] Although the termsmundu orveshti are used interchangeably with "dhoti",[18] they are different from the dhoti, which is "looped" or wrapped around the legs, in the form of trousers or pants.[19] The dhoti is better known aspanchakacham inSouth India, which may even be worn while doing dances such as themoonwalk.[20]
The unstitched dhoti is also referred to as "dhautra" (IPA: /dʱɑwtrɐ/) in Sanskrit, which means rope or cord. It evolved from the ancientantriya, which was passed in between 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.[21]: 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.[22][23] Stitched garments became popular in the Indian subcontinent, with the coming ofPersians,Greeks, and "barbarians"; nonetheless, the dhoti prevailed insakaccha as well asvikaccha forms.[24]
The dhoti originated from the ancientantariya, which was passed in between 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.[25] A l 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. According toG. S. Ghurye, this style is more commonly worn by farmers and martial artists.[25][26]
The earliest epigraphical depictions of the Dhoti were during theMauryan Empire. In theSunga period, there were two broad modes of wearing the dhoti, thesakaccha and thevikaccha.[27] Stitched garments became popular in the Indian subcontinent, with the coming of Persians, Greeks, and "barbarians"; nonetheless, the dhoti prevailed in sakaccha as well as vikaccha forms.[28] In thesakaccha way, the cloth passed between the legs and was tucked at the back;vikaccha meant wearing the dhoti similar to alungi.[29]
Relief depicting men in anatariya anduttariya, 1st century CEAManipuri dancer dressed asKrishna in yellow dhotiKhasi folk dancers wearing "Jaiñboh" dhotis and other ethnic garb
The garment is known by various names based on language, such as:
a In Marathi, adhotar is not the same as apancha (pluralpanche). While the former is worn around the waist, the latter is normally atowel used afterbathing (comparebelow).
Thepancha is worn by many conservativeJain men when they visitderasars orbasadis forpuja, as unstitched clothing is believed to be "less permeable to pollution" and therefore more appropriate for religious rituals than other garments.[36] They also wear a loose and unstitched cloth, shorter than thepancha on top.
There is a distinction between the dhoti and thelungi, a similar garment often worn by people at their homes. The lungi is more casual and comfortable, while the dhoti is considered formal and is sometimes worn by politicians.[46]
The use of the dhoti an as article of clothing, has declined in comparison to its historical prominence in the Indian subcontinent. However, it is still used in some secular functions and especially in religious settings.[10][11] While thesari is still draped by many women asdaily wear, few men know how to wrap the dhoti and use it every day.[47][48] The dhoti has been displaced by theEnglish clothes of theBritish, in urban areas such asBombay (Mumbai).[49] Historically, there were variations in the styles of wrapping the dhotibased on castes, as in the case of Bombay'sSonars and thePeshva Brahmins. Therefore, English attire has been described as "caste neutral".[50][51][52] Dhotis are still worn more in rural areas of India.[48] In urban areas, men in dhotis are often perceived as "poor" and discriminated against in places such as shopping malls.[53] Additionally, with the introduction of kurta-pyjama sets fromCentral Asia, during theMoghal Empire, pyjamas are often worn instead of dhotis as ethnic menswear.[54][55]
Mundu (dhoti) wearing spectators oftheyyam.Kalaripayattu martial artists wearing thekalari dhoti.A white mundu paired with a black shirt.A veshti worn with shirt.
^Life in Other Lands. Fideler. 1960. p. 78. Retrieved3 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. Retrieved3 January 2021.Boys and men often wear adhoti. 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. Retrieved3 January 2021.
^Walker, Benjamin (2019).Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. in Two Volumes. Volume I A-L. Routledge Library Editions: Hinduism Ser. Milton: Routledge.ISBN978-0-429-62465-0.
^George, Rosemary Marangoly (2016).Indian English and the fiction of national literature. Cambridge New York: Cambridge university press.ISBN978-1-107-04000-7.
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