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] Thedhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, of usually around 4 yards (3.7 m) in length.[7][8]
Thedhoti is considered to be the male counterpart of thesari, worn by females toreligious &secular 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 thedhoti, 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 asmoonwalks.[20] While the sari is still draped by many women asdaily wear, only a few men know how to wrap the dhoti & use it every day.[21] The dhoti has been displaced by the "English clothes" of theBritish, in urban areas likeBombay (Mumbai).[22] Men in dhotis are looked down upon, because they are perceived aspoor, at some places such asshopping malls.[23] Also, with the addition ofkurta-pyjama sets fromCentral Asia during theMoghal empire,[24]pyjamas are worn instead of dhotis as ethnic menswear.[25]
Khasi folk dancers wearing "Jaiñboh" dhotis and other ethnic garb
The unstitched dhoti is also referred to as "dhautra" (IPA: /dʱɑwtɽɐ/) 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.[26]: 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.[27][28] Stitched garments became popular inthe Indian subcontinent, with the coming ofPersians,Greeks & "barbarians"; nonetheless the dhoti prevailed insakaccha as well asvikaccha forms.[29] In theSunga period, there were two broad modes of wearing the dhoti, thesakaccha & thevikaccha.[30] In thesakaccha way, the cloth passed between the legs & was tucked at the back;vikaccha meant wearing the dhoti in the form of alungi.[31] In the past, there were variations in the styles of wrapping the dhotibased on castes, as in the case of Bombay'sSonars & thePeshwa Brahmins; for this reason English attire has been described as "caste neutral".[32][33]
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; unstitched clothing is believed by some Jains to be "less permeable to pollution" and therefore more appropriate for religious rituals than other garments.[40] They also wear a loose and unstitched cloth, shorter than thepancha on top.
There's a distinction between thelungi, a similar garment often worn by people at their homes,lungi is more casual and comfortable, the dhoti however is considered formal, it is sometimes worn by politicians.[50]
Mundu (dhoti) wearing spectators oftheyyam.Kalaripayattu martial artists wearing thekalari dhoti.A white mundu worn with a black shirt.A veshti worn with shirt.
^Company, Fideler (1960).Life in Other Lands. Fideler. 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.{{cite book}}:|last= has generic name (help)
^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.
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