Dhoti

For the far western region of Nepal, see Doti.

Indian folk dancers dressed in dhotis

The dhoti, also known as vesti, dhuti, mardani, dhoteé, lacha, dhotra, "lungi", "pance" is a traditional men's garment, worn in South Asia mainly by Indian, Nepalese and Bengali people. It is worn predominantly in the countries of India, Southern Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern Afghanistan. It is the national dress of Madhesh region of Southern Nepal worn mainly by Nepalis of Madhesi, Tharu, Maithali and Bahun ethnicity. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.

Etymology

The word dhoti is derived from (Sanskrit: धौती) dhauti meaning to cleanse or wash. In context of garment, it simply refers to cleansed garment which was worn during shrauta sacrifices or religious session in general. Dhoti evolved from ancient Anatariya which was passed through legs, tucked at the back and covered the legs loosely, then flowed into a long pleats at front of the legs, the same way it is worn today.

Regional names

Relief depicting men in anatariya and uttariya, 1st century AD.

Female dancer dressed as Krishna in yellow dhoti.

The garment is known by various regional names, such as:

		Language or region
ଧୋତି	Dhotī	Odia
धोति	Dhoteé	Nepali
ધૉતિયુ	Dhotiyu	Gujarati
धोतर	Dhotar a Pancha	Marathi
চুৰিয়া	Suriya	Assamese
ধুতি	Dhuti	Bengali
ಧೋತ್ರ ಕಚ್ಚೆ ಪಂಚೆ	Dhotra Kachche Panche	Kannada
धोतर,आंगोस्तर,आड नेसचे,पुडवे	Dhotar Angostar Aad-neschey Pudve	Konkani
ధోతీ పంచె అన్గవసత్రము	dhoti panche angavastramu	Telugu
ਲ਼ਾਛ	Lacha	Punjabi
வேட்டி	Vesti	Tamil
मर्दानी	Mardaani	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Terai
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  used as a towel after a bath or shower (compare below).

Custom and usage

A Chakravati wears a pancha in an ancient style. First century BCE/CE. Amaravathi village, Guntur district. Musee Guimet

The pancha is worn by many orthodox Jain males when they visit the temple for prayer, as, according to their belief in ahimsa, they are required to wear unstitched clothing. They also wear a loose, 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 a traditional style. Mahatma Gandhi invariably wore a pancha on public occasions but, as he was aware that it was considered "indecent" to do so in other countries, was shocked when a friend wore one in London. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.

Over the past century or more, Western styles of clothing have been steadily gaining ground in the region, gradually rendering the dhoti a homewear rather than work garment. In metropolitan areas, it is also less popular among young people as it is seen as rustic and unfashionable. The use, however, of the pancha as a daily homewear garment continues largely unabated. However, the use of Dhoti in Indian fashions is making a comeback.

See also

• Kilt
• Longyi
• Lungi
• Mundu
• Sampot
• Sari
• Sarong
• Shendyt
• Toga