View source for Dhoti

{{Short description|Ethnic wrap garment worn by men in the Indian subcontinent}}
{{for|the far western area of the [[Nepal|Nepalese]] region|Doti}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

[[File:An_Indian_dancer_in_dhoti,_wrapped_around_his_waist.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Dogras|Dogra]] dancer wears a dhoti, at a [[theatre]] in [[Jammu]].]]
The '''dhoti''' is an [[ankle]]-length breechcloth,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MVqgAAAAMAAJ&q=dhoti+breeching+cloth | title=Reversing the Gaze: Amar Singh's Diary, a Colonial Subject's Narrative of Imperial India | isbn=978-0-19-565869-9 | last1=Singh | first1=Amar | last2=Rudolph | first2=Lloyd I. | last3=Kanota | first3=Mohan Singh | date=2001 | publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> wrapped around the waist and the legs, in resemblance to the shape of [[trousers]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afYNAQAAIAAJ|title=Life in Other Lands|publisher=Fideler|year=1960|page=78|quote=It is arranged to look like a pair of baggy trousers. This garment is called a dhoti and is usually made of cotton.|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Bhandari|first=Vandana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nckSAQAAIAAJ|title=Costume, Textiles and Jewellery [i.e. Jewelry] of India: Traditions in Rajasthan|publisher=Mercury Books|year=2005|isbn=9781904668893|page=105|quote=One of the reasons for the dhoti's enduring popularity is its loose trouser - like form, which is convenient and extremely well - suited to the tropical Indian climate .|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=K Parker|first=Lewis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0uIZaaoSKGYC|title=India|publisher=Rourke Book Company|year=1994|isbn=9781559160056|page=14|quote=Boys and men often wear a ''dhoti''. This is a piece of white cloth wound around the waist. Dhotis look like comfortable, baggy pants.|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref> The dhoti is a [[garment]] of [[ethnic wear]] for men in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Dhoti|url=https://www.indianmirror.com/culture/clothing/dhoti.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729202155/https://www.indianmirror.com/culture/clothing/dhoti.html|archive-date=29 July 2020|access-date=3 January 2021|website=Indian Mirror}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nayar |first=K P |date=2 May 1999 |title=Nepal Wakes Up to Dhoti Power |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/nepal-wakes-up-to-dhoti-power/cid/922708 |access-date=16 August 2024 |work=The Telegraph (India)}}</ref> The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, of usually around {{convert|4|yd}} in length.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/why-a-sari-is-both-hot-and-cool/articleshow/46570229.cms | title=Why a sari is both hot, and cool | work=The Times of India | date=15 March 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xe1nBwAAQBAJ&dq=dhoti+breeching+cloth&pg=PT180 | title=World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence | isbn=978-1-317-45166-2 | last1=Snodgrass | first1=Mary Ellen | date=17 March 2015 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

[[File:Anonymous_-_Four_Recruits_in_White_Dhotis,_page_from_the_Fraser_Album_-_1981.247_-_Art_Institute_of_Chicago.jpg|thumb|An [[illustration]] of dhoti-clad recruits in the [[British Indian Army]].]]
The dhoti is the male counterpart of the [[sari]], worn by females to [[Religion in India|religious]] and [[secularism in India|secular]] ceremonies ([[function hall|functions]]).<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=paPeAwAAQBAJ&dq=sakaccha+dhoti&pg=PA155 | title=Philosophy, Religion and Politics: Essays in Honour of Very Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu | isbn=978-1-300-01966-4 | last1=Phd | first1=Alloy S Ihuah | date=2 August 2012 | publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114032654/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-date=14 January 2025 | title=City women get talking about dresscode in temples | work=The Times of India | date=3 December 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Avasthi|first=Vivek|date=14 January 2020|title=Sarees for women, dhoti for men: Officer's dress code for Kashi temple irks minister|language=English|work=The Federal|url=https://thefederal.com/news/sarees-for-women-dhoti-for-men-officers-dress-code-for-kashi-temple-irks-minister/|url-status=live|access-date=3 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805184620/https://thefederal.com/news/sarees-for-women-dhoti-for-men-officers-dress-code-for-kashi-temple-irks-minister/|archive-date=5 August 2020}}</ref> A {{Transliteration|hi|'''pitambar'''}} is a yellow silk dhoti worn on auspicious occasions.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Henry|first=Baden Powell|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r4wCfSUgjQQC&q=Pitambar+silk+cloth|title=Hand-book of the Economic Products of the Punjab (etc.): Forming ... to the hand-book of the economic products of the Punjab|date=1872|publisher=Engineering College Press|pages=65, 67|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Birdwood|first=George Christopher Molesworth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XLdX1yTDh8C&dq=Mashru+was+permitted&pg=PA345|title=The Industrial Arts of India|date=1884|publisher=Chapman and Hall|pages=363|language=en}}</ref> Dhotis must not be confused with "readymade panchakachams"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2011/Jun/22/madisars-made-to-fit-just-right-265113.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825090133/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2011/Jun/22/madisars-made-to-fit-just-right-265113.html | archive-date=25 August 2024 | title=Madisars made to fit just right | date=16 May 2012 }}</ref> or "dhoti pants", which are a new [[ready to wear]] trend, popular among women and typical of children.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.carrieschronicles.com/blog/2018/11/12/doting-upon-the-return-of-dhoti-pants | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707084524/https://www.carrieschronicles.com/blog/2018/11/12/doting-upon-the-return-of-dhoti-pants | archive-date=7 July 2022 | title=Doting Upon the Return of Dhoti Pants | date=12 November 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fayonkids.com/blogs/kidswear/dhoti-kurta-for-girls-latest-fashion-trends-and-styles | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606054655/https://www.fayonkids.com/blogs/kidswear/dhoti-kurta-for-girls-latest-fashion-trends-and-styles | archive-date=6 June 2022 | title=Latest Fashion, Trends and Style for Dhoti Kurta for Girls – FayonKids | date=16 May 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.glamcheck.com/fashion/2010/04/07/what-are-dhoti-pants | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104105432/https://www.glamcheck.com/fashion/2010/04/07/what-are-dhoti-pants | archive-date=4 November 2010 | title=What are dhoti pants }}</ref> Although the terms ''[[mundu]]'' or ''[[veshti]]'' are used interchangeably with "dhoti",<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=What is Veshti |url=https://www.rhythmdhotis.com/what-is-veshti/ |website=Rhythm Dhotis}}</ref> they are different from the dhoti, which is "looped" or wrapped around the legs, in the form of trousers or pants.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://m.economictimes.com/cocktail-conversations-veshti-vs-dhoti/articleshow/8324642.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112051459/https://m.economictimes.com/cocktail-conversations-veshti-vs-dhoti/articleshow/8324642.cms | archive-date=12 November 2021 | title=Cocktail Conversations: Veshti Vs Dhoti | newspaper=The Economic Times | date=15 May 2011 | last1=Dasgupta | first1=Reshmi R. }}</ref> The dhoti is better known as '''panchakacham''' in [[South India]], which may even be worn while doing dances such as [[moonwalk (dance)|moonwalk]]s.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fashion/dhoti-dynamics/article7354043.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241010071306/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fashion/dhoti-dynamics/article7354043.ece | archive-date=10 October 2024 | title=Dhoti dynamics | work=The Hindu | date=25 June 2015 }}</ref>

==Etymology==
The unstitched dhoti is also referred to as "dhautra" ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: /dʱɑwtrɐ/) in Sanskrit, which means rope or cord. It evolved from the ancient ''[[antriya]]'', 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.<ref name="Ghurye">Govind Sadashiv Ghurye (1951) ''Indian Costume''</ref>{{rp|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.<ref>Indian Costume by [[G. S. Ghurye|Govind Sadashiv Ghurye]] 1966</ref><ref>Ancient Indian Costume By Roshen Alkazi 1996</ref> Stitched garments became popular in the Indian subcontinent, with the coming of [[Persians]], [[Greeks]], and "[[barbarian]]s"; nonetheless, the dhoti prevailed in ''sakaccha'' as well as ''vikaccha'' forms.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6zj3DwAAQBAJ&dq=barbarians+vikaccha&pg=PA305 | title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L | isbn=978-0-429-62465-0 | last1=Walker | first1=Benjamin | date=9 April 2019 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Indian Relief of Ashoka, circa 1st century BC, from the Amaravathi village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh (India), in the Guimet Museum (Paris).jpg|thumb| [[Ashoka]] of the [[Mauryan Empire]] depicted on the [[Amaravati Stupa]], 1st century CE.]]
The dhoti evolved from the ancient [[antariya]], 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Ghurye |first=Govind |title=Indian Costume |date=1951 |pages=130}}</ref>   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 to [[G. S. Ghurye]], this style is more commonly worn by farmers and martial artists.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meister |first=Michael W. |last2=Alkazi |first2=Roshen |date=October 1985 |title=Ancient Indian Costume |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/602804 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=105 |issue=4 |pages=806 |doi=10.2307/602804 |issn=0003-0279|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 

The earliest epigraphical depictions of the Dhoti were during the [[Mauryan Empire]]. In the [[Sunga period]], there were two broad modes of wearing the dhoti, the ''sakaccha'' and the ''vikaccha''.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G9eHPXL6UE0C&dq=vikaccha+sakaccha&pg=PA63 | title=Costumes and Ornaments as Depicted in the Sculptures of Gwalior Museum | isbn=978-81-7099-002-4 | last1=Ayyar | first1=Sulochana | date=1987 | publisher=Mittal Publications }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Walker |first=Benjamin |title=Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. in Two Volumes. Volume I A-L |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62465-0 |series=Routledge Library Editions: Hinduism Ser |location=Milton}}</ref> In the ''sakaccha'' way, the cloth passed between the legs and was tucked at the back; ''vikaccha'' meant wearing the dhoti similar to a [[lungi]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/StylisticChangesInTheCostumesAndJewelleryInIndianArt/Stylistic+changes+in+the+costumes+and+jewellery+in+Indian+art_djvu.txt | title=Stylistic Changes in the Costumes and Jewellery in Indian Art }}</ref> 

[[File:Gandhi_Salt_March.jpg|right|thumb|M K Gandhi in 1935]]

During British rule in [[colonial India]], the dhoti remained a [[national symbol]] of resistance and cultural identity when worn without a shirt.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/19/opinion/l-half-naked-fakir-meets-overdressed-king-052586.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524192136/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/19/opinion/l-half-naked-fakir-meets-overdressed-king-052586.html | archive-date=24 May 2015 | title=Opinion &#124; Half-Naked Fakir Meets Overdressed King | work=The New York Times | date=19 October 1986 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/gandhi-jayanti-when-mahatma-gandhi-turned-half-naked-fakir-in-tamil-nadu/story-MoII4MJJiSe0aPjuPIUpqO.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003022411/https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/gandhi-jayanti-when-mahatma-gandhi-turned-half-naked-fakir-in-tamil-nadu/story-MoII4MJJiSe0aPjuPIUpqO.html | archive-date=3 October 2019 | title=Gandhi Jayanti: When Mahatma Gandhi turned 'half-naked fakir' in Tamil Nadu &#124; art and culture &#124; Hindustan Times | work=Hindustan Times | date=2 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/half-naked-fakir.php | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810010403/https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/half-naked-fakir.php | archive-date=10 August 2024 | title=Half Naked Fakir &#124; About Gandhi &#124; Articles on and by Gandhi }}</ref> At the height of the [[Indian Independence Movement]], weaving ''[[khadi]]'' was a symbol of the ''[[swadeshi movement]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ministerwhite.com/blogs/blogs/gandhi-weaving-a-nation-together/|title=Gandhi - Weaving a nation together|last=Sankaralingam|first=Sathrukkan|date=2 September 2020|website=Minister White Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2 September 2020|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011005702/https://www.ministerwhite.com/blogs/blogs/gandhi-weaving-a-nation-together|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1921, [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]] championed the dhoti, often topless (without a kurta or shirt), to promote and identify with the [[handicraft]]s produced by the rural and the poor of his [[homeland]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=What made Gandhiji wear only Loincloth or Dhoti|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=149833|access-date=7 October 2021|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Importance of Veshties in Tamil Culture|url=https://ramrajcotton.in/blogs/news/importance-of-veshties-in-tamil-culture|website=Ramraj Cotton|access-date=13 July 2022}}</ref>

== Names==
[[File:In Welcome of Buddha - ACCN 34-2542 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 5941.JPG|thumb|200px|Relief depicting men in anatariya and [[uttariya]], 1st century CE]]
[[File:A Manipuri Dancer in traditional Krishna attire.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[Manipur]]i dancer dressed as [[Krishna]] in yellow dhoti]]
[[File:Shad Suk Mysiem.JPG|thumb|right|[[Khasi people|Khasi]] folk dancers wearing "Jaiñboh" dhotis  and other ethnic garb]]

The garment is known by various names based on language, such as:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Native script
!Transliteration
!Language or region
|-
|চুৰিয়া, ধুতি
|''Suriya,'' ''Dhuti''
|[[Assamese language|Assamese]]
|-
|ধুতি
|''Dhuti''
|[[Bengali language|Bengali]]
|-
|ધૉતિયુ
|''Dhotiyu''
|[[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]
|-
|धोती
|''Dhotī''
|[[Hindi]], [[Maithili language|Maithili]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]] and [[Pali]]
|-
|मर्दानी
|''Mardānī''
|Hindi
|-
|ಧೋತ್ರ <br /> ಕಚ್ಚೆ ಪಂಚೆ
|''Dhotra''<br />''Kachche Panche''
|[[Kannada language|Kannada]]
|-
|धोंतर,<br />आंगोस्तर,<br />आड नेसचे,<br />पुडवे <br />
|''Dhontar,''<br />''Āṅgostara,''<br />''Āḍa nesace''<br />''Puḍave''
|[[Konkani language|Konkani]]
|-
|മുണ്ട്
|''Muṇṭ‌''
|[[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]
|-
|धोतर
|''Dhotar''&nbsp;{{sup|a}}
|[[Marathi language|Marathi]]
|-
|ଧୋତି
|''Dhotī''
|[[Odia language|Odia]]
|-
|ਚਾਦਰਾ
|''Chaadar''
|[[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
|-
|வேட்டி
|''Vaetti''
|[[Tamil language|Tamil]]
|-
|పంచె, ధోవతి
|{{transliteration|hi|ISO|Pañce}}
|[[Telugu language|Telugu]]
|-
|{{lang|ur|{{nq|دھوتی}}}}
|''Dhoti''
|[[Urdu language|Urdu]]
|-
| colspan="3" |{{small|{{sup|a}} In Marathi, a ''dhotar'' is not the same as a ''pancha'' (plural ''panche'').<br />While the former is worn around the waist, the latter is normally a [[towel]] used after [[bathing]] (compare [[#Extra cloth|below]]).}}
|}

== Custom and usage ==
{{multiple images
| align             = left
| caption_align     = center
| image1            = Didarganj_Yakshi_statue_in_the_Bihar_Museum.jpg
| width2            = 112
| caption2          = The [[Didarganj Yakshi]] depicting the ''dhoti wrap''
}}

The ''pancha'' is worn by many conservative [[Jain]] men when they visit ''[[derasar]]s'' or ''basadi''s for [[puja (Jainism)|puja]], as unstitched clothing is believed by some Jains to be "less permeable to pollution" and therefore more appropriate for religious rituals than other garments.<ref name=Cort>{{cite book |last=Cort |first=John E |date=2001 |title=Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India |url=http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/†0195132343.001.0001‡↓↓/acprof-9780195132342 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=221 |doi=10.1093/0195132343.001.0001 |isbn=9780195132342}}</ref> They also wear a loose and unstitched cloth, shorter than the ''pancha'' on top.
[[File:Water pump, Varanasi (15563170660) Cropped.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Benares]]i man in dhoti with a Central Asian [[kurta]], in [[Uttar Pradesh]].]]

The [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)]], known for its distinctive dress code, prompts Western adherents to wear ''pancha'', usually of [[saffron]] or white cloth folded in ethnic [[bengali culture|Bengali]] style. [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.<ref name="Koppel">{{cite news |title=Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a Guide On the Beatles' Spiritual Path, Dies |first=Lily |last=Koppel |work=New York Times |date=6 February 2008 |page=C.10 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/world/asia/06maharishi-1.html?_r=1}}</ref> Traditionally, men wear the dhoti [[barechested|topless]] (without upper garments) while entering certain ''[[mandir]]s'' (Hindu temples) in [[South India]], as stitched garments supposedly counter the [[Energy_(esotericism)|energy]] of the idol.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122061219/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/amp_articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-date=22 January 2025 | title=City women get talking about dresscode in temples | work=The Times of India }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-rigid-dress-code-put-in-place-at-mahabaleshwar-temple/articleshow/66274918.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122060859/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-rigid-dress-code-put-in-place-at-mahabaleshwar-temple/amp_articleshow/66274918.cms | archive-date=22 January 2025 | title=Karnataka: Rigid dress code put in place at Mahabaleshwar temple | work=The Times of India }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/sartorial-quirkiness-995426.html | title=Sartorial quirkiness }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/who-says-god-likes-topless-men-but-not-jeans/articleshow/50513608.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301125348/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/who-says-god-likes-topless-men-but-not-jeans/articleshow/50513608.cms | archive-date=1 March 2021 | title=Who says god likes topless men but not jeans? | work=The Times of India | date=10 January 2016 }}</ref> The dhoti is often worn with a [[shirt]] in other places.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FkY3vxzzWdcC&dq=some+women+wear+a+long+blouse+with+saree&pg=PA36-IA32 | title=Census of India, 1961 | date=1962 }}</ref>

The dhoti was also worn by [[Sikhs]] in the [[Punjab region]], etc. Wearing Dhotis was discouraged during the [[Punjab Subah Movement]] due to the inter-communal tensions prevalent at the time.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UUdYFH9skIkC&dq=sikh+dhoti&pg=PA333 | title=East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab | isbn=9788170103608 | last1=Brard | first1=Gurnam Singh Sidhu | year=2007 | publisher=Hemkunt Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aSzbGKyLqicC&dq=sikh+dhoti&pg=PA140 | title=Dynamics of Punjabi Suba Movement | isbn=9788176291293 | last1=Lamba | first1=Krishan Gopal | year=1999 | publisher=Deep & Deep Publications }}</ref> The ''dhothi'' was also worn by [[South Canarese Christian]] men to their [[pre-nup]]tial ceremonies, [[church wedding]]s & [[wedding reception|receptions]] until the 1960s;<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1177555 | jstor=1177555 | title=The Marriage Customs of the Christians in South Canara, India | last1=Silva | first1=Severine | last2=Fuchs | first2=Stephen | journal=Asian Folklore Studies | year=1965 | volume=24 | issue=2 | pages=1–52 | doi=10.2307/1177555 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> after which they fell out of favour, since then, [[groom]]s have been styling the black [[suit and tie]] instead.
[[File:A Rajasthani farmer in dhoti and traditional head dress.jpg|thumb|right|A man in dhoti paired with a [[kurti top|short kurta]] in [[Rajasthan]]]]

There is a distinction between the dhoti and the [[lungi]], 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/07/23/no-dhotis-please-were-indian/|title=No Dhotis Please, We're Indian|last=McLain|first=Sean|date=23 July 2014|website=Wall Street Journal|language=en-US|access-date=3 November 2017}}</ref>

==Decline==
The use of dhoti an as article of clothing has declined in comparison to it's historical prominence in the Indian Subcontinent. However they are still used in both secular & religious practices<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114032654/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/city-women-get-talking-about-dresscode-in-temples/articleshow/55751537.cms | archive-date=14 January 2025 | title=City women get talking about dresscode in temples | work=The Times of India | date=3 December 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Avasthi|first=Vivek|date=14 January 2020|title=Sarees for women, dhoti for men: Officer's dress code for Kashi temple irks minister|language=English|work=The Federal|url=https://thefederal.com/news/sarees-for-women-dhoti-for-men-officers-dress-code-for-kashi-temple-irks-minister/|url-status=live|access-date=3 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805184620/https://thefederal.com/news/sarees-for-women-dhoti-for-men-officers-dress-code-for-kashi-temple-irks-minister/|archive-date=5 August 2020}}</ref>  While the [[sari]] is still draped by many women as [[daily wear]], few men know how to wrap the dhoti and use it every day.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Desai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkVaSD4DV8AC&pg=PA70&dq=dhoti+rural&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif36qbuvOQAxXHElkFHf8BCbAQ6AF6BAgHEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=The Emerging Youth |date=1967 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-422-6 |language=en}}</ref> The dhoti has been displaced by [[History of Western fashion|Western fashion]] of the [[British India|British]] and the [[United States]], in urban areas such as [[Bombay (Mumbai)]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/blog/i-m-24-year-old-gandhian-and-i-m-not-ashamed-wear-dhoti-everyday-37741 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828070505/https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/blog/i-m-24-year-old-gandhian-and-i-m-not-ashamed-wear-dhoti-everyday-37741 | archive-date=28 August 2024 | title=I'm a 24-year-old Gandhian and I'm not ashamed to wear a dhoti everyday | date=4 January 2016 }}</ref> Historically, there were variations in the styles of wrapping the dhoti [[Hindu caste based discrimination|based on castes]], as in the case of Bombay's [[Daivajna|Sonars]] and the [[Peshva]] Brahmins. Therefore, English attire has been described as "caste neutral".<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v3UyEQAAQBAJ&dq=dhoti+caste&pg=PT35 | title=Destruction of Caste | isbn=978-93-6318-452-7 | last1=Ambedkar | first1=Bhimrao | date=20 November 2024 | publisher=Diamond Pocket Books Pvt }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=George |first=Rosemary Marangoly |title=Indian English and the fiction of national literature |date=2016 |publisher=Cambridge university press |isbn=978-1-107-04000-7 |location=Cambridge New York}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ambedkar |first=B. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Annihilation_of_Caste.html?id=omznDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Annihilation of Caste: The Annotated Critical Edition |date=2014-10-07 |publisher=Verso Books |isbn=978-1-78168-830-4 |language=en}}</ref> Dhotis are more prevalent rural India, which reports having more traditional association of the garment.<ref name=":1" /> Yet, men in dhotis are commonly perceived and discriminated as rural and poor in places such as shopping malls.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Misra |first=Shubhangi |date=2024-07-18 |title=Indians look down on men in dhotis. It's a by-product of colonialism and disdain for the poor |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/indians-look-down-on-men-in-dhotis-its-a-by-product-of-colonialism-and-disdain-for-the-poor/2179980/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718171055/https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/indians-look-down-on-men-in-dhotis-its-a-by-product-of-colonialism-and-disdain-for-the-poor/2179980/ |archive-date=2024-07-18 |access-date=2025-09-20 |work=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, with the introduction of kurta-pyjama sets from [[Central Asia]], during the [[Mughal Empire]], pyjamas are often worn instead of dhotis as ethnic menswear.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Patel |first=Nirmal |date=2023-08-27 |title=Dynamics Evolution of Men’s Ethnic Wear in Style & Comfort - KALKI Fashion Blog |url=https://www.kalkifashion.com/blogs/evolution-of-mens-ethnic-wear-to-change-the-dynamics-of-style-comfort/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302155714/https://www.kalkifashion.com/blogs/evolution-of-mens-ethnic-wear-to-change-the-dynamics-of-style-comfort/ |archive-date=2025-03-02 |access-date=2025-09-20 |work=Kalki Fashion Blog – Latest Fashion Trends, Bridal Fashion, Style Tips, News and Many More |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bijolia |first=Disha |title=Tracing The Origins Of The Indian Kurta |url=https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-voices/tracing-the-origins-of-the-indian-kurta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131071624/https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-voices/tracing-the-origins-of-the-indian-kurta |archive-date=2023-01-31 |access-date=2025-09-20 |work=Homegrown |language=en}}</ref>

==Gallery==
[[File:Vellattam_of_the_Bali_theyyam_03.jpg|thumb|center|Mundu (dhoti) wearing spectators of ''[[theyyam]]''.]]
[[File:Kalari_Pattu.jpg|thumb|center|[[Kalaripayattu]] martial artists wearing the ''kalari dhoti''.]]
[[File:Mundu_black_shirt.jpg|thumb|center|A white mundu worn with a black shirt.]]
[[File:ANBU TAMIL INDIAN COSTUME IN VENICE ITALY 1.jpg|thumb|center|A veshti worn with shirt.]]
{{clear}}

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Dhaut Pariksha]]
* [[Dhoti Lota Aur Chowpatty]]
* [[Harem pants]]
*[[History of clothing in the Indian subcontinent]]
* [[Khadi]]
* [[Kaupinam]]
* [[Longyi]]
* [[Pathin]]
* [[Sarong]]
* [[Sompot Chong Kben]]
* [[Sinh (clothing)]]
*[[Wrapper (clothing)]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Commons category|Dhoti}}
{{reflist}}

{{Clothing in South Asia}}
{{Folk costume}}

[[Category:Hindu religious clothing]]
[[Category:Indian clothing]]
[[Category:Pakistani clothing]]
[[Category:Folk costumes]]
[[Category:Skirts]]