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The Dhoti (called '''"Veshti"''' in Tamil and '''"Pancha"''' in Telugu and Kannada ) is the original and timeless garment of men's wear in India . A rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, it is wrapped in a complex manner about the waist and legs. It is usually white or cream in color, although colourful hues are often used to create more vivid ensembles. There are more than 60 different ways of draping the this garment. In northern India, the garment is worn with a Kurta on top, the combination known simply as "''Dhoti Kurta''", or a "''Dhoti Panjabi''" in the East. In southern India, it is worn with an ''Angavastram'' (another unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders) or else with a ''"Chokka"'' or ''"Jubba"'', a local version of the kurta. The Lungi is a similar piece of cloth worn in the same manner, though it is used only informally and never formally. It is also primarily worn by people of the lower classes and particularly popular in Southern India as well as in Sri Lanka , Malaysia etc. CUSTOM AND USAGE The dhoti is the traditional male garment of India and its use extends back to the earliest known period. Indeed, although many modes of draping the dhoti obtained from very ancient times, no mode of male clothing other than a length of unstitched cloth appears to have been known in India until the muslim invasions of the 10th Century AD . The dhoti also closely resembles the Indian ''female'' garment, the Sari ; experts regard such resemblance as being evidence of the garment being used in that society from the earliest times. . Musee Guimet ]] The dhoti is considered formal wear all over the country. It is eminently acceptable wherever "formal wear" is bespoken or enjoined in India. Apart from all government and traditional family functions, the dhoti is also deemed acceptable at posh country clubs, other than in Calcutta , and at other establishments that enforce strict formal dress codes. In Southern India , the garment is worn at all cultural occasions and traditional ceremonies. The bride-groom in a south Indian wedding and the host/main male participant of other rituals and ceremonies have necessarily to be dressed in the traditional dhoti while performing the ceremonies. Many of the more important temples in southern India demand that males entering the precincts of the temple be dressed formally in ''"Veshti"'' and ''"Angavastram"''. Unspoken rules of etiquette govern the way the dhoti is worn. In south India, men will occasionally fold the garment in half to resemble a short skirt when working, cycling, etc., and this reveals the legs from the knee downwards. However, it is considered disrespectful to speak to women or to one's social superiors with the dhoti folded up in this manner. When faced with such a social situation, the fold of the dhoti is loosened with an imperceptible flick of the hand and allowed to flutter down and cover the legs completely. OTHER ASSOCIATIONS The garment enjoys a similar, eminent status across the Indian Subcontinent , particularly in Sri Lanka , The Maldives and Bangladesh . In many of these countries, the garment has become something of a mascot of cultural assertion, being greatly favoured by politicians and cultural icons such as classical musicians, poets and literatteurs. Thus, the ''dhoti'' for many has taken on a more cultural nuance while the 'suit-and-tie' or, in less formal occasions, the ubiquitous shirt and pants, is seen as standard formal and semi-formal wear. Dhotis are also worn by western adherents of the Hare Krishna movement, which is well known for promoting a distinctive dress code amongst their practitioners, with followers wearing Saffron or white coloured cloth, folded in the traditional style. The dhoti is associated by many with Mahatma Gandhi , who invariably wore one on public occasions. The genteel Bengal i man, stereotyped as a "''Bengali Babu''," is seen in popular culture as wearing expensive perfumes, a light Kurta and his prized ''dhoti'' whilst feverishly discussing politics and literature. Over the past century or more, western styles of clothing have been steadily gaining ground in the region, gradually rendering the dhoti a garment for home-wear, not generally worn to work. It is becoming increasingly less popular among men in major metropolises and is coming to be viewed as something rustic, unfashionable and not 'hep' enough for the younger age-set. However, use of the dhoti as a garment of daily use and homewear continues largely unabated. The "Pancha": It is sometimes called ''pancha'' in Andhra Pradesh and ''panche'' in Karnataka as five (panch, a sanskrit word) knots are used to wrap the dhoti in the formal style of wearing. Many politicians of India , such as the present finance minister, P. Chidambaram , and Prime Ministers like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, P.V. Narashima Rao are also seen wearing the dhoti, reflecting the gear of the common man. It is called ''veshti'' in Tamil Nadu , and in the more prevalent style it is plainly wrapped around the waist by men. This way of wearing is also prevalent in the neighbouring states of Kerala . The dhoti is considered to be ideal for the hot tropical summer weather in India. Nowadays, in the south, a shirt is worn on the top in combination with the dhoti. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |