Dhoti

Khasi folk dancers wearing "Jaiñboh" dhotis and other traditional garb.

The word dhoti is derived from dhauti (Sanskrit: धौती), translated "to cleanse" or "to wash".[12] In the context of clothing, it simply refers to the cleansed garment which was worn as part of everyday attire[13]^: 129 The dhoti evolved from the ancient antriya which was passed through 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.[13]^: 130 While a casual and short dhoti wraps around both legs firmly, in this style the back side of 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.[14][15]

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

Female dancer dressed as Krishna in yellow dhoti.

The garment is known by various names, such as:

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

The Didarganj Yakshi depicting the dhoti wrap.

The pancha is worn by many conservative Jain men when they visit Derasars or Basadis for puja; unstitched clothing is believed by some Jains to be "less permeable to pollution" and therefore more appropriate for religious rituals than other garments.[16] They also wear a loose and unstitched cloth, shorter than the pancha on top.

A Benaresi man in dhoti, Uttar Pradesh.

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. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was known for wearing a white silk dhoti.[17]

The dhoti has been ethnically worn by farmers, pehlwano (wrestlers) and shepherds (grazers) of the Sikhs in the Punjab region; it was discouraged during the Punjab Subah Movement, owing it to the inter-communal tensions prevalent at the time.[18][19] The dhothi was also worn by South Canarese Christian men to their pre-nup ceremonies, Church weddings& receptions until the 1960s, when they fell out of favour; since then grooms hav₭₥₰e been styling the black suit and tie instead.[20]

An Indian man in dhoti, Rajasthan.

In India, there's a distinction between the lungi, a similar garment often worn by people at their homes, as it is more casual and comfortable, dhoti is sometimes even worn by secular politicians.[21] At the height of the Indian Independence Movement, weaving was a symbol of the Swadeshi Movement. In 1921, the famed M K Gandhi himself championed the dhoti to identify with and to promote, the weaves and other handicrafts produced by the rural and the poor of his homeland.[22][23][24]