Dhoti

DHOTI

Dhoti, a cloth-piece covering the lower part of the body from the waist, is a kind of traditional drapery, bearing the signature of the heritage of Indian civilisation. This single piece of rectangular stitchless cloth , measuring about 5 yards in length, can give a man an air of elegance, inherent to his culture.
Dhoti is known by different names in various states and languages. Punjabis call it Laacha , Malayalamis , the Mundu , Bengalis, the Dhuti , The Tamilians, refer it as Vaetti, people of Telegu, the Pancha, Marathis, the Dhotar and those of Kannada , pronounce it as Panche.
In the north and the east of India, the natives don themselves in Dhoti, topped off by a upper Kurta, called as Panjabi in the east of India, especially in Bengal.
The pairing, undergoes a change in the south of India.There, a Dhoti,is associated by angavastram, an unstitched piece of cloth passed around the shoulders . This definitely, augments the dignity in the outlook of the wearer. Sometimes, in place of an angavastram, a chokka, a version of shirt or jubba , a local type of kurta .
A dhoti is the coventional male costume for attending official meetings, or ceremonial occcassions, in the entire nation. Even, today`s young generation, flaunt themselves in Dhotis, ornately designed , happen to be their foremost priority , during festivals, social-gatherings and ceremonies.It not only furnishes them with an ethnic look, which is the in-thing now, but oivcreasesthe element of dignity, related to manliness.
This attire of eminence, Dhoti is the costume of most of the national icons too. Ranging from the ministers, politicians, national leaders, to the cultural cultivators, like musicians, poets, and men of letters, represent the nation, being Dhoti clad.
Indeed, dhoti was the insignia of national tradition, a strong pillar of Ghandhi`s championing of indigenous culture , in the face of the oppressive enforcement cast by the British regime in India. The glorification of Dhoti, was a constituent programme of Satyagraha movement, initiated by the venerated Bapu, the Father of India, Gandhi, during the national war of Independence in India.

HISTORY

The word dhoti or dhotan originates from the Sanskrit word `dhauta`. It is one of the earliest known draped garments in India and continues to be worn even today. 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.
Dhotis were worn from the Vedic period onwards, if not earlier. Men and women of this period wore three garments, namely the loincloth or nivi, which had a long unwoven fringe, a garment or vasa and an over garment or adhivasa. There are numerous detailed representations from all the dynasties that reigned between the first and the fourth century A.D., indicating that the dhoti continued to be worn and that innovations were introduced, from time to time. For instance, the dhoti could be tied to the waist with a waist cloth that had a bow shaped knot with a patka hanging down the front. By the tenth century, the dhoti had been in existence for a fairly long period and several regional and local particularities had crept into its modes of draping.
The garment dhoti continued to be worn throughout the medieval period. The Moorish traveller, Al-Biruni, who came to India in the eleventh century and left us a treasure trove of details of contemporary life and civilization of the time, made several observations on the dress of north-Indian men. During this time, the dhoti was held in place by a belt around the waist. The belt was embellished either with embroidery or some other form of ornamentation. It, sometimes, had an exquisite grasp that came to rest on the elaborately folded from pleats.
In this period, the dhoti underwent incredible modifications in style, length of fabric and even its wearers. Yet, it continued to hold sway as the most popular of all the clothes available to Indian men. The dhoti is still draped at the waist, with elaborate pleating in the front and back.

DRAPING STYLE OF DHOTI

Some of the more prevalent styles of arranging the dhoti are into great use nowadays. It is fascinating to note how a piece of unstitched fabric can be draped in innumerable ways. The dhoti is always draped from the back, brought forward around the waist and secured around the abdomen.
The differences in draping modes arise from social status, the occupation of the wearer and of course, individual taste. These numerous styles are developed through variations in the method of knotting and pleating, the length of the dhoti and the texture of the cloth. Men with sedentary occupation generally wear a long and extravagantly pleated dhoti. Those whose work involves more arduous physical labour wear a shorter style.

TEVATA DHOTI

Tevata Dhoti or the Mid-calf length is when the dhoti is first divided into two sections of unequal length, the right side being three times the length of the left, which is approximately only half a meter long. The left pallav is used to wrap the front part of the waist. Roughly 30 cms of each pallav of the dhoti are gathered together. The fabric of the left side is kept close to the skin and that of the right is crossed over the left and roughly tucked at centre front to secure the dhoti. The upper selvedge of the right side of the dhoti is gathered roughly from the centre front to form three pleats, which are tucked in at centre front. This leaves approximately a metre of cloth free. The right side pallav is then lifted and pulled tightly between the legs and tucked in at centre front. The second corner is then rolled and tucked inside.

TILANGI DHOTI

Tilangi Dhoti is the ankle-length dhoti, where the left side of the dhoti is shorter than the right side by approximately two lengths. First, a small knot is given and then ends are twisted and tucked at the centre front. Then the upper selvedge of die left-hand side is held mid way at its length. It is then taken between the legs and tucked in firmly at centre back. The second corner is picked up and brought forward round the waist and tucked in almost near the centre front. The first corner is picked up and folded to form three triangular pleats. The narrower side of the triangular pleats are tucked 1 foot deep in at the centre front. The untucked upper selvedge is then drawn between the legs and tucked at centre back. This leaves the broader end of the triangular pleats still hanging. They are pulled tightly between the legs and tucked in at the mid point at centre back. Finally, the remaining part of this fabric is brought lo the front from the right and tucked near the centre front.

DO LANGI DHOTI

Dolangi Dhoti or Ankle-length style is done when the fabric is first divided into two lengths. As in the Tilangi style, left side of the dhoti is shorter than the right side by approximately two lengths. First, a small knot is given and the ends are twisted and tucked at the centre front. Knife pleats are made from corner A of the right pallav and are tucked at the centre front facing outwards. Left pallav is gathered at mid width, between the second and third corners, passed between legs and tucked at centre back. The remaining fabric is brought across the left hip and tucked near centre front. Similarly, the right upper selvedge is given knife pleats that arc turned outwards and tucked at centre front. These pleats are then picked up, brought tightly between the legs and tucked at their mid length at centre back. Remaining fabric is then tucked along the waist.

MARVARI DHOTI

Marvari Dhoti is again a centralized one and double knots are tied at the centre front using 30 cms of the selvedge at both sides that are twisted inwards. The left upper selvedge is passed between the legs. Care is taken to ensure that the material does not ride up as the length of the dhoti is till the toes. From upper selvedge corner B, pleats are made first along the length and tucked at centre back and then the width is also pleated and tucked here. The pleats are then tucked at centre front. Short dhoti is centralised. The upper selvedge near centre front is gathered, twisted over each other, rolled down and tucked in. The right upper selvedge is taken between legs and tucked at its raid width at centre back. The remaining selvedge is pleated and tucked in at centre back. However, this still leaves some of the fabric hanging free around the hip region, which is roughly gathered and tucked in at centre back itself.
Left selvedge is given knife pleats and tucked at centre front. Then third corner is lifted, and roughly pleated such that the length of the dhoti is raised till the knees. It is then taken across the right side of the waist to the back and brought forward to the left, passed under the folds and neatly tucked in the front. These are some variations within the short dhotis. The process of tying is similar. First, a knot is tied at centre front. Then the remaining fabric is given either of the following treatments; both the pallav are passed between the legs and tucked in at the centre back. All the excess fabric is tucked in at the centre hack itself, so that it forms a bulging bundle of cloth, which can act like a cushion when one sits. The right side pallav of the dhoti is passed between the legs and tucked at centre back covering one leg. The left pallav is pleated and the pleated ends are tucked at centre front.
Styles of dhoti seen in Amaravati sculptures of the Satavahana dynasty (from 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE). The draped waistbands are known askamarbands (source of the Westerncummerbund), and are sometimes accompanied by a buckle at the waist.