Ethnic garment worn by men in the Indian subcontinent
For the far western area of the Nepalese region, see Doti.
The dhoti, also known as mardani, jaiñboh, or panche, is a piece of cloth arranged around the waist and the legs, in resemblance to the shape of trousers.[1][2][3] It is worn in both India and Nepal.[4] The dhoti is a lower garment forming part of ethnic wear for men in the Indian subcontinent.[5] The dhoti is fashioned out of a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around 5 ft to 4.5 metres (15 ft) long.
The dhoti is considered to be the male counterpart of the saari worn by females to religious and secular ceremonies (functions).[6] A pitambar is a yellow silk dhoti worn on auspicious occasions.[7][8] Dhotis must not be confused with "readymade panchakachams"[9] or "dhoti pants", which are a new ready to wear trend, popular among women and typical of children.[10][11][12] Although the terms mundu or veshti are sometimes used interchangeably with "dhoti",[13] they are different from the dhoti, which is "looped" or wrapped around the legs to form trousers or pants.[14] The dhoti is better known as panchakacham in South India, which may even be worn while doing dances such as moonwalks, but the skirt-like form of the veshti has it's limitations, according to fashionistas.[15]
^Company, Fideler (1960). Life in Other Lands. Fideler. p. 78. Retrieved 3 January 2021. It is arranged to look like a pair of baggy trousers. This garment is called a dhoti and is usually made of cotton.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^K Parker, Lewis (1994). India. Rourke Book Company. p. 14. ISBN9781559160056. Retrieved 3 January 2021. Boys and men often wear a dhoti. This is a piece of white cloth wound around the waist. Dhotis look like comfortable, baggy pants.