Hindu weddings are always an interesting sight. It’s not just the ceremony that speaks of Hinduism’s tradition, but the wedding attire of both the bride and groom also speaks much about the richness of their customs. If the bride is traditionally dressed in a sari, chanya choli or lengha, the groom is traditionally dressed in a dhoti-punjabi or dhoti kurta.

The Dhoti

The traditional Hindu wedding garments for the groom is not your ordinary suit and tie combination. Instead, Hindu men prefer wearing the dhoti for special and formal occasions. The dhoti is known by many names in India; it is also known as laacha in Punjabi, veshti in Tamil, panche in Kannada, pancha in Telugu and ‘dhotar in Marathi. These all refer to the unstitched cloth wrapped around the body, covering the waist down. Usually, the dhoti measures five yards long; however, grooms with larger statures may require longer lengths.

The dhoti is coupled with a kurta, chokka or angavastram, which are worn to cover the groom’s body from the waist up. The Kurta, which is a type of shirt, is partnered with the dhoti in northern India. In southern India, grooms wear the angavastram, which is, like the dhoti, an unstitched clothed. However, instead of being wrapped around the waist, the angavastram is draped over the shoulders. Still, there are some grooms in southern India that prefer wearing the chokka, which is a shirt similar to the Kurta.

The uruni, which is similar to the angavastram, is used to cover the groom’s body. In most regions in India, the dhoti preferred by grooms is plain white. Colorful dhotis, however, are permissible and make the groom look brighter. In most weddings, the groom wears a white dhoti during the ceremony and changes into a colorful one during the reception.

Though traditionally the dhoti is tied with a knot at the waist, the Bengali tradition dictates otherwise. Bengali grooms do not tie their dhotis with knots; instead, their dhotis are simply wrapped, folded and tucked around the waist.

The dhoti is made from either cotton or silk. For special occasions, grooms prefer silk over cotton. In Bengal, the dhoti is made from garad, which is the local silk of the region. Other fabrics could also be used for the dhoti. Most of these fabrics are elaborately decorated or embroidered.

How to Wear a Dhoti

The dhoti is worn several ways; however, here is the easiest method of draping a dhoti.

Hindu wearing dhoti


• Take a five yard long unstitched cloth and fold it in half. If five yards of unstitched cloth is not enough for you, then you may require more fabric.
• Drape the dhoti around your body, starting from the back. Make sure that the top part of the folded side is held by your right hand, while the striped side is held vertically by the left hand. Let the dhoti fall to the ground, just behind your heels.
• Bring together in front the two sides of the dhoti and tie a knot near the navel. Create a series of folds on your right side and tuck these parts at the waist.
• Next, make the same series of folds on the left side of your body.
• Finally, get the folded part of the dhoti that’s between your legs and tuck this from behind.

You could also drape the dhoti using the accordion fold, which requires some skill and experience since it is more complicated.

Keeping Comfortable

Since the dhoti is an unstitched cloth wrapped around a groom’s waist, it has no pockets. However, the dhoti is not entirely useless with regard to holding things. You can still secure small items on the dhoti’s roll located on the waistline. You could tuck some change here, a small purse, your keys and even your ID. Keep in mind, though, that you can’t tuck heavy materials in the roll since your dhoti might accidentally unwrap and reveal your undergarments.

Choose silk over cotton if possible. Some people think that silk dhotis won’t stay on because of the slippery texture of silk. However, silk dhotis fasten easily and tightly, and are also more comfortable to wear.

Those not accustomed to wearing dhotis should be very careful moving around, especially when going up steps. During formal occasions, like weddings, dhotis are not folded up to the knees, making it more difficult to walk and climb steps. Lift the dhoti’s fold a bit higher when climbing steps to avoid accidentally tripping or treading on it.

Although there are some Hindu grooms who choose the Western attire over the traditional Hindu wedding attire, most Hindu men favor the colorful and traditional dhoti.

This video will teach you how to tie a dhoti.