Traditional Attire of Asia – Nepal (Part 7)
Nepal is a country with varied cultures and traditions. The art and fashion have a historical significance and bring immense value. The costumes and jewellery speak about the country’s unity and nationalism.
Traditional Attire of men
Daura Suruwal
Daura Suruwal was originally the national dress of Nepal. Daura is the upper part of the dress and resembles a kurta. Suruwal is the lower part which is a trouser that fits tightly at the ankles. A coat or jacket was added to the dress by Jang Bahadur Rana, Prime Minister of Nepal, in the 19th century. The Queen of England had presented the coat to the Prime Minister after which he introduced it as part of the attire.
There are eight strings in the dress, the names being Biagini, Kumari, Barahi, Brahmayani, Indrayani, Maheshwari, Byasnabi, and Mahalaxmi. They are denoted as Astamatrika-Singini and has a religious significance.
Daura has a closed neck which is said to resemble the snake around the neck of Lord Shiva. The dress is mostly worn by the Brahmins of Nepal.
Dhaka Topi
Dhaka Topi is the national headdress of Nepalese men. The name Dhaka is originated from the capital of Bangladesh since initially the raw materials for it were imported from Dhaka. It became popular during the rule of King Mahendra. Till today the International Nepali Dhoti and Topi day are celebrated in Nepal as a mark of respect to the country’s tradition and culture.
Dhoti
Dhoti is a common dress worn in many Asian countries including Nepal. In the humid parts of the country, Dhoti is preferred for comfort and ease. It is a long piece of cloth with a simple design. The cloth crisscrosses between the legs and is wrapped with a knot tied around the waist.
Lungi
Lungi is similar to Dhoti but the ends of the garment are sewn together. It is also wrapped around the waist and knotted in the middle. Lungi resembles a long skirt. It is especially worn where the climate is hot and humid.
Tapalan
Tapalan is a two-piece dress. The upper part is a long shirt and the lower part is tight-fitting pants along with a waist-coat and topi (cap). Tapalan is exclusively worn during any festive occassions like weddings, religious ceremonies, and any special celebrations.
Traditional Attire of women
Gunyou Cholo
Gunyou Cholo has also been the national dress of Nepal along with Daura Suruwal. It is generally given to a 7 to 8-year-old at the commencement of womanhood. The upper part is a blouse or cholo and the lower part is a skirt. The women generally wear extensive jewellery with the dress.
Sari
Sari is the common outfit of India and Nepal. It is now the official wear for Nepalese women. The outfit consists of a tight fit blouse and a long cloth wrapped and pleated around the waist with draping across one of the shoulders. The women usually wear heavy jewellery and ornaments with the sari.
Kurta Suruwal
Kurta Suruwal is considered a modern dress of Nepalese women. The dress is prominent among many countries in Asia. The upper wear is a long blouse called kurta and the lower part resembling loose trousers. Nowadays the women prefer tight fit trousers.
Bhantanlan
Bhantanlan is a dress for young girls. It consists of an ankle-length tight-fitting dress with long sleeves. There are slits at the sides for a comfortable walk. The designs are vibrant and colourful and especially worn during festivals.
Nepalese women prefer wearing heavy ornamental jewellery along with their outfit.
The people of Nepal respect their culture and ensures unity through their ethnic costumes.
Such an interesting and informative article to read. Your post allows us to learn on a different attires and traditions of other country.
The first one is like modern already.Glad to see something for men on your recent posts hehe. Good job!
Oh my goodness, this place looks beautiful! Although I’ve never been to Nepal before myself, I would love to make my way over in the near future. Thanks for sharing all of this! 🙂
Gorgeous outfits! I love learning about different cultures and what they wear for day and special occasions.
I love seeing fashions from other countries, so fascinating to me!
I never thought about all the different cultural variations of clothing in Asia. Even just for Nepal, there seems to be a lot of options.
I love learning more about other countries, their fashion, traditions, etc.. It’s cool being knowledgeable about other things. Nice blog.
Thank you, I am glad you liked it.
Oh wow! I love their cultures and traditions, I respect all cultures and traditions all over the world. And Nepal is amazing!
Nepal is truly amazing
Nepal is so close to India yet I had never seen their traditional dresses. Really enjoyed the post!
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Thank you. In which part of India are you from?
I enjoyed reading your post..! It’s nice knowing all these things.. Looking forward for more of your posts.
Thank you, planning to cover more countries
I admire your research skills on all these traditional clothing that you post. I really admire your patience and attention to details.
Thank you. I find it interesting to be acquainted with cultures of different countries
Nepal has such rich culture and it shows greatly in their customs. Its beautiful and really attractive.
Yes true. I was amazed too when I visited Nepal.
These traditional dresses look so beautiful and unique. These are so different from the ones from Estonia x
Laura
https://pinkfrenzymissl.blogspot.com/
I love finding fashion inspiration from around the world! So many creative and beautiful styles!
Yes indeed, the passion has inspired me to do more research
I Read your article. Thanks for sharing such beautiful information.
Kuntala-ji, Nice post! But I want to point out that many of your facts are mistaken. Dhaka topis may be named after Dhaka, because the style of weaving was adopted from Bengal — not the materials. Daura suruwal is not primarily worn by Brahmins. Until recently most older men in the hills wore it. Gunyo Cholo is primarily Gurung women’s dress — not national dress. Tapalan is the Newar for a long shirt — not the whole outfit… But the work you did on this is appreciated. And most of it is correct!
You may be correct but the facts are from well researched and authentic articles. Thanks for reading.