Daura-Suruwal (दौरा सुरुवाल) is one of the national outfit of Nepalese men. The Daura is a variant of the

Kurta A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...

and is the upper garment, the Suruwal is the trouser. The coat was added to the costume by

Jang Bahadur Rana Jung Bahadur Rana, , was born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (1817-1877). His mother, Ganesh Kumari, was the daughter of Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, the brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa from the prominent Thapa dynasty. During his lifetime, Jung Bahadur eli ...

, a prime minister of Nepal in the 19th century. The outfit is also popular in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

in neighbouring

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

amongst people of Indian Gorkha origin.

Style

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, the traditional male dress, which is also the national dress, is the Nepali shirt called daura and suruwal ()Nepali, Gopal Singh (1965). ''The Newars: an ethni-sociological study of a Himalayan community''

/ref> or daura-suruwal suit. According to Hussein (2018), "the daura is a closed-neck shirt with five pleats and eight strings that serve to tie it around the body". The upper garment is similar to the Gujarati kediyu, but does not have the pleats going across the chest, but has cross-tied flaps. The Nepali suruwa/suruwal is a combination of the churidar and the lower garment worn in the coastal regions of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, especially Saurashtra and Kutch where the garment is also called suruwal (and chorno/kafni). It is tight along the legs but wide at the hips. However, the suruwal fits comfortably around the legs so that it can be tapered tightly around the ankles. The Nepalese Prime Minister Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana wore the Daura-Suruwal on an unofficial visit to the United Kingdom in the 19th century, which popularised the costume further in Nepal. Janga Bahadur Rana introduced the coat to Nepal in the 19th century. He was presented a coat by the then Queen of the United Kingdom, as a gift. He started the tradition of wearing a coat with the Daura suruwal. Men also wear the Daura Suruwal with a waistcoat. File:Daura Suruwal by Mahalaxmi Silwal.jpg, Daura suruwal, Nepal's national male dress. File:Prithvi Narayan Shah of Nepal.jpg, Prithvi Narayan Shah of Nepal in daura shalwar. File:National dress, Nepalese (AM 2015.99.1-15).jpg File:National dress, Nepalese (AM 2015.99.1-5).jpg

Religious beliefs

The Daura has eight strings used to tie the Daura which are denoted as Astamatrika-Singini: * Byagini * Kumari * Barahi * Brahmayani * Indrayani * Maheshowri * Byasnabi * Mahalaxmi According to Nepali mythology, eight is a lucky number. The pleats or Kallis signify the Pancha Buddha or Pancha Ratna. The closed neck of the Daura signifies the snake around the Lord Shiva's neck.

References

External links

history of the Daura-Suruwal at ECSNepal
{{Clothing in South Asia Nepalese clothing Folk costumes National symbols of Nepal Culture of Sikkim

Style

Religious beliefs

See also

References

External links