Lhotshampa Traditional Dress

The traditional dress of the Lhotshampa — the ethnic Nepali-speaking community of southern Bhutan — encompasses a range of garments rooted in the broader Hindu and Nepali-speaking cultural sphere of South Asia. For men, the principal traditional attire is the daura suruwal paired with the dhaka topi (cap). For women, the primary garments include the sari, the gunyu cholo, and the fariya. These garments were worn across the southern districts of Bhutan for generations, reflecting the distinct cultural identity of the Lhotshampa population.^[1]

The question of dress became a major flashpoint in Bhutanese politics in 1989, when the Royal Government promulgated the Driglam Namzha ("Way of Harmony") policy, which mandated the wearing of the Ngalop-style gho (for men) and kira (for women) as the national dress for all Bhutanese citizens in public spaces, government offices, schools, and official functions. For the Lhotshampa, this mandate represented a forced erasure of their cultural identity and became one of the principal grievances that fueled the 1990 protests and the subsequent refugee crisis.^[2]

Men's Traditional Dress

Daura Suruwal

The daura suruwal is the traditional male outfit of the Nepali-speaking world and is the national dress of Nepal. The daura is a double-breasted, long-sleeved upper garment that closes with ties on the front and side, featuring a distinctive five-pleat arrangement at the front — the five pleats symbolizing the pancha buddha (five embodiments of the divine) or, in some interpretations, the five elements of nature. The suruwal is a pair of trousers that are loose and comfortable at the top and taper to a close fit around the calves and ankles. Traditionally made of cotton or silk, the daura suruwal was the standard male attire in southern Bhutan for daily wear, festivals, weddings, and all formal occasions.^[3]

Dhaka Topi

The dhaka topi is a brimless cap made from dhaka fabric, a hand-woven textile produced using a traditional technique that creates distinctive geometric patterns in multiple colors. The topi is the most immediately recognizable element of Lhotshampa male identity. Wearing the topi signified cultural belonging, community membership, and pride in one's heritage. The dhaka topi was traditionally worn at all public and formal occasions and is considered incomplete for a man's outfit without it. In southern Bhutan, the patterns and colors of the dhaka fabric varied by locality and family tradition, and skilled dhaka weaving was a respected craft practiced primarily by women.^[4]

Patuka and Khukuri

The traditional male ensemble in southern Bhutan was completed by the patuka, a wide cloth belt wrapped several times around the waist and knotted at the front, and sometimes the khukuri, the curved Nepali knife carried in a leather sheath. The patuka served both a functional role — keeping the daura secure and providing a place to tuck small items — and a ceremonial one. The khukuri, while primarily a utilitarian tool for agricultural work and jungle clearing, also held deep cultural significance as a symbol of courage and identity.^[1]

Women's Traditional Dress

Sari

The sari is a length of unstitched cloth, typically five to nine meters long, draped around the body in various styles. Among Lhotshampa women of southern Bhutan, the sari was the most common formal and semi-formal garment, worn for religious functions, festivals such as Dashain and Tihar, weddings, and community gatherings. The sari was typically paired with a fitted blouse (cholo) and a petticoat. Materials ranged from everyday cotton to fine silk for special occasions, and colors and patterns reflected personal taste, regional tradition, and the nature of the event.^[5]

Gunyu Cholo

The gunyu cholo (also spelled gunew cholo) is an older traditional women's garment that predates the widespread adoption of the sari in Lhotshampa communities. The gunyu is a length of cloth wrapped around the body from the waist, secured with a belt or cloth tie, while the cholo is a close-fitting, often short-sleeved blouse. The gunyu cholo was the everyday working garment for Lhotshampa women in southern Bhutan's agricultural communities. Older women, in particular, continued to wear the gunyu cholo as daily attire well into the latter decades of the 20th century. The garment has deep associations with the traditional Lhotshampa way of life — farming, household work, and village social interaction.^[1]

Fariya and Hembari

The fariya is a large piece of cloth wrapped around the body as a wraparound skirt, commonly worn by Lhotshampa women during daily work and informal settings. The hembari is a shawl or upper-body drape used in cooler weather or for modesty. Together with the cholo, these garments formed the practical daily wardrobe for women across southern Bhutan's varied subtropical and temperate climate zones.^[1]

Jewelry and Adornment

Lhotshampa women's traditional dress was complemented by a distinctive range of jewelry. Gold nose rings (bulaki or phuli), glass bead necklaces (pote), gold and silver bangles, ankle bracelets (kalli), toe rings, and tikuli (forehead ornaments) were common. The pote necklace and glass bangles held particular significance for married women, similar to the sindoor (vermilion in the hair parting) and the mangalsutra in other Hindu traditions. Gold tilhari pendants on bead necklaces served as symbols of marital status and were considered essential for married Lhotshampa women.^[1]

Driglam Namzha and the Dress Mandate

In 1989, the Driglam Namzha policy mandated that all Bhutanese citizens wear the national dress — the gho for men and the kira for women — in all public spaces, schools, government buildings, and during official functions. These garments are traditional to the Ngalop ethnic group of western and central Bhutan and bear no historical connection to the cultures of southern Bhutan. The mandate was enforced through fines, denial of government services, and, in some cases, physical coercion by local officials and security forces.^[2]

For the Lhotshampa, the dress code was experienced as a direct assault on cultural identity. Men were compelled to abandon the daura suruwal and topi for the knee-length gho, a garment that was entirely foreign to their tradition. Women were required to replace saris and gunyu cholo with the ankle-length kira. The imposition was especially resented because the gho and kira were not merely unfamiliar but were identified with the very ethnic group that dominated the political establishment responsible for the Lhotshampa's persecution. The dress mandate became one of the central grievances cited in the petitions to the king and in the mass demonstrations of 1990.^[6]

Traditional Dress in the Diaspora

In the Bhutanese refugee diaspora, traditional Lhotshampa dress has experienced a revival as a powerful symbol of cultural identity and resilience. Daura suruwal and topi are worn by men at Dashain, Tihar, weddings, and community events. Women wear saris, gunyu cholo, and full traditional jewelry for cultural functions. Diaspora organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere actively encourage the wearing of traditional dress at festivals and community gatherings, and cultural education programs teach younger generations about the significance of these garments. For a community that was told its dress was incompatible with national identity, the continued wearing of traditional Lhotshampa attire is an act of cultural preservation and defiance.^[2]

References

1. Wikipedia. "Lhotshampa." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhotshampa
2. Minority Rights Group International. "Lhotshampas in Bhutan." https://minorityrights.org/communities/lhotshampas/
3. Wikipedia. "Daura-Suruwal." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daura-Suruwal
4. Wikipedia. "Dhaka topi." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhaka_topi
5. Wikipedia. "Sari." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sari
6. The Diplomat. "Bhutan's Dark Secret: The Lhotshampa Expulsion." September 2016. https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhotshampa-expulsion/