[7] The dhoti is considered to be the male counterpart of the sari, worn by females to religious & secular ceremonies (functions).
[23][24] During British rule in colonial India, the dhoti remained a national symbol of resistance and cultural identity, when worn without a shirt.
[28] In 1921, the famed M K Gandhi himself championed only the dhoti often topless (without a kurta or shirt), to promote and identify with the handicrafts produced by the rural & the poor of his homeland.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known for its distinctive dress code, prompts Western adherents to wear pancha, usually of saffron or white cloth folded in ethnic Bengali style.
[38][39] The dhothi was also worn by South Canarese Christian men to their pre-nuptial ceremonies, Church weddings & receptions until the 1960s; when they fell out of favour, since then grooms have been styling the black suit and tie instead.