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 Maharaja Jung Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji, (born Bir Narsingh Kunwar ( ne, वीर नरसिंह कुँवर), 18 June 1817; popularly known as Jung Bahadur Rana (JBR, ne, जङ्गबहादुर राणा)) () belonging to the ...

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

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal ...

in neighbouring

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

amongst people of Indian Gorkha origin.

Style

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

, the traditional male dress, which is also the national dress, is the Nepali shirt called daura and suruwal ( ne, दौरा सुरूवाल)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 state along the 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 fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, 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 Commanding General Shree 3 Maharaja Sir Bir Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (10 December 1852 – 5 March 1901) was the 11th Prime Minister of Nepal. He is remembered as a statesman who made reforms and infrastructure improvements. Bir Shamsher Jung ...

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