Gandhi's dhoti and loincloth
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement"
Meaning
In 1921 Gandhi gave up his usual clothes. He shaved his head and began wearing only a short dhoti, or loincloth, like the poorest Indians. He did this on purpose, to show that he was one of the poor. It was also a symbol of a simple, self-denying life, against Western-style wealth and machine-made goods. It linked well with his daily spinning on the charkha (spinning wheel) and his support for khadi (hand-spun cloth).
Example
In September 1921, during a tour of South India, at Madurai, Gandhi took up the loincloth. He kept wearing it for the rest of his life, even at the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1931.
Related concepts
- Gandhi as Mahatma
- Shahid Amin
- Charkha
- Khadi
- Linguistic Pradesh Congress Committees
- Praja Mandal
- All India States Peoples Conference
- Bijolia movement
- Abul Kalam Azad
- C. Rajagopalachari