Brief Intro About Daura Suruwal

Daura Suruwal is a traditional Nepali dress for men. Its female counterpart is Gunyo Cholo. In ancient Nepal, people used to wear as a regular dress and in some parts, people still wear Daura Suruwal as a regular clothing. This dress also has a typical name which is called, ‘Labeda Suruwal’ and is somewhat similar to Kurta that Indian men wear. In early years of Monarchy in Nepal, government officials used this dress as a national dress. However, the modern Nepal recognizes multi cultural groups and do not consider Daura Suruwal as a National Dress.

Daura is the upper wear. Its design, that makes it quite different from the Kurta, has religious connotations. It has, therefore, remained unchanged for centuries. Suruwal is the trouser. It does not have any religious significance. This is perhaps because it is worn on the lower body.

People wear this dress on special events and functions and it is almost inevitable for Men or boys to keep at least one set of dress in the wardrobe. When you see someone wearing Daura Suruwal, you assume he must have come from or must be going to some specific events ot programme. It is interesting how the new generation has starting adopting this dress as a part of the cultural fashion life in modern Nepal. Students or Expats going abroad prefer to carry at least one set of Daura Suruwal and Dhaka Topi. It is also a preferred uniform when government officials or delegates visit foreign countries to participate in international affairs.

Meaning & History

The designs of Daura that identifies with religious beliefs are the eight strings, five pleats or Kallis and its closed neck. Each string represents one of the eight mother goddesses of hindu religion and they are Kumari, Mahalaxmi, Barahi, Brahmayani, Indrayani, Maheshwori, Vaishnavi and Byagini. In Sanskrit, the eight mother goddesses are known as Astamatrika-Singini; the protectress deities. Eight is also an auspicious number according to Nepali mythology. The five pleats or Kallis represent Pancha Buddha or Pancha Ratna- Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi. They are representations of five qualities of Buddha and Five Wisdom or Tathagatas. Then, the closed neck signifies the snake around Lord Shiva’s neck, Vasuki.

It is unclear exactly when did Daura Suruwal appear in the hisrory. However, the intellectuals believe that it must be at least about nine hundred years old. Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana worn it when he was a Prime Minister of Nepal in 19th Century at the time of his unofficial visit to the United Kingdom. This helped Daura Suruwal become more popular among the citizens. In the government of Nepal in 2017 declared Daura Suruwal as a National Dress. However, because Nepal is ethnically and culturally diverse, Daura Suruwal alone could not represent the cultures in Nepal. Hence, they again removed the dress as a National Uniform in BS 2046. Whenever someone presents himself in Daura Suruwal dress, people mostly assume that the person must be a Nepali citizen due its unique design.

Daura Suruwal Today

In terms of style, as mentioned above, Daura Suruwal has not changed in its design. However, www.kapadaa.com has started offering few designs with authentic dhaka stripes around the neck, sleeves cuff or box plate. People today have a choice of colors and fabric. Besides, this dress is also one of the famous dresses in Nepali marriages. The groom wears this dress along with the Dhaka Belt around the waist. A groom’s Daura Suruwal is made of Dhaka, a special traditional hand woven fabric of certain designs. The Dhaka Topi (hat) made of Dhaka or Bhaad Gaaule Topi (The Black Cap) compliment this piece of cultural dress in your charming countenance.

People wear Dhaka Topi or Kalo Topi with Daura Suruwal. The Coat is another accessory for this dress. According to history, it was Prime Minister Janga Bahadur Rana, who introduced coat to Daura Suruwal. The Queen of England gifted him the coat that he wore on top of Daura Suruwal. This became a trend and, from then on, Daura Suruwal and coat has become a tradition. East Coat (Waist coat) is also used to be worn even  on informal occasions when people used to wear it on a daily basis.

Today, Daura Suruwal may not be a national dress, but it has a special place in the heart of the Nepalese. We don’t need to go to the Tailor Master anymore since they are available to buy online from the first online fashion retail of Nepal : www.kapadaa.com

Thank you.