Border Types

1. What are the choices of borders in a Silk Dhoti at Rajavivaha

The border of a Dhoti plays an important role in enhancing your style quotient. A border is a strip of material woven along the length of the Dhoti, highlighting the entire garment. Depending on your preference, you can choose a Plain Zari border or a Mayilkan Zari border.

2. What is a Plain Zari?

The most preferred and the most prominent type of border, the Plain Zari is richly decorated in shapes of small diamonds knit closely together. The Plain Zari comes in a choice of two colours, gold and silver.

3. What is a Mayilkan Zari Border?

The Mayilkan Zari border is named after its exclusive pattern resembling the artistic eye of a peacock. The Mayilkan Zari border typically comes in dual colour with green on one side and maroon on the flip side, and the Dhoti can be worn to show any side. Zari Quality

4. What are the Zari types available at Rajavivaha?

Zari (or Jari) is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian garments. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily made of silk to create intricate patterns. The Silk Dhoties at Rajavivaha come in two choices of Zari – Pure

Zari and Half-fine Zari (applies to both types of borders, Plain Zari and Mayilkan Zari).

5. What is a Pure Zari?

Rajavivaha offers Pure Zari border Silk Dhoties. The silk yarn undergoes a number of labor-intensive steps before it becomes ready to be woven as a Pure Zari border. The pure silk thread is first wound by a silver wire made of pure silver and a small amount of copper. The thread is chemically treated with a solution containing a certain quantity of pure gold. This process coats the silver thread with a gold coating. The golden thread, which now has silk, silver, copper and gold in it, is finally woven as the Pure Zari border at the bottom of the Silk Dhoti. Crafted with great precision by Rajavivaha’s skilled weavers, our Pure Zari Dhoties are indeed a delight to drape.

6. What is a Half-fine Zari?

Rajavivaha offers Half-fine Zari border Silk Dhoties. Half-fine Zari is a fine finish of copper and polyester threads. As the first step, high-quality polyester threads are wound by a copper wire and then dipped into a chemical solution containing gold substitutes. This process renders a golden coating to the copper wire. The golden wire, with copper and polyester as its constituents, is finally woven as the Half-fine Zari border at the bottom of the Silk Dhoti. The body of the Silk Dhoti is woven with pure silk threads.

Border Width

7. How is the border width of a Silk Dhoti measured?

Plain Zari is traditionally measured in Kuligai (30 Kuligai = 1 cm). Kuligai is a conventional unit of measurement followed by the handloom and silk weaving industry in Tamil Nadu.

The width of Mayilkan Zari is traditionally measured in Kan (5 Kan = 2.5 cm). Like Kuligai, Kan is also a unit of measurement practiced in the handloom and silk weaving industry in Tamil Nadu.

For convenience, Rajavivaha provides an easy measurement reference in centimetres. Given below is the mapping of traditional measurement units (Kuligai and Kan) to the standard unit (cm).

8. Which border width should I choose?

The grandeur of a Silk Dhoti will depend on the size of the border. Depending on the occasion and your preference, you can choose the size of the border for your Dhoti.

Dhoti Size

9. How is the Dhoti Size measured?

The length of Dhoties is traditionally measured in Mulam. Mulam is one of the traditional measurement units belonging to the ancient trade system of Tamil Nadu, where one Mulam is called two Saan, two Mulam is called 1 Kajam, and four Mulam is called 1 Paagam. Dhoties come in a variety of lengths like 8 Mulam, 9 Mulam, etc. 8 Mulam is generally taken to be the standard length for Dhoties.

For convenience, Rajavivaha provides an easy measurement reference in metres. Given below is the mapping of the traditional measurement unit Mulam to the standard unit metre.

10. Which is the right size of Dhoti for me?

Here is an easy sizing guide that will help you pick the right size of Silk Dhoti for you.

• Mulam / 3.65 m: The 8 Mulam Silk Dhoties are the most popular and commonly preferred type of Dhoti. This length is a perfect fit for people of normal physique. 8 Mulam is very common in Tamil Nadu.

• Mulam / 4.10 m: 9 Mulam Silk Dhoties are the preferred type in Kerala. 9 Mulam is slightly longer than standard 8 Mulam Dhoties. Because of its extra length, these Dhoties are also a convenient choice for well-built or plus sized men.

4 Mulam / 1.85 m: If you want to give your little boy a traditional make-over, opt for a 4 Mulam Dhoti. The 4 Mulam Dhoties are exclusive boys wear and are commonly worn during special occasions like Upanayanam, the sacred thread ceremony.

8+4 Mulam / 3.65 m + 1.85 m: The “8+4 Mulam” Dhoties are two pieces of cloth that can be split into a Dhoti and Angavastram.

This type of Silk Dhoti plus Angavastram set is a popular choice in Andhra Pradesh where men prefer to buy Dhoties along with

Angavastrams. Angavastrams that come along with the Dhoti have a width of 50 inches, which is the same as the width of the Dhoti.

9+5 Mulam / 4.10 m + 2.25 m: If you are looking to wear a Panchakatcham for your wedding, then 9+5 Mulam Silk Dhoties would be an ideal choice. The “9+5 Mulam” Dhoties are two pieces of cloth that can be split into a Dhoti and Angavastram. This is also a convenient choice for well-built men looking for a Dhoti and Angavastram set. Angavastrams that come along with the Dhoti have a width of 50 inches, which is the same as the width of the Dhoti.

10+6 Mulam / 4.55 m + 2.75 m: The “10+6 Mulam” Dhoti is the biggest size available, and is the right choice for plus-sized men who prefer wearing a Dhoti or a Panchakatcham. The “10+6 Mulam” Dhoties are two pieces of cloth that can be split into a Dhoti and Angavastram. Angavastrams that come along with the Dhoti have a width of 50 inches, which is the same as the width of the Dhoti. These Silk Dhoties are also used for Deities.

Dhoti Length

11. Dhoti Length (applicable only for Readymade Dhoties)

A Readymade Dhoti (Panchakatcham) can be worn just like a pyjama. You can choose the right length of the Readymade Dhoti depending on your height (from the waist to feet). Rajavivaha offers Readymade Silk Dhoties in four sizes – 38 inches, 40 inches, 42 inches, and 44 inches.