Cocking a snook at naysayers of dhoti

Ramraj, a company known for producing white cotton dhotis (vesti) and matching shirts, was born as an effort to fight the discrimination prevailing against those who wear it

Years before hitting the headlines for being denied entrance to the elite hall in the clubs, ‘dhoti’, and the aversion of a section of people against it, a company, which is sized Rs 500 crore now, took it as a reason to fight for the dignity of the traditional dress.

Ramraj, a company known for its white cotton dhotis (vesti) and matching shirts, was born as an effort to fight the discrimination prevailing in various fora against those who were wearing it.

“Vesti (in Sanskrit-dhauti), is woven with a sense of tradition. It is a powerful symbol,” says KR Nagaraj of Ramraj Cotton, which focuses on weaving dhoti.

He founded the company, when he was 23 years old, in 1983 to manufacture and sell dhotis.

The actual trigger for starting the business was the humiliation from various sections.

Nagaraj recalled when he started his business he had limited resources and very little financial leverage.

“I was not allowed to be in bank manager cabins, collector’s office and many government offices. Reason, I was in vesti.”

The general perception is, those who wear vesti are uneducated and villagers.

The other incident happened in 1987. He came to Chennai with nine of his friends, who were given an entry into a five-star hotel, but Nagaraj was not allowed because he was in vesti.

“This actually ignited the fire in me and provoked me to create a value and recognition for vesti.”

From dressing Gods to spinning khadi on the wheel, for personal wear during the freedom struggle, India’s traditional clothes represent a way of life.

“Only because of the strength of this tradition, we made a success story out of selling the humble dhoti even in this modern era,” said Nagaraj, whose company is now worth Rs 500-crore.

The company projected vesti as a prestigious attire for businessmen and had roped in leading film stars to promote the brand.

Today, brand Ramraj is a brand synonymous with vesti in Tamil Nadu. To promote this ethnic wear among the international communities, he opened six shops at the international airports in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Calicut and Kochi.

Responding to the ongoing controversy, Nagaraj said, “because of the court this was blown up, whereas, it has been happening for long. However, this time, we expect the issue will be addressed as state government is quite serious”.