A women’s blouse and men’s long shirt respectively, the chaubandi and daura are worn across several Nepali communities, in slight variations by community and context. Both are wrap-style garments, with the right side generally overlapping the left and secured on the sides using ties, leading to a high, closed neck. Worn and advocated by politically dominant caste groups, they are part of the gunyo-cholo and daura-suruwal ensembles, which have been commonly associated with Nepali national identity for most of the country’s modern history.

While it is unclear how far back the garments can be dated, scholars have suggested that some form of such wrap-style stitched clothing has been in use in the region since at least the early medieval period: relief sculptures from present-day Kathmandu, dated to the fifth or sixth centuries CE, show Hindu deities wearing an upper body garment with overlapping front panels. The chaubandi and daura may have originally been part of the traditional attire of the Khas people — more specifically, the upper-caste Bahun (Brahmin), Chhetri and Thakuri (both Kshatriya) groups — whose language and culture have dominated Nepali culture for much of the country’s medieval and modern history. The garments are also the official attire of members of the Shah dynasty (generally considered Thakuri Kshatriyas), which was in power from the eighteenth century until the monarchy was abolished in 2008. Many other castes in Nepal have adopted variations of the chaubandi and daura, among a host of other cultural practices and habits from these groups.

The chaubandi — also spelled choubandi — covers the entire torso down to the waist, and may have long or short sleeves. It is tied closed in four places — near the armpit and the waist, on either side — from which it derives its name (char, ‘four’; bandi, ‘closed or tied’). The left side panel is first secured to the inside of the right, which is then crossed over and fastened on the left, leaving only the latter two ties visible. The hem of the right panel often curves inward between the two ties. 

Generally paired with a sari, the chaubandi is the most common type of cholo, or blouse. Saris vary in their style and drape across regions and communities in Nepal. A common variation is the gunyo, a half-sari that covers only the lower half of the body, with the chaubandi worn above — as seen in rural communities such as the Jyapu Newars. In the case of full-length saris, the pallu or end-panel is drawn up over the front of the chaubandi and draped over the left shoulder; sometimes it is drawn up from between the chaubandi’s flaps allowing more of the chaubandi’s design to be visible. In addition, some groups also wrap a shawl or a patuka — a long sash — around the waist, which also helps secure the gunyo.

While often made of the colourful, geometric-patterned Dhaka cotton fabric, chaubandis display a number of variations by community and context. For instance, women from the Magar community in the Lumbini province wear a solid-coloured velvet chaubandi with short sleeves, and those from the Thakali community only wear red chaubandis.

The gunyo-cholo outfit also lends its name to a coming-of-age ritual practised by upper caste communities, in which girls are gifted with a set of the clothing. Some Newari groups practise a ritual in which prepubescent girls — said to embody Kumari, the living goddess — are dressed in a red chaubandi, along with a red jama (cloak) and pagdi (turban). A chaubandi is also among the gifts given to brides in Newari traditions. Traditional Tamang dances feature red or black chaubandis.

The daura, also known as the labeda, while similar to the chaubandi in design, is significantly longer, reaching the mid-thigh, and always has full sleeves. Like the chaubandi, it wraps across the torso for a closed neck. Its eight tie-cords lead to it being considered lucky in some contexts, as the number is auspicious in local cultures. Dauras are usually made in solid, muted colours, with little regional variation, though the hem often features a patterned border. The daura is typically worn with a suruwal — drawstring trousers similar to the pyjama — and a Dhaka topi, with a patuka wrapped around the waist. A waistcoat and/or blazer are frequently worn over it. 

The daura worn by men of the Tamang community is often brightly coloured with a golden hem, and its left half is worn over the right. Tamang men also wear the circular, colourful woolen cap known as the Shyade with the daura, instead of the Dhaka topi. Similarly, men of the Limbu and Newar communities often replace the Dhaka topi with the wrapped Paga cap and the Bhadgaule topi respectively.

Since the late nineteenth century, the chaubandi and daura have effectively formed part of Nepal’s national dress, and officially so from 1961 to 2011. In 1961, the monarchy imposed a political system known as Panchayati Raj under the slogan Ek Raja, Ek Bhesh, Ek Bhasha (‘One King, One Dress, One Language’) — which sought to establish a uniform Nepali culture based on the norms and practices of upper-caste Hindus. The policies included nationalising the Nepali language (which derives mainly from the Khas language), and making the daura-suruwal and gunyo-cholo the mandatory dress code for state ceremonies and state officials. Although Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1990 following the People’s Movement, this dress code remained in place until 2011, when it was abolished by an elected government in a move to reduce the influence of upper caste practices on Nepali culture. While no longer required by law, government employees continue to wear the chaubandi and daura because of the garments’ association with nationalism and tradition.

The association of the chaubandi and daura with identity and tradition, even among non-Khas communities, is more pronounced among some Nepali migrants living in parts of India — Darjeeling, West Bengal, and Sikkim — than among Nepali citizens themselves, giving Nepali tailors a larger market to cater to in recent years. The public representation of Nepali cultural identity through dress and language is an important part of the Gorkhaland movement, which seeks to establish a separate Indian state for Gorkhas or Nepali-speaking Indians in what is currently West Bengal.