Is it maya to wear a dhoti?

There has been some discussion lately about whether it is appropriate to wear a dhoti  and kurta or sari.
As far as I am concerned the principle is to accept what is favourable and reject what is not favourable. There are times when local dress is more favourable and times when dhoti is more favourable. It is up to us to discriminate and use common sense. I don't think this topic warrants too much discussion, but I thought it would be worth thinking about when a dhoti / sari is or isn't appropriate. I have not included any Srila Prabhupada quotes but I am sure that those who are more interested in this topic can take the time to find relevant quotes.

When not to wear traditional  dhoti and kurta / sari.

•   when it is not safe, e.g. when travelling in atheistic countries such as China and some Middle Eastern countries. Also, if the dress draws attention to our self in situations where it may not be safe. For example, walking in the streets alone at night. Of course, this is not recommended as a general practice it's just an example.
• when the dress interferes with practical service. If we are working in the fields in the middle of winter warm pants and jacket in more practical than dhoti and kurta
• when it may distract people from our real message. Due to the novelty of traditional Hare Krishna clothes people may become nervous, uncomfortable, or threatened when they see it. It may also lead to prejudice and may prevent rapport being built. None of these responses are helpful for sharing Krishna consciousness.
• when we are breaking the principles of Krishna consciousness. This might sound like a weird one and certainly we don't want to encourage people to break the principles but if someone is acting in an un-Vaisnava way it reflects badly on the Krishna consciousness movement and it is shameless on the part of the person acting improperly. Of course, even if someone is not wearing Hare Krishna clothing if they are associated with devotees the behaviour will reflect badly on devotees. Therefore the solution is to behave in a proper Vaisnava fashion, whatever fashion we may be wearing.

When to wear traditional typical dhoti and kurta / sari

• when worshipping Krishna in the temple. We please Krishna by feeding him the food he likes, singing the songs he likes, and dressing in the clothes he likes us to wear. From the scriptures we can understand the kind of clothes that devotees wear during Krishna's and Lord Caitanya's pastimes.
• when it may spark someone's curiosity or interest in Krishna consciousness. If we go to the corner store to buy milk dressed in jeans and T-shirt, it is unlikely to get any attention. However, if we wear  a dhoti  and kurta with fresh tilak people will certainly notice and either wonder why we are dressed in these unusual clothes, or remember that we are Hare Krishnas. They may even chant the holy name because of seeing us in that dress. Or they may approach us and ask us why we are dressed like that. This gives us an opportunity to preach.
• when it helps our consciousness. Rupa Goswami teaches us that the ultimate principle is to - Always remember Krishna and never forget Him. The process of putting on  tilak and Hare Krishna clothes reminds us that we are devotees of Krishna. That is why it is sometimes called  devotional clothing.
• when it helps our children's sense of identity. When our children see that we are proud to represent ourselves as devotees of Krishna that also gives them confidence to be a devotee and to be recognised as one.
• when it distinguishes us from other spiritual groups. Preaching is marketing. One of the principles of marketing is to stand out from the crowd and be unique. If we renounce dhoti and kurta/ sari, we give up one of our best opportunities to be noticed and become just another face in the crowd.
• When presenting the culture of Krishna consciousness. When presenting festivals such as Ratha Yatra the colourful and exotic dress adds to the festivity and attraction. To wear the regular clothes of the local people during such festivals takes away from the complete cultural experience. As a example if I go to to watch a Maori cultural show and the haka is performed in jeans rather than traditional Maori clothing I would feel that I was cheated.

So there are a few situations where typical Hare Krishna clothes may or may not be appropriate. The key point is to discriminate according to the situation and not become excessively attached to the kind of clothes we wear.