About Wearing an Utari with a Knotted Knot
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BVKS Sanga
Jul 27, 2026, 7:24:29 AMJul 27
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From "Nimesh Koli"
Dear Guru Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances
I have a question regarding wearing an Utari with a knot tied in it.
Are we allowed to wear an Utari if it has a knot tied in it? If not, under what conditions is it not permitted to wear it? And if it is permitted, under what conditions can we wear it?
I would appreciate it if you could please clarify the rules and conditions regarding this.
Thank you for your guidance.
Your servant,
Nimesh Koli
BVKS Sanga
Aug 3, 2026, 11:35:13 AMAug 3
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From "Mitravan Dasa"
Date 03-08-2026 16:31:42
Subject Re: About Wearing an Utari with a Knotted Knot
Dear Nimesh,
Pranam.
Knotted uttarīyas are generally reserved for sannyāsīs, and sometimes bābājīs.
Sannyāsīs wear a knotted uttarīya draped over the right shoulder, and it is sometimes worn over a kurtā or vest. This style is standard for Gauḍīya Maṭha sannyāsīs and was worn by Śrīla Prabhupāda, who had his sannyāsa disciples also adopt it. Photos of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta show that they knotted it over the right sholder, although some of their followers wear it around the neck.
The sannyāsa-style uttarīya is generally not worn by brahmacārīs, lest they be mistaken for sannyāsīs. In the early days of ISKCON, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī, with Śrīla Prabhupāda's permission, introduced the wearing of such uttarīyas by all male devotees to present a uniform appearance on nagara-saṅkīrtana in Western cities. Later, devotees exposed to Vaiṣṇava culture in India objected that such top-pieces were meant only for sannyāsīs. Thus several years before Śrīla Prabhupāda's departure it became taboo for brahmacārīs, and Śrīla Prabhupāda never objected.
Another style of wearing the uttarīya is to wrap it around the body, bringing it under the arms and tying one knot behind the back and another behind the neck. This style is commonly worn by pūjārīs and gurukula students throughout ISKCON for its practicality, but it is a style suitable only for bābājīs. According to orthodox usage, clothes like dhotis, saris, and uttarīyas are best kept in place simply by dexterous folding and tucking, without any knots or other means of fastening. However typically bābājīs are seen to wear this style without any knots; the knotted style prevalent throughout ISKCON is seemingly a recent introduction.
Knotted uttarīyas are generally reserved for sannyāsīs, and sometimes bābājīs.
Sannyāsīs wear a knotted uttarīya draped over the right shoulder, and it is sometimes worn over a kurtā or vest. This style is standard for Gauḍīya Maṭha sannyāsīs and was worn by Śrīla Prabhupāda, who had his sannyāsa disciples also adopt it. Photos of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta show that they knotted it over the right sholder, although some of their followers wear it around the neck.
The sannyāsa-style uttarīya is generally not worn by brahmacārīs, lest they be mistaken for sannyāsīs. In the early days of ISKCON, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī, with Śrīla Prabhupāda's permission, introduced the wearing of such uttarīyas by all male devotees to present a uniform appearance on nagara-saṅkīrtana in Western cities. Later, devotees exposed to Vaiṣṇava culture in India objected that such top-pieces were meant only for sannyāsīs. Thus several years before Śrīla Prabhupāda's departure it became taboo for brahmacārīs, and Śrīla Prabhupāda never objected.
Another style of wearing the uttarīya is to wrap it around the body, bringing it under the arms and tying one knot behind the back and another behind the neck. This style is commonly worn by pūjārīs and gurukula students throughout ISKCON for its practicality, but it is a style suitable only for bābājīs. According to orthodox usage, clothes like dhotis, saris, and uttarīyas are best kept in place simply by dexterous folding and tucking, without any knots or other means of fastening. However typically bābājīs are seen to wear this style without any knots; the knotted style prevalent throughout ISKCON is seemingly a recent introduction.
Your servant,
Mitravan Dasa
Mitravan Dasa
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