Kabney

Ruling king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck with Saffron-coloured kabney.

Gho with orange kabney

A kabney (Dzongkha: བཀབ་ནེ་; Wylie: bkab-ne) is a silk scarf worn as a part of the gho, the traditional male costume in Bhutan. It is raw silk, normally 90 by 300 centimetres (35 in × 118 in) with fringes. Kabney is worn over the traditional coat gho; it runs from the left shoulder to the right hip, and are worn at special occasions or when visiting a dzong. Kabney is also referred as Bura which means silk.

The use of gho and kabney is encouraged in Bhutan as a part of driglam namzha (or driklam namzhak), the official behaviour and dress code of Bhutan. Gho is thus compulsory for schoolboys and government officials. The female traditional dress is called kira.

The rank of the bearer determines the colour of the scarf:

• Saffron scarf for the Druk Gyalpo (king) and the Je Khenpo (chief abbot)
• Orange scarf for Lyonpos (ministers and other members of the government)
• Red scarf for Dashos (male members of the royal family and higher officials)
• Green scarf for judges
• Blue scarf for members of the National Assembly and members of parliament
• White scarf with red stripes for Gups (headmen of the 205 gewogs)
• White scarf for ordinary citizens.

Former scarf ranks include:

• White scarf with blue stripes for Chimi (members of the National Assembly)
• blue scarf for lodoe Tsoggde.