Manipur shawls

Manipur shawls

1. ManipurShawls
ManipurenjoysadistinctplaceamongstthehandloomzonesinIndia.Handloomindustryis
thelargestcottageindustryintheStateandtheindustryhasbeenflourishingsincetime
immemorial.Manipurishawlsarewoveninallvarietiesoffabricsandareknownfortheir
exoticdesignsandmotifs.
Design&Pattern:
Manipurishawlsarewidelypopularfortheirintricatedesigns.Beautifuldesignsare
embroideredontheseshawlsusingthreadsofdifferentcolors.Mainlywovenbyfemales,
Manipurishawlsaretypicallyhandloomproducts.Manipurishawlsarewovenonwool,
cotton,silk,etc.Theshawlsareeitherembroideredorhavebeautifulappliquedesignson
them.Exquisitedesignsareembroideredwithmotifsofflowers,horses,elephantsand
butterflies,etc.Shadesoforange,green,blueandredareverycommoninthesedesigned
shawls.

2. Manipurishawlsarewidelypopularfortheirintricate
designs.Beautifuldesignsareembroideredonthese
shawlsusingthreadsofdifferentcolors.Mainly
wovenbyfemales,Manipurishawlsaretypically
handloomproducts.Manipurishawlsarewovenon
wool,cotton,silk,etc.Theshawlsareeither
embroideredorhavebeautifulappliquedesignson
them.

3. LoomweavingisconfinedtowomenfolkinManipur.Originally,therawmaterial
usedwascottonyarnaswoolenyarnwasnotknowntotheManipurisbeforethe
SecondWorldWar.Thedesignshavenowbeencommercializedonfly-shuttlelooms;
eachandeveryhousehasaloomorafly-shuttleloominManipur.However,these
loomweavingcaterstothelocaldemandsandrequire-mentsonly.

4. Motifs used
Exquisite designs are embroidered with motifs of:
flowers,
horses,
elephants and
butterflies, etc.
Colours
Shades of orange, green, blue and red are very common in these designed shawls.

6. NagalandShawls
NagalandisasmallhillstatelocatedintheextremeNorth-easternpartofIndia.The
inhabitantsofthestatearemostlyNagatribesandtheirdressmaterialsforeverydayuse
aremostlyproducedontheprimitiveloomsspunbythefemales.Beingahillstatethe
peopleoutthereprefertowearwarmclothes.Thedistinctivecostume&apparelof
Nagatribescompriseofwrappers,shawls,waistcloths,etc.
Fabric:
ThetribalshawlsfromNagalandareknownfortheiruniquedesignsandmotifs.These
shawlsareverywarmandaregainingpopularitydaybyday.Therearearound16tribes
inNagalandandeachmayhaveitsowndistinctivedesignandcolourcombinationin
shawls.

7. NagaShawlsarethehandwoventraditionalblack,redandwhitecombinationshawls
usedbythetribesofNagaland.Itsymbolizesaspecifictribeandthewearer’sstatusin
thesociety.EachNagatribehasitsownsignatureshawl.Thesebeautifulshawlsarethe
soleproductoftheNagawomen’screativityandwisdom.Thethreadsaretakenfromthe
barksofplantsthatcomeupduringthemonsoonseason.Itispriedapartandthendried,
boiledwithash,stretched,dyedandrolledonspindlesbeforetheactualweaving.
AngamiTribewearspatternsofredandyellow(nowbeingreplacedbygreen)bands,on
blackclothcalledLohe.ShawlsoftheLothaTribeareanotherdistinct.WarriorShawls,
YimchungerShawlsandshawlsofChangTribesaretheothersignificantNagaShawls.

9. Features of Naga Shawl:
One of the common features of Naga shawl is that three pieces are woven separately and
stitched together. In fact, the central stripe is more decorated than the other two, which
generally have more or less the same pattern.
Types of Nagaland Shawls:
Different tribes in Nagaland weave and wear different types shawls. Thus Naga shawls
widely vary on the basis of the design and the tribes using them. Some of the popular
type of Naga shawls are:
Tsungkotepsu Shawl:This is an exclusive male shawl and is one of the most
characteristic cloth of Aos tribe. The shawl is woven on a general dark base. The cloth
has a median white band and on either side of it, there are horizontal bands of contrasting
colors like red, black and white. The median band is painted with a pattern in black,
which includes various symbolic figures.
Rongsu Shawl:It is one of the most decorative shawls worn by the Ao tribes. This is
mainly a male shawl.

10. AngamiNagaShawl:Thisisablackshawlwiththickboldembroideredanimalmotifs.
TheseshawlsweremainlywornbywarriorsofAngamitribe.Theshawlcarriesanentire
rangeofwildanimalsagainstablackbackgrounddividedintohorizontalpanelsby
wovenbandsofcolor.
Supong:ItisatypicalNagashawlwornbytheSangtamtribe.Thisissupposedtobe
usedbyrichpeople.Theshawlonablackbasehasfourgreybandsatthetopandanother
fourbandsofthesamecoloratthebottom.
Rongkhim:ItisoneofthemostattractiveshawlswornbyYimchungerNagatribe.The
shawlisinredandblackwithnarrowgreybandsatthetwoedges.Thisshawlismainly
wornbywarriorofgreatrenown.
TsungremKhim:ItisanexclusivefemaleshawlandispopularYimchungershawl.
LothaShawls:ThisatypicalNagashawlwornbyLothatribe.Theshawlhasseveral
patternsandindicatethenumberofsocialgennasperformedbytheweaver.Another
commonLothashawlisknownasSutam,whichisawhitecolouredshawlwithbroad
darkbluehorizontalstrips.

12. Tsungkotepsu Shawl:exclusive male shawl and is
one of the most characteristic cloth of Aos tribe.

14. Angami Naga Shawl

15. Costumes of Meghalaya
Costumes in the state of Meghalayashow the ethnicity of the tribes namely the
Garos, Khasiand the Jaintias. Nestled in the peaceful hills of the north-eastern
part of India, the beautiful state of Meghalaya houses these three famous hill
tribes of India. It is interesting to note that the Garosare the most skilled weavers
of the region. Probably, every family earns their livelihood through weaving.
Indeed, the traditional costume for women, called Jainsen, is an unstitched
garment wrapped around to cover the body. It is woven from mulberry silk
cultivated in the local region. The crowning glory of the costume of Meghalaya is
the Endisilk shawl.
Sonidanis the hub of Endior Errandisilk-production in Meghalaya. The hill
communities rear Philosamiaricini, the silkworm, feeding on castor leaves. These
nature`s artists, the silkworms, produce rich protein fiber and accordingly spin
round the open-ended cocoon. It is from this fibre that the coveted silk is
generated. Endisilk is the product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamiaricini
that feeds mainly on castor leaves. Sericulture is a popular small-scale industry of
Meghalaya. The silk-weavers use the Endisilk threads to weave splendid shawls,
that are not only warmth-retentive or supple, but assets to boast of. These shawls
are invested with natural soothing shades of white, brown, beige and gold. They
are favorites of not only the local tribal, but also of any fashion-addict of India.

16. TheKhasiandGarotribesofMeghalayaarethemostprominenttribesofthe
state.
AKhasimancanbeidentifiedbyhisunstitchedlowergarmentoradhoti,jacket
andaturban.Khasiwomenwearatwo-piececlothpinnedoneachshoulder
andashawl,whicharecalledjainsemandtapmohrespectively.
Garowomenontheotherhandwearablouseandtiealongunstitchedpieceof
clothcalleddakmandaaroundtheirwaist.Itishand-woven,havinga6-10inch
borderwithfloralmotifs.
AJaintiawomandressesupinasimilarmannerinablouseandastriped
sarongcalledthohkhyrwang.

17. Theweaver-aceGaroscatertodifferentformsofcostume,inkeepingwiththe
airoftheambiencetheyareresidingin.IntheremoteareasofGarohillvillages,
thewomendrapeeking,ashortclothroundthewaist,whilethemenputina
loincloth.ButtheGarowomengoforalongerversionofcottonattireinthe
crowdedzones.AGarowomandonsablouse,andwearsaLungilikemantleof
unstitchedclothcalledDakmanda,byfasteningitroundthewaist.
TheDakmandaisanexampleofhand-wovencottonfabric.Itsspecialtyisthe
sixtoteninchbroadbordersembellishedwithattractivemotifsorfloralpatterns.
TheKhasisectcomprisingfiftypercentofthetotalpopulationinIndia,emita
discreteaura,owingtothecostumetheywear.Thetraditionalcostumeofthe
KhasimaninMeghalayaisunstitchedlowerapparel,akintoDhoti,completed
byajacketandheadgearorturban.However,intherecenttimes,mendisplay
themselvesintraditionalgarmentsonlyonsocialfestivalsandceremonies,to
keep the flame of tradition, glowing.

18. Westernconceptofdressinghasenteredtherealmsofcostume-designin
Meghalaya.However,theelementoftraditionismuchaliveinthecostumeofthe
Khasiwomen.ItentailsaJainsen,concealingtilltheankles,whichistoppedoff
byablouse.Abovethesegarments,shetiestheedgesoftap-mohkhlieh,a
cottonshawl,roundherneckorpinsattheshoulders,toservesomewhatlikean
apron.
Duringoccasions,KaJainsemDhara,alongpieceofAssamMugasilk,isadded
tothisattire,soastoassumearadiantappearance.Butthebase-materialfor
thesecostumesismill-manufactured,astheKashisarenotsomuchattached
withweavingtoday.AnotherstripofwoolenclothcalledJainkup,isusedbythe
seniorwomen.Jainkupisnotsomuchinvogueamongtheyoungergeneration.

19. Khasiwomen,havetheaffordabilitytodeckthemselvesinornamentsofpure
goldandsilver,madebylocaljewelry-smiths.Thecostumeofthemalemembers
oftheJaintiatribebearssimilaritieswiththatoftheKhasimen.However,the
costumeoftheJaintiawomeninMeghalayaisalittledifferentfromtheother
groups.AJaintiawomanenvelopsherheadwithacloth-piecewithcheckscalled
"Kyrshah",atthetimesofharvest-workinthefield.Shecoversherselffromthe
shoulderstotheankles,withavelvetblouse,alongwithasarongcalledThoh
Khyrwangwrappedroundherwaist.Shealsotiesroundhershouldersan
AssamMugasilkcloth,flowingdowntotheankles.Thereexistsapractice
amongJaintiamenandwomen,topresentthemselvesingaudy,resplendent
costumes, on festive and happy occasions.
Dressingwithouttheembellishmentsofornaments,islusterlessforJaintia
women.Theyadornthemselveswithearringsandotherornamentsofgoldand
silver.Itisacustomtodressinheadornaments,like,asilvercircletwornround
theheadasaforehead-decoration.BoththeKhasisandtheJayantis,flaunt
themselvesinapuregoldpendantkownasKynjriKsiar.
TheeleganceandgraceinherenttotheethniccostumesofMeghalaya
complementsthescenicbeautyofthepicturesquelandscapeofMeghalaya.

20. Khasi–Traditional Dress

21. Costumes of GaroTribe

22. Costume of JaintiaTribe

23. Costume of JaintiaTribe

24. Costumes of Mizoram
TraditionalcostumesinMizoramareexclusively
hand-madebythewomenofthehousehold.
Mizomenwearapieceofcloth,almost7feet
long,whichiswrappedaroundthebody.In
winter,menwearalongwhitecoatthatis
fastenedatthethroatandreachesuptothe
thighs.Thesecoatshavebeautifulpatterns
nearthesleeveswithbandsofredandwhite.
Menalsodonaspecialkindofheadgear–
wrappingapieceofclotharoundtheheadso
thattheendsfallovereachear.
Mizowomenwearasinglepieceofcloth
wrappedaroundthewaistandreachingupto
theknees.Ashortwhitejacketwithhand-
wovenpatternsontopcompletesthelookof
thecostume.

25. Theattireofthepeoplehereisunique.Inthecaseofwomen,theupperportion
oftheirbodyiscoveredwithfinewovenclothintheformofashirtorblouse
andthelowerportioniscoveredbyafinelywovenandintricatelydesigned
sarong.Thesarongssometimesareveryheavyduetothedesignworkonits
borders.Themengenerallywearacolorfulshirtandawraparoundpieceof
clotharoundtheirwaistsimilartoadhoti.
ThehotfavoritecostumeofaMizoramwomanisPuan.Thevibrantcolorand
theoutstandingdesignsarethereasonsbehindthismarvelouscostume.
Puanchei,thegorgeousattireofMizogirlsisamustduringweddingsand
festivalssuchas`ChapcharKut`and`PawlKut`.
Ngotekherhisacottonandhand-wovenfestive-attireaptforkutsi.e.festivals,
namely`ChapcharKut`,`MimKut`and`PawlKut`.Theshadesintheclothare
blackandwhite.Theblackportionofthetextileisconstructedfromsomekind
ofsyntheticfur.

26. KawrcheiisakintoNgotekherh,asitisthecostumeforrevelryandmerry-
making.ItisafabulousblouseforMizogirls.Theytooarehand-wovenand
cottonmaterial.Thisareusuallywornalongwith`Puanchei`andwhile
performingthevariousdancesoftheMizos
Inearliertimes,thesewereallhandwovenbutnowadaysthesearemostly
machinemade.Theyaremadefromcottonandthecolorsaremadebyathing
called`Ting`.Alongwiththis,ablouse,whichisofthesamepattern,isusually
worn.
TheLuseimenbelieveinsimplicity,whenitcomestodecidingtheirtraditional
costume.Theydrapethemselvesinanalmost7feetlongand5widecloth-
piece.Itreachestheleftshouldertothebackandthenpassesundertheright
arm,tocoverthechest,withtheremainingendconcealingtheleftshoulder.

27. Mizolady wearing a PuanNgotekherh

29. MizoPuanchei

31. Incoldseason,someadditionalattiresareworn,oneontopoftheother,along
withawhitecoat,comesdownfromthethroatenvelopingtillthethighs.White
andredbands,investedwithdesignsadornthesleevesofthesecoats.
Duringthehotmonths,peopletietheseclothesaroundthewaisttofeel
comfortable.Moreover,attimestoavoidtheblazingsun,aLuseimancontrives
apieceofclothasaturbanorPagri.TheentirecostumeoftheLuseimenis
madeofcotton,cultivatedintheregionitself.Usually,thecostumescomein
whitecolour,butsometimesmenwanttowearothershades,forexample,blue
colourbestowedwithstripes.
ThereishardlyanydifferenceexistinginthecostumesoftheordinaryLuseiand
theheadofthecommunity.Onlyduringfestiveoccasions,thecostumeis
different.
ThetraditionalcostumeoftheLuseiwomenisthedarkbluecottonpetticoat,
wornroundthewaistandtightlyheldbyagirdleorbeltofbrasswire.Thisis
uniform,wornbyallwomen,stretchesitselfuptotheknees.Thispetticoatis
toppedoffbyshortwhitejacketandacloth,wrappedinthesamewayasthe
men`s.

32. LuseiApparel