The Halcyon India

Chamba, Himachal Pradesh

Kullu Shawls are well known all around the world for its simple and elegant designs and its fine woolen fabric and manufacturing quality. Kullu shawls are worn by both: men and women, but men’s shawls are usually called "Loi" or "Pattu" and are often plain without any pattern or very minimal patterned stripes on two edges.

Characteristics :

• Kullu shawls are mostly made of three types of wool: Merino wool, Angora wool and Local sheep wool.
• These different kinds of wools are sometime used combined to make more varieties. Designs patterns are mostly geometric shapes with few exceptions where floral designs are used.

Importance of Kullu Shawls in local economy :

• Kullu shawls play a very significant role in the economy of valley. It is one of the major income sources for these people where thousands of them earn their living by weaving part time or full time. Around 20, 000 people work part-time and about 10, 000 people earn their livlihood by working full-time. These shawls are made in valley itself by local people who have inherited their skills from their past generations. Shawls made in the valley are woven using handlooms and these handlooms can be found in almost every home in rural areas.
• These are used to weave shawls and fabric for other clothes to fulfill their own needs or for commercial purposes. Kullu shawls are also an important part of heritage of Himachal Pradesh due to which state government provides many benefits to weavers so this heritage can flourish and can be preserved.

Kinnauri Shawl is a type shawl manufactured in Kinnaur district of the Indian state Himachal Pradesh.The shawls are known for the geometric designs. In October 2010, the shawl was registered by the Indian government under the provisions of the Geoographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 which prohibited unauthorized production of the shawl which would invite INR 2 lakh punishment or three years imprisonment.

Designs :

• Known for their intricate geometric designs, objects of religious importance are weaved on these shawls with colours of mythological origins.
• The colours used have a meaning with green signifying air, blue - ether, white - water, yellow standing for earth and red for fire.

The geometric designs give the shawls a Central Asian influence.

Weaving :

• Shawls for commercial purposes are woven with frame loom, pitlooms shawls cater to the local usage.
• The weavers weave to pieces of half length shawl with similar designs, and after completion are joining at the centre through stitching. On average, it takes around 45 days to complete a single shawl.

Due to the extreme cold during winter months in Himachal Pradesh, wool weaving became an absolute necessity. Almost all households in the state own a pit-loom. Wool is also considered to be pure and is often used as a ritual cloth. The shawl is one of the most popular and most recognized woven objects. Several types of shawls exist, whether it be fine pashmina or on the other end of the spectrum it could be a shawl made from the coarse material of desar. In Himachal Pradesh, Kullu is famous for the shawls that it produces as they have striking patterns and very vibrant hues. Another popular handicraft in weaving is the Himachali caps that this state produces. They are of a style that is easily recognizable outside Himachal Pradesh and this style differs from region to region. In the town of Kinnaur, shawls, saris and trousers are made from wool. In the Himachali district of Chamba, the weaving pattern is easily recognizable due to its chequered pattern. Apart from shawls, carpets and blankets form an essential part of the lifestyle of residents of Himachal Pradesh.

Weaving :

• Weaving in Himachal Pradesh has been a tradition since ancient times and is also necessary due to the climate. Central Asia played an influential role in the technique of the weaving and the design too. Tibet is another influencer in the weaving sector and the garments produced are extremely popular amongst tourists. Woolen garments along with shawls in himachal Pradesh are knitted at home and are hand woven. While factory produced items are also available they don’t have the same value as those of handmade products. Government run garment shops are places where these items can be easily purchased. It is usually important to verify the authenticity of the garment by looking at the trademark label.
• Shawls and woolen garments made using the raw material of wool. In order to obtain wool several methods are used. Sheep are reared at breeding farms that exist in the districts of Hamirpur, Chamba, Mandi and Kinnaur. Migratory Himalayan goats are another rich source of wool, along with Pashmina goats and angora rabbits. These goats naturally shed their fleece during the summer season. Due to its finer nature, the underbelly is where wool is obtained from in the sheep, since it is finer than the outer body hair. Other sources of wool in Himachal Pradesh are imported wool from Australia. In order to colour the wool into different hues, chemical and vegetable dyes are used.

Weaved Handicrafts :

• The Himachali shawl is essentially a light woolen fabric measuring approximately 1m by 2m . It would usually be draped over and around the shoulder of the wearer and over the chest. It can be made from yarn that is hand spun or even mill spun yarn. The fiber used to make the Himachali shawl can be merino, wool, local sheep wool, Pashmina, Angora or a mixture of various types. The yarn can either be dyed, or it can be made from natural colors.
• Even though a relatively new addition to the traditional Himachal Pradesh attire, it is very popular, especially amongst tourists. Today the handicraft of shawl weaving has become one of the most popular and rising industries in the state. It is responsible for the livelihood for approximately 35000 weavers in Himachal Pradesh.

Woven Craft  :

• Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh offers exquisite shawls.  These are in addition to the more mass produce Kullu shawls that are more easily. The hand woven shawls in this region are unique and believed to belong to a craft that is centuries old. The raw material that is used is Merino wool, local sheep wool and Pashmina wool. Primary colors used in Kinnauri shawls are red, orange, pink, blue, green and yellow. White represents water, yellow represents earth and red represents fire, green stands for air and blue for air. In 1927 craftsmen from Rampur migrated to Kullu Valley and thus the craft was transferred to Himachal Pradesh. Most shawls made for commercial use are woven on the frame loom, while the shawls made for local use are mostly woven on pitloom.

Handloom Weaving and Importance :

• The weaving of Himachal Pradesh takes inspiration from the state’s natural surroundings and the auspicious symbols used by the people in the hills. The pattern on woolens are usually geometrical, with the colour palette ranging from blue, saffron, to purples and greens.
• The body of each shawl is a simple twill weave made with colorful inlay pattern set using hand manipulations with coloured woolen threads. Pattu shawls are a speciality of the kully calley and are traditionally made in black and white in a square pattern. This craft is generally used in Kully  Shamshi and Jihhi.

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