Hand woven shawls are the creation
crafted by artisans and perfectionist which represent their skills and
excellence . They are available in bold bright colors and finest quality
yarns , some of them are hand dyed or hand spun. A shawl is a
rectangular or square piece of cloth which is loosely worn over
shoulders to cover arms , upper body and head. Sometimes , it is also
available in triangular shape. Hand woven shawls are available in a wide
variety of colors , designs and patterns.
Shawls are one of a kind, sophisticated and elegant accessories for
women. The elegance of shawls is depicted by the bold bright colors of
high quality yarns and hand crafted excellence and skills of Indian
artisans. Shawls richly hand woven have incredible demand in the global
textile industry considered vital in the tribal culture.
Fabric
Indian hand woven shawls are high-fashion women clothing item available
in various patterns. Different fabrics used in making of hand woven and
knitted shawls are :
- Wool
- Natural cotton
- Raw silk
- Rayon
- Mohair
- Alpaca
- Pashmina
- Shahtoosh
- Raffle etc
Purposes
Hand woven shawls provide warmth and comfort therefore regarded as must
clothing accessory preferred by mostly women and girls.
Knitted and hand woven shawls are the most versatile fashion
accessories which serve different purposes at a time like :
- It remains warm for winter
- It is light for a cool summer night
- It looks elegant and graceful for bridal accessory or evening
wear etc
Ethnic Shawls of Various Indian Tribes
The shawls are manufactured in distinct parts of India by the varied
tribes thriving in states as Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Jammu &
Kashmir, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu & the North-East.
- Himachal Pradesh : Bodh and Kinnauri Tribes of the
Lahaul-Spiti Area Making use of pure & natural pashmina &
yak wool, the tribes are expert in weaving exquisite hand woven
shawls which are marked with traditional pattern on the border
regionally known as 'chesan' (geometrical design), 'dharipala'
(joint pattern) also known as 'kingri', etc. The shawls may even
have varied patterns woven in the same fabric but all engraved in
sync.
- Tamil Nadu : Todas of the Nilgiris This tribe is
synonymous with the production of elegantly woven 'puthkulli' shawls
coupled with beautifully embroidery. Generally, they make use of red
& black colors on a white background to highlight the beauty of
the shawls.
- Orissa : Dongria Kond Tribe This tribe is known for
producing vibrant & breathtakingly designed Dongria shawls
specially crafted by the unmarried girls of this community who make
extensive use of bright colors like red, green, yellow, etc which
symbolizes love, fertility and togetherness.
- Manipur : Chote and Kuki Tribes The community
manufactures the Saipikhup shawls which are elegantly adorned by
both sexes. The shawls bring forward the innovative &
traditional designs and motifs.
- Manipur : Mizo Tribe Making use of the fly shuttle loom,
the tribe is expert in producing traditional patterns for "pounpar",
the ladies stoles.
- Nagaland : Ao Naga, Chang Naga And Naga Lotha Tribes All
these tribes make extensive usage of the flying shuttle looms to
come up with awesome hand woven shawls, wraps and waistcoats too.
Popular Varieties of Shawls
Shawls are made from centuries which are universal as well as
embracing. Its length ranges in between four to eight feet. Indian
shawls came in a vast range of artistic collection woven with different
materials. Some of the famous hand woven shawls are :
- Kashmir or cashmere shawls : They are made from very
soft fabric made from wool of cashmere goat. Shawl weaving is the
prominent industry in Kashmir. Kashmir shawls are produced by two
techniques either by loom woven or Kani shawls and the other one is
needle embroidered or Sozni shawls.
- Himachal Pradesh shawls : These are famous for their
exquisite woolen shawls crafted in beautiful patterns expressing
vision , variety of shapes and feelings that have been woven in the
Himachal Pradesh for centuries.
- Eri silk shawls : Assam Eri silk shawls are famous ,
awesome and known for their delicacy and warmth. They are extremely
soft, thick, rare and long lasting.
- Rajasthan shawls : Rajasthan is famous for its tie &
dye shawls which are crafted with beautiful embroidery and mirror
work .
- Gujarat shawls : They are made from pure wool. Gujarat
shawls are embroidered in traditional styles and patterns . These
shawls are mostly characterized by bright yellow or white dots
forming floral patterns on a deep red base.
- Nagaland Shawls : They are famous for the tribal shawls
which are known for their unique designs and motifs. Nagaland shawls
are are very warm and gaining popularity day by day.
- West Bengal kantha shawls: They are intricately
embroidered shawls featuring various geometrical and traditional
patterns. Kantha embroidery gives a rich sensuous look to shawls and
can be done on woolen, cotton or silk shawls .
- Embroidered Shawls of Punjab: Amritsar and Ludhiana in
Punjab have a huge market for woolen garments. Phulkari, the
traditional embroidery of Punjab and several other kinds of
embroidery stitches are done on shawls.
