Vibrant textile traditions thrive in Northeast

It is handloom week and, for a diehard handloom fan like me, it gives me greatest pleasure to see the lead taken by the textile minister, Smriti Irani, to take forward the struggle to make handlooms the first choice for apparel especially among the younger people. And the initiative to turn the spotlight on the role played by women in the entire weaving process is really noteworthy. After all, women play a pivotal role in the process of weaving and spinning and in some areas like the Northeast and many other places it is women who do most of the weaving and keep the tradition alive.

Perhaps least known in other parts of the country are the vibrant and exquisite textile traditions of the Northeast. I have shared some really joyful moments in my extensive travels in the interiors of Northeast especially Assam with women weavers who went about creating saris, mekhla chadors as they sat under almost ramshackle thatched roofs with their rather basic looms weaving the most intricate dreams so joyfully, laughing, singing and cracking jokes. It is so ironical that so many of them wouldn’t even have chance to wear some of the fabulous textiles they helped create.

Even in the middle ages, the ancient Ahom (present day Assam) kings, like the nobilities of Japan, patronised silk rearing and silk weaving. It was obligatory on the part of certain castes of rear silkworms, reel the yarns and practice weaving almost as a household activity. Mulberry silk was exclusively reserved for royalty, the muga for nobleman and the eri for commons – possibly because of the textures, purity of silk and lifestyles. It is in interesting that now it is muga that is considered to be the veritable king of silks from the region, followed by pat and eri. Specific designs and styles of weaving set apart the tribes with a complex hierarchy firmly in place even till date, especially at the grass-root level.

In the women’s market in Imphal, Manipur, which is in full swing at the crack of dawn, women from many parts of the hills and, of course, the valley have reserved spaces where they bring the vibrant phaneks (lungi-like apparel worn by women) woven by them and further embellished by intricate embroidery on them to sell. It is interesting that these phanek designs are peculiar to each tribe and they wear specific designs only. There were some with neutral “temple” designs that could be sported by anyone. Till date, I regret not buying an exquisite silk phanek in emerald green with brick red temples and matching chador that a woman weaver was selling in that market. The colour and texture of the fabric is still vivid in my memory even after two decades! In subsequent visits I made it a point to visit the market but never found anything as breathtaking!

In Nagaland almost exclusively wool and cotton is woven in small portable looms and since only narrow pieces can be woven on it, they are joined together. Incidentally, similar is the case in Manipur and other parts of the Northeast where the loin loom is in use. Naga tribes weave their specific sashes, shawls and other textiles, with designs peculiar to each tribe. All those red, white and black striped shawls that look same if not similar to the uninitiated have their own story to tell of tribes and their lifestyles and heroes. It is an entire language in itself.

In Arunachal Pradesh too, there has not been much external influence on the designs of the textiles although there has been some borrowing of motifs from neighbouring areas. The motifs, designs and patterns, however, are quite complex and their symbolic meaning and usages are rather significant.

Although a small state, Meghalaya’s of the three ancient hill communities: the Khasi, Jaintias and Garos. Weaving is the traditional occupation and the exclusive monopoly of Garo women and pursued by almost every family. Weaving can begin as soon as the first fruit of the new rice have been eaten. I have myself given a shot at weaving with a local girl and it is more difficult than it looks!

When cloth is being dyed, a whole lot of restrictions of food including not eating strong smelling foods and purity and cleanliness of body are observed. The most popularly woven textile is the dakmanda, worn from the waist to a little below the knee. The texture and durability of the endi silk produced in Meghalaya is famous. The important centre for weaving endi silk is Sonidan, a village of about hundred bamboo huts. Besides Sonidan, women in other villages carry out endi silk weaving. Moreover, the production of jainsen (typical Meghalaya women’s wear) with local mulberry silk has also been introduced.

In Mizoram too, there are a number of craftspeople and skilled artisans as weaving is an internal part of the Mizo culture and the women learn how to weave at an early age. Puans, somewhat like lungis, are woven in numerous designs on the traditional loin looms. All dyeing is done by women, and it is ana, or forbidden, for men to take part in the operation, as it is believed that any man who touches dye or a cloth that is being dyed will be unable to shoot any game, and will be especially liable to suffer from consumption.

The reason why participation in dyeing results in bad luck in the chase is rather complicated. Animals are terrified of blood, and consequently are very afraid of the women due to menstrual cycles. The hands of man who takes part if dying are strained with the blue dye, and the smell of the dye hangs about them. The souls of the wild animals scent this at once, and when such a man approaches, they associate him in their minds with women, become very frightened, and refuse to allow him to approach them. Hence, a man who helps his wife to dye cloth is always unlucky in the chase.

In Tripura, till as late as the 19th century, every family had a loom, irrespective of caste or community. An ancient king named Trilochan (alias Subrai) was a great patron and he married many girls only to honour their skills. Cotton would be abundantly produced in the Jhoom fields in the hills. The Tripura women and even the princesses excelled in weaving coloured and richly embroidered cotton clothes. Handloom weaving is concentrated in the sub-divisions of Sadar, Soonamura, Khowai, Kailasahar and Belonia with motifs peculiar to the Chakma, Kuki, Lussai and Reang tribes.

The main feature of Tripura handlooms is vertical and horizontal stripes with scattered embroidery in different colours, and designs are tribe peculiar. The Khakloo are a small, little known tribe who claim direct relationship with the Purum Tipra — a dominant community that ruled Tripura for centuries. The cotton is grown in the jhoom. Women do spinning and weaving only. It is forbidden for men to take any part in the operation, as it is feared that any man who participates in spinning or weaving will be struck by lightning. Similarly, there is a taboo on women in basket making: it is believed that if any woman weaves a basket, the male will be idle and timid and, as a result, he will not be successful in hunting.

The clothes the Kuki-Chin tribe women from Tripura wove in the past had designs that were copied from the skins of snakes. They were called by different names like Thangang, Saipi-khup, Ponmongvom, and Khamtang. These clothes in the olden days were not allowed to be woven by the commoners. Only the chief’s and the official’s families were allowed to weave these clothes. It was also forbidden to put on these clothes while crossing a big river. It was feared that the cloth might attract snakes to the weavers. Many of these beliefs might seem quaint, but this is a living reality with the weaving communities there and taken rather seriously. I was warned by my local travel companions to never speak about it in jest.

A few years ago, the Lalit Kala Akademi was holding the Octave festivals of all the north-eastern states and I was curating and designing an art show for them. I put all this information to great use by creating panels covered with sitlapati mats from Tripura, phaneks from Manipur, bamboo baskets from Mizoram, miniature swords and spears from Nagaland and art from the entire Northeast to stunning effect — perhaps one of my most creative exhibition designs so far.

Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alkaraghuvanshi@yahoo.com