Indian textiles offer a rich variety in texture, colour, pattern, and embellishment. Textiles weaving have played a pivotal role in the social and the economic life of the Indian people throughout the ages. Textile carries the cultural knowledge and ideological perception embedded in the community’s social, economic and political structures. Heritage textiles are textiles that are passed down through generations and are rooted in the cultural and historical traditions of a region or community. Heritage textiles refer to textiles that are deeply rooted in the cultural and historical traditions of a particular region or community.India’s north-eastern states are distinct in terms of their traditions and cultural diversities coupled with genetic and biological diversity. The region is largely populated by hill tribes of Mongoloid origin speaking Tibeto-Burman language. It is linguistically and racially quiet unique with distinct individuality from the rest of the other Indian states. There are eight states located in the North-Eastern corner of India, namely, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Each tribe or community has its own particular motifs and designs which revolves around their culture and traditions. The tribal handicrafts and textiles are connected to socio-religious functions and loaded with values of life. Heritage textile of Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya is discussed briefly in the article.
Heritage textiles of Manipur
Lamthang khuthat: Originally a pattern, of lace, called maree and mapak, it was stitched on the borders of the innaphis worn by royalty [fig: 1(a)]. Its design is believed to have been adapted from the abdominal scale pattern of the serpent God lord Pakhangba. More recently, this pattern has been used in the innaphi itself. A simpler adaptation of this design, lamthang khuthat sudaba is used on innaphis worn by ordinary people.
Khamen chatpa: The design is block printed on white silk Khamen chatpa pheijom (dhoti). It is inspired from the pattern of skin on the ventral side of lord Pakhangba, the legendary serpent God. These are presented to the people of distinction.
Shaphi-Lanphi: It is a black shawl with thick, bold embroidered animal motifs is called [fig: 1(b)]. It was given to the brave and distinguished warriors by the royalty, in recognition of their prowess and ability. While Shaphi-Lanphi that is made by the Meitei women and worn by the Nagas.
Ningkhan samjin: The ningkhan samjin is another pattern traditionally used in men’s ceremonial head dresses. This block printed design is now also used as a woven design for innaphis.
Lasingphee: The lasingphee (quilted cotton material) is produced in Manipur and used as a covering in winter. Colours are obtained from natural sources and the juice of wild indigo is used as a black or dark blue dye.
Moirang phee: Moirang Phee is a textile fabric which has a specific design called the “Moirang Pheejin” which is woven sequentially on both the selvedge of fabric and oriented towards the center of the cloth, with cotton or silk threads. It is a product which is protected under the GI registration and is made throughout the Indian state of Manipur. It was originally a product of Moirang village.
Ningthou phee: It is a waistcoat, which is presented by the king to the warriors of the country.
Saijonba: It is a long coat that is prepared with special embroideries for the very trusted courtiers of the king.
Phirananba: These are the small flags delicately embroidered and used by the warriors as plumes on their turbans.
Heritage textiles of Assam
Assamese gamosa: This textile is typically Assamese and can be found in every household. It epitomizes respect and is given to people during functions, as a sign of welcoming and saying thank you. Also, people wear it during festivals as decoration. The more simple ones are also used as clothes and wraps or towels. The yarn used is entirely eri silk and the typical design is woven with madder dyed yarn.
Churia or Dhuti
The churia was historically worn by men in Assam, India. The dhoti is worn by men in the Indian subcontinent. It was an unstitched main male dress.It was 8 to 16 cubits long and from 2 to 2.25 cubits wide. It was plain and free from any decoration. A few ethnic groups wear woven endi-dhuti for cold season. The cloth was worn round the waist and hanging down to the knee or below it.
Mekhela
Mekhela was worn round the waist and covering down to the ankle-joints by giving 2-3 plaits in the front. It was worn in combination with chaddar(fig: 2). When it was worn round the breast and covers down to knee then the style was called ‘methoni mara’ which followed by different ethnic groups of Assam. The idea of‘mekhela’ originates from the Vedic word ‘Mekhola’. Mekhela chador is atwo-piece traditional dress of Assam worn by women. The dress is made up of Mekhela, which is draped from the waist down, and another long piece called the Chador, which is wrapped around the body.
Ghuri: Ghuri was a skirt like lower garment. Material used for ghuri is pat silk yarn. The sutradhara of Bhaona and Gayon Bayan or Yoja (the members of the band of singers and dancers) wore Ghuri. The dancer was called ‘Natua’ in the satras. The ordinary dancers who take participate in Bihu dance also used Ghuri. It is adorned with a border of floral design at the lower portion.
Cheleng: It was a white plain longitudinally woven sheet of cloth (fig: 3). The cloth was six cubits in length and 3 cubits in breadth having the two ends embroidered with muga yarn or golden thread or other coloured thread or sometimes without any decorative work. The one end of these costumes was hung to the front over the left shoulder taking it across the back under the right arm and hung over the left shoulder to the back. The silk cheleng (patar-cheleng) was worn by bridegroom as part of the wedding dress.
Chadar/Upreni: The chadar (popularly called upreni in Lower Assam) is an unseen item of Assamese women’s dress. It is worn in such a fashion that one part wraps the upper part of the body while the other part is draped over the mekhela. Married women use the free end of the upper part as a veil over the head. Wearing of chadar (along with mekhela and riha) has distinct connotation of decency and modesty in Assamese culture. The chadar traditionally of the size 2.75 x 1.25 metres in generally woven out of fine cotton yarn, occasionally blended with rayon and acrylic yarn in present days.
Heritage textiles of Meghalaya
Home to three important tribal communities- the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos, Meghalaya is another powerhouse of traditional woven fabrics and textiles. Weaving is the main occupation of the Garo women and is taken up by almost every family in the clan. Most traditional garments are woven with the Endi (Eri) silk as it is famous for its soft texture, warmth and durability. Endi silk weaving is carried out by most women on the conventional loin-looms, while the Garo women are also known to use the slightly more modern frame-looms.The tribes of Meghalaya have practiced and perfected the craft of weaving from ancient times, producing a wide variety of rich hand-woven fabrics that have their own unique attributes and are a credit to the skilled weavers and the state of Meghalaya. The Eri silk, Muga silk and the Mulberry silk are the three varieties produced in the state. Customarily, weaving begins as soon as the first harvest of rice has been consumed.
Dakmanda: Dakmanda is the traditional dress of Garo women (fig: 4). It is a rectangular cloth made of raw cotton intricately hand woven, draped around the lower body of women in varying length. It is traditionally made from a long staple cotton named kilding. It has broad boarders around 6-10 inches with floral pattern, wide horizontal stripes and other ornate patterns and concentric diamond motifs called mikron meaning eye in Garo. Geometric designs including straight lines, zig-zags and crosses are distinct characteristic of traditional Garo weave.
Eking:It is minimalistic loin cloth worn by women. The design was executed with ivory beads used to weigh down the hem, ensuring it remained securely in place. It is worn with blouse or top, accompanied only by neck jewellery. However, eking eventually faded out from use and dakamanda emerged as the preferred attire.
Chador: This is a shawl which is used as an accompaniment to Dakmandas.It is also embellished with embroidery and beadworks.
Daksaris: It is another wraparound garment commonly worn indoor as well as outdoor. On the contrary to dakmandas, it is simple and modest, cheaper and popular among the Garos.
Gana: It is another variation of wrap around skirt. It is characterized by its simplicity and being shorter in length which is worn at home during household chores and daily activities.
Kotip:It is traditional head band. It is crafted from cotton adorned with delicate beadwork.
Gando:It is a waist clothwith brass plate, measures 6-7 feet in length, 6 inch in width, worn by men.Mikron, a concentric diamond motif is used.
Pandra: It is a scarf like cloth that criss-crosses the wearers chest.
Overall, traditional textiles are the tangible cultural heritage of India. Study and preservation of heritage textile, not only honour the skills of past generations but also gain a deeper appreciation of how textiles have shaped communal identity, creativity, and sustainability.Safeguarding heritage textile is vital for ensuring that future generations can continue to learn from and build upon the artistic, cultural, and technological achievements of the past. By celebrating textile heritage, we not only preserve history but also foster a deeper understanding of the diverse stories and shared human experiences behind the fabric of our world. The National Symposium on “Threads of Heritage: Exploring Traditional Textiles and Natural Fibers,” scheduled from January 27th to 29th, 2025, at the College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (CPGS-AS), Umiam, Barapani, Shillong, provides an opportune platform to address the Heritage Textiles of North East India. Bringing together experts, artisans, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, the symposium aims to foster dialogue and collaboration, emphasizing the scientific, technical, and commercial dimensions of rich heritage.The event will also feature live demonstrations, exhibitions, and discussions on innovative techniques that merge traditional knowledge with modern technology. By promoting sustainable practices and entrepreneurship, the symposium seeks to catalyse the development of a circular economy in the textile and fiber industries.