Kinnauri Shawls of Himachal Pradesh - An intricate geometric Art on Wool

Kinnauri shawl is the name given to a type of shawl made in Kinnaur area. One of the best authentic handicraft and handloom product of Himachal Pradesh. It usually used in extremely cold areas. The designing techniques are heavily influenced by Central Asia and Tibet, with origins in the region's old culture. Kinnauri shawls are famous for their unique geometric motifs and fine weaving expertise. It is completely handspun.

During the lengthy cold winters, Kinnaur is cut off from the surrounding valleys. As a result of the dangers of extreme cold and long trips to isolated, practically unreachable communities nestled in the mountains, Kinnauris has developed a mainly self-sufficient economy. Kinnauris lives and breathes weaving. 

Kinnauri shawls woven with geometrical motifs

These shawls include religious symbols woven into them, as well as mythological colours. The fine colours utilized have their own meanings, with green denoting ether, blue denoting sky, white denoting water, yellow denoting earth, and red denoting fire. The five primary colours represent the five natural elements. Depending on their needs, different hues of these colours are used.

In geometry and mythology, colour and texture combine to create a tapestry of chanting. There are shawls with patterns on both ends, Kinnauri teen (three) patti, all over kinnauri work, and shawls with patterns on all four edges. There's always one that suits your preferences.

Kinnauri Shawl making process

The majority of shawls for commercial use are woven on frame looms, whereas those for personal use are made on pit looms. The weaver weaves it in two half-width segments and then unites them in the middle with intricate hand stitching. Raw material for kinnauri shawl is Indian wool, Pashmina, Angora (Rabbit wool). Yak and rabbit wool use increased because of their comparatively softer texture. A single shawl takes about 45 days to complete on average.

Kinnauri Shawl GI registration

These elaborately patterned woolen shawls, hand-woven by the indigenous tribe of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh for generations, were given a patent by the Government of India in October 2010 under the Geographical Indications (GIs) of Goods Act, 1999. This was done to prevent unauthorized manufacturing, replication, and misuse of the 'Kinnauri Shawl' brand name originating from a location other than the origin. With it, the shawl's inherent ownership and tradition were returned to the region's indigenous craftspeople.

History of  Kinnaur & kinnauri shawls

Although the "Silk Road" is by far the most well-known network of trade routes connecting China, Central Asia, and India, many people are unaware of other important, ancient trading routes that connect these regions. One such trade route, dubbed the "wool road" by locals, connected India's Punjab plains to Tibet, Central Asia, and China.

There is a strong blend of Hindu and Buddhist culture on display. Though the king's genealogy is predominantly Hindu, the temples in Kinnaur have architecture akin to that of monasteries, and the royal palace of Kinnaur has a Tibetan feel to it.

This is a world cut off from the rest of the world, with its own homemade culture. Kinnaur, in Himachal Pradesh, on the Indo Tibetan border, still has households weaving one of the exquisite and most time-consuming wool weaves, but they are cut off from the rest of the world for a variety of reasons, including inaccessibility, topography, climate, and, most importantly, a lack of faith in modern civilization.

Their weaving skill was taken from them over a century ago and has since been heavily commercialized. They are adamant about not selling their shawls. They are adamant about not commercializing their ancestry. The Kinnauris have been weaving shawls for ages for the primary purpose of meeting intra-familial needs. The shawls are not woven for profit, but rather to meet the needs of family members.

Kinnauri Shawl Design, Wealth & Price relation

The Kinnauri Shawl is a very common kind. It combines two weaves: a basic weave for the ground and body cloth, and an extra-weft weave for the design. Twill is the most used weave for the body and ground. Basic twill, pointed twill, herringbone twill, and basket weaves are all examples of twill. All of the designs are created using four shafts. The wealthier and better the family history, according to Kinnauri shawls, the finer and heavier the design. The price of these handcrafted shawls depend on the type of yarn used & design length. 

When a boy is about to be married, the girl's family displays their whole collection of shawls. It is a criterion for completing the marriage. The extra-weft is used solely for the design, with knotting and shifting lifting orders taking care of the rest.

Kinnauri Shawl Dimensions & Colour combinations

The design is visible on both ends and stretches for half a metre towards the main body. The basic colours are black, white, cream, grey, brown, or a combination of the two, and the foundation cloth is usually naturally coloured wool. The shawl is often constructed in the following sizes: 3 metre shawls are commonly created in the following dimensions: 3 metres in length and 1 metre in width. For ages, weavers all around the world have used cross-hatched paper to calculate the design of their weaves.

Kinnauris are extremely humanitarian, and they require a smidgeon of humanity from the wide world outside Kinnaur. Just like us, they are hoping for a miracle. It's past time to ensure that the craft does not perish among the snow-capped peaks of the Greater Himalayas, where it was born and has thrived for so long.  We www.shoppingkart24.com is there to help these artisans and GIs to get worldwide recognition and dignity they deserve through our platforms where you can find various products with varieties in each aspect. 

ShoppingKart24 has a beautiful collection of authentic GI Tag verified himachali  kinnauris Shawls for men & women. Price of kullu shawls  starts from ₹1,859 in different colors. Here You can also shop online for other popular winter shawls & stoles. 

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