PASHMINA
For centuries, Kashmir has been the heavenly abode of nature. The Chinar trees, the green mountains and the Shikaras attract thousands of visitors around the year. These visitors, who inadvertently are introduced to the myriad of crafts and takeaways from this scenic land, often end up finding themselves drawn to the world famous ‘Pashmina’, exclusive to Kashmir.
Though all of us have heard the term ‘Pashmina’, we almost readily associate it with any fashionable wrap, stole, shawl or scarf. A symbol of luxury and elegance, owning a Pashmina is often associated with royalty. Since time immemorial, the Pashmina shawls have been treasured for their expensive material and reminiscent designs.
Pashmina, popularly known as cashmere wool, derived its name from Pashm, which refers to the under fleece of the Himalayan mountain goat, called Chyangra (Capra Hircus) which lives in the high altitude of 12000 feet in Himalayan regions of Nepal where the temperature drops below minus 40 degrees. During the winters, these goats grow very fine and warm fibres under their course outer layer of fur which enables them to survive the chilly winters. This fine fibre, called ‘pashm’ is shed by these goats during spring and is harvested by the Changpa tribe. This wool has more than thousands of years of history of being woven into shawls and blankets, and is praised for its exquisite softness, long life, warmth and beauty.
This fibre, apart from its current popularity, has a long history to its credentials. The material gained prominence through its use in the Kashmir shawl. In Mughal times, this was used as an indicator of rank and nobility. Pashmina blankets were also vital additions to a wealthy woman’s dowry in India, Pakistan and Nepal. In 19th century, despite the fact that shawls were worn by men, Kashmiri shawls became coded as women’s luxuries and served as an item of high exchange value that a woman could carry.
Raw Pashmina is exported to Kashmir from the Himalayan regions. All steps from combing (removing impurities and guard hair and aligning fibres) and spinning, to weaving and finishing, are traditionally carried out by hand by specialized craftsmen and women. The major centre of Pashmina fabric production is in the old district of the city of Srinagar. The approximate time put into producing a single traditional pashmina stole (70 x 200cm) is 180 hours.
Pashmina shawls have continued to become a status symbol over the past few years. A pure Pashmina shawl ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 75,000 and comes in a variety of colours and designs depending on the monetary value. These shawls are woven by weavers who have been into this craftsmanship for generations and have inherited this art from their ancestors.
The Pashmina designs are created with floral borders, chinar leaves and paisley, mostly from the memories inspired by the lakes, sunrise and sunset. Even today, the craftsmen of Kashmir exhibit their mystic skills on Pashmina shawls through astounding embroidery of sozni, papier-mache and aari. So the next time you get a chance to visit Kashmir, do not forget to splurge on the luxurious Pashmina as a souvenir to the place & the people.
