ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Textile Cultures and Traditional Knowledge at the Frontier

by, Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer,

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

Outcome of project: IGNCA & Outreach Programmes, NID

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

Walon village, Anjaw district

River Lohit, Lohit district

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
SURVIVAL AT STATE MARGINS

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

TANI GROUPS

Adi Adi

Tagin Tagin

Hill Miri Nyishi Digaru Mishmi Miju Mishmi

Apatani Miju Mishmi

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

BUDDHIST GROUPS

Memba

Monpa Monpa

Sherdukpen Singpho

Miji Bugun Aka Khampti Khampti

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
WANCHO, NOCTE, TUTSA

Wancho Wancho

Nocte Nocte Tutsa Tutsa

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

 DWELLINGS AND HABITATS

Sherdukpen house, Shergaon, West Kameng Monpa houses, Tawang

Nocte house, Khonsa basti Miju Mishmi long house

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 TRADITIONAL ROLE
OF MEN

Fishing

Monpa pastoralist

Hunting trophies Mithun (Bos frontalis)

Cane backpacks

Apatani men, Myoko festival

Bamboo suspension bridges Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE

Mintong basti, Longding district

Monpa couple,Thingbu pa village, Tawang district

Khampti , wet rice cultivation, Gijing

Apatani women, wet rice farming, Ziro valley Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
BAGS

Bag used by the Sherdukpen. Bag used by the Monpa. Bag used by the Khamti group. Bag used by the Digaru and Miju
Patterned mainly in supplementary Made in complimentary warp Made in supplementary weft Mishmi groups. Made in tapestry and
weft and countered weft twining technique technique supplemntary w eft techniques.

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

ROLE OF WOMEN

ield
Apatani woman in the A self employed Adi Apatani weaver, Ziro Miji woman, West Monpa lady, Tawang
woman, Pasighat Kameng

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

 NATURAL DYES AND FIBRES

Gossypium arboreum rac.

Utrica dioica- Nettle
burmanicum- Cotton

Stick lac Rubia Sikkimensis- Madder

Eri
Sheep wool

Strobilanthes FLaccidifolius- Indigo Yak hair

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 COTTON - USED TO VARIED ADVANTAGES

Apatani skirt detail, Ziro, Adi,Upper Siang Adi lady in Upper Siang weaves a gaduk- a cotton blanket
Lower Subansiri

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

 NETTLE

Bogre- Sherdukpen bag

Atondre- Idu Mishmi man’s war

jacket
Poppy Nettle cloth with Nettle yarn Nettle cloth detail of
poppy latex old Monpa bag Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
ERI SILK

Monpa women in traditional Madder dyed Eri was preferred for robes of
attire of eri silk monks. Young Buddhist monks, Bomdilla,
West Kameng

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

 YAK HAIR & WOOL

A Brokpa man, Tawang. A tent woven in yak hair still

serves as their temporary shelter during pastoral sojourns

Vertical loom, Tawang Carpet

Monpa women, Tawang Horse saddle set, Monpa, Tawang
Centre
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
CLOTH MAKING- WESTERN ARUNACHAL

Thasheng loom (Tibetan)

Back strap loom variant - dangshing boura

Foot braced back strap loom. Vertical support- dangphur

Card loom weaving
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 CENTRAL, EASTERN ARUNACHAL 54
Batten cum shuttle String
Long khi /Long kho/ Rhu/Rhi hai / chain pha/
Long Khi / Long koi / Pulley
Nachuni pak
Link khoi Nachuni

Heddle rods
Chun lag kha /Chonkia /
Chain kho / Chim bokg /lag
kha

Reed
Phum/Phum/phum/
phum

Counter shed rod

Bong/Bong Cho/ Lang chu
Phan bong/ Bom khang

Warp beam
Sainatrong / Phan khu thang
/Bong / Sa nag
Breast/cloth beam
King pat / Phan pai/ Phan
pat /Chan phat /Phan pat

Warp end pulled through the reed Loom used by Khampti Backstrap
Phan / Phan
MUKLOM
PANGSA
and Singpho piyak/Phan
pak/Phan pak LUNGCHANG
TITKAH

Above: Loin loom of Tangsas. Illustrated by Vijay Paul Punia

Warping , Khampti Singpho Warping,WesT Kameng & Tawang On loom warping, Tani region

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

BACK- STRAP WRAPPING, DRAPING,
LOOM FABRIC BASIC SEWING

Wancho man, Longding

Hill Miri women, Itanagar Apatani woman, Ziro

Wancho man, Longding

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

STITCHED & LAYERED CLOTHING

Monpa tailor with traditional sewing tool- zo rok

Needle case in leather Marking device

A Monpa
Swasti Singh Ghai,woman in Zimithang
Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 STRAIGHT CUTS- TIMELESS APPEAL

Mago basti, dress- Rigu, Monpa woman’s jacket, Monpa man’s jacket constructed Monpa man’s attire where limitations
Tawang District Zimithang out of narrow width woolen cloth. of fabric size and limited coloours
is used to adavntage through panel
construction and play of contrast
colours.

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

 PATTERNING TECHNIQUES

Discontinuous
Countered weft twining. Tapestry technique, False embroidery supplementary weft

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

CEREMONIAL AND RITUAL TEXTILES

A procession at Choskore festival, Sherdukpen, Shergaon Tansga, Moh festival Apatani priest , Ziro

Nyishi group, Nyokum festival,

Lower Subansiri Sherdukpen at Wang Festival, Rupa town
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
CHANGING CONCEPTS OF MODESTY

Straw skirt Apatani woman in traditional skirt- A young Nyishi woman in full Young Digaru Mishmi women
kente abi length pomo gale in long galles, Statehood day,
Itanagar
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 PRIDE IN ETHNICITY

Tagin motif to deine their

identity
Different Nyishi galle

jujang silver bell bool design based on metal disc waist

inspired galle motif ornament
Inspired by head ornament Dumpin has emerged Dumpin galle Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
 GOVERNMENT SCHEMES AND IDEA OF PROGRESS

Frame looms , ADTH craft centre, Itanagar Modiied loom, Ziro, Upper Subansiri

Drum warping, Tawang Craft Center

Eri spinning machine, ADTH craft center, Itanagar
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
ACRYLIC INVASION- CAN COTTON BE RESURRECTED ?

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

CULTURAL PRESERVATION, INSPIRATION, REGENERATION

WEAVING WITH THE MONPAS

re-discovering card weaving in
Kalaktang, Arunachal Pradesh

Outcome of a 6 month student diploma

Striped Diamond
133 project by Ms Swati Venkat
he body cards are divided into a left half and a right half.
In the left half – all Z-threaded
In the right half – all S-threaded

Basically we need to have the two halves converge in the center

and that why the left half is Z-threaded and the right half is Profiles of Participants
S-threaded.

Check for the position of one particular colour – say white. Bhumpa
Cards no. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14: white yarn in hole no. 3
Cards no. 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13: white yarn in hole no. 2

Turning Sequence.
Maintain turning direction constant for half repeat, that is the
concentric v-shaped portion of the pattern. hen reverse the
entire pack and weave the same number of picks in order to get Wife of the ASM, Mr. Sange Choige.
the inverted-v-shaped portion of the pattern. She is about 50 years old and a mother
of 2 - weaves beautiful bags and gale.
Despite repeated efforts , Bhumpa had
been unable to learn the technique until
Ngawang Chozom started teaching her.

Chongji Rema

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

Timpee’s sister-in-law, she was initially
WHITHER TO ?

NEW HORIZONS OF `HANDMADE’ .........

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017

TEAM ARUNACHAL

Lokesh Ghai Swati Venkat Sanchita Shweta Moterao Sucharita Rucha

Dasgupta Beniwal Deshpande

Ayan Ghosh Sameer Bakshi Sanjiv Valsan Shraddha Jain Soumya Shraddha
Sakhalkar

Arnab Senapati Jumpu Ronya Vishnupriya Sita Mani Swasti Singh

Narayanan Ghai

SwastiState
SSG, Singh Ghai,Arunachal
Head- Associate for
Senior Designer,
IGNCA- NID, NID, Ahmedabad,
Outreach 20172014
Programmes,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Humble thanks to all people in Arunachal
Mr Khoda Ruja, Director of Textile and Handicrafts,
Itanagar
Ms Binny Yanga, Ouja Welfare Mission, Naharlagun
Mr Tage Tada, Director of Research, Itanagar
Dr Sarit Chaudhuri, Associate Professor, Anthropology,
Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, Rajiv Gandhi
University
Mr Moji Riba, CCRD, Center for Cultural Research and
Documentation, Naharlagun
Ms Jarjum Ete, Chairman, State Commission on Women,
Itanagar
All ADTH, DDTH oficers in the districts
Various Museums, SHG, NGO, local experts
IGNCA team
NID
Outreach Programmmes:
Ms Shimul Mehta Vyas, Activity Chairperson
Ms Neelima Hasija, Activity Vice Chairperson
Mr Rajan Christopher
Project team:
Ms Romanie Jaitley, Project Head
Ms Aditi Ranjan, State Head- Nagaland
Mr V Sakthivel, State Head- Meghalaya
Ms Aarti Srivastava, State Head- Assam
Ms Jisha Unnikrishnan
Ms Moon Moon Jaitley
Textile Department staff, student volunteers
late Prof M P Ranjan
Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017
hopeful of a cratsperson

centric, ecology sensitive and

culture led furture ......

thanks..

Swasti Singh Ghai, Associate Senior Designer, NID, Ahmedabad, 2017