Tribal hand woven fabrics of Manipur
- Part 9 -

By: Mutua Bahadur *

Kom

The Kom weavers produce nine kinds of cloths. Of these, five are used by the womenfolk. Punkophoi (Fig. 64) which is a pink coloured fanek of the Kom women, is marked with stripes in black colour and it has also a black border. The end border is stylized by creating extra warp designs signifying Saman-mu (cucumber seed), Thengsum (mortar), etc.

Another skirt is Puntre which has white black background and red border; but it is striped in red and blue colours. Kekir is a white fanek having red side margin and extra weft designs of Tingling (flower of Kurao) in the end border. Ladies' shawl is known as Nuhmeipun (Fig. 161).

The holistic appearance of the cloth is black colour. However, its two end borders have extra weft designs of red and yellow. The designs include flower of Yai (lurcuma zedoarin), crab's leg, python motif, etc. But these conventionalised designs are woven in geometrical forms. Men use a shawl known as Pasepun (Fig. 65) of which major portion is black.

On the end border, red, white and yellow thread are used to weave extra weft design denoting python mark, Rosem (a musical instrument made of gourd shell and bamboo pipes) crab's limbs, etc.

Other shawls are Pukhamjal (Fig. 66) and Punchai (Fig. 67). Pukhamjal is a red-bordered white cloth. Near to its margins there are extra weft designs representing Perangke (peacock's leg). During dance, this cloth is sometimes used by women as belt even though there is a white coloured women's waist sash known as Koram. Koram has red side border and extra weft design of zig-zag lines close to its

fringes. Punhai is a white chaddar. On its end border, red thread is used to interweave extra weft designs, which are interpreted by the Kom as Saream (pestle) and mark of python. Punchai is also used by males as kilt during dance. Kom ladies also use it as chaddar. A piece of cloth known by the Kom as Lukhom is wound around the head of Kom men. The cloth is white and designs are made in red and green.

Lamgang

Regarding the dress of the Lamgang, there are about eight cloths. The cloths are Takar Bunglapol, Takarbu (Fig. 68), Lamthin (Fig.69), Nikti, Diphun, Woisen, Takar kinik (Fig. 70) and Takarlap. Most of the Lamgang cloths are decorated with ordinary extra warp designs. The cloths having extra weft designs are Takarlap and Takarbu. Takarlap is a stripped cloth of black, red and yellow whereas its designs are made in white.

The skirts of Lamgang women include white skirts with red and black border known as Diphun and Nikti. Nikti is also worn by menfolk as kilt while dancing. Takar kinik is a striped cloth of yellow, black and red which has ordinary extra warp designs. Lamthin is a skirt striped in black, white, red and yellow besides being woven with ordinary extra warp designs.

Woisen is also an important skirt of the Lamgang women. It is a white cloth having alternate bands of red and black in the border. The cloth has no designs but the mid portion is complemented by a wide band of small and parallel blue component lines. As dance costumes, the Lamgang girls wear the skirts in the following manner.

Diphun is wound at the waist to dangle up to the half portion of calf. Above it, Takar Kinik is worn covering from breast to reach a little above the knees. Lamgang chaddar called Takar Bunglapol is a white cloth which is ended in red and yellow border stripes. It has also extra warp designs of black colour.

See a gallery photo of Tribal hand woven fabrics of Manipur here.

To be continued ....

Mutua Bahadur

* Mutua Bahadur contributes to e-pao.net regularly. This article was webcasted on November 28, 2012.