Tribal hand woven fabrics of Manipur
- Part 11 -

By: Mutua Bahadur *

Maring

The number of Maring cloths is very much limited and they use not more than four kinds of traditional cloths. They assign the cloth names as Khoinganlu (Fig. 149), Langphai (Fig. 79), Karkhop (Fig. 78) and Durban. Khoinganlu is a chaddar for men having black and white warp to be woven with white woof. Extra weft designs denoting Kaloi (head of bee) and Khuntung (antenna of bee) are confined to the white stripe.

It is a war cloth and there is restriction on women to touch and even to wash the cloth after it has been made into a cloth. Langphai is a white cloth with extra weft pattern known as Hobi in black colour. It is functionally used to wear round the waist or wrap over the body by the Maring menfolk. Karkhop is a skirt which is mostly white but bordered with wide black and narrow red stripes. This cloth which is also worn around the waist while dancing, has extra weft motif symbolising Tangmai (the coiling of cane over the handle of knife).

Both the Maring man and woman throw a scarf called Durban around the neck and both sexes use a waist band called Kungvere. The piece of cloth used as waist band is black and it has marginal stripes of yellow, red and dull blue. Besides, it is decorated in zig-zag line patterns adopting extra weft weaving technique.

Mizo

The Mizo of Manipur possess five kinds of traditional cloths viz. Puanchei (Fig. 80), Ngotekherh (Fig. 81), Hmar-am (Fig. 83), Puandum (Fig. 82) and Thangsapuan. Puanchei is a fanek worn during dance and merry-making times. On the body of this fanek, extra weft of red, blue, yellow, green colours are interwoven to execute the back stripe motif of Sakat zang zie (a tiger).

Hmar-am is another kind of fanek which has designs in white on its black surface. Ngotekherh is a cloth common for both man and woman. It has black border and black stripes made on white background. Puandum is a man's cloth having black and red stripes transited by a narrow light green one. Thangsapuan is a man's shawl indicating higher status of the wearer. Only persons who have earned a higher status by doing some extraordinary work can use it.

Monsang

There are no fewer than eight kinds of cloth among the Monsang. The cloths include Elerpiin pon (Fig. 84), Edung enhii (Fig. 85), Echang (Fig. 86), Ekam enhii, Atrim enhii. Ethii enhii, Changkha enhii (Fig. 87), Savang Jur enhii and Zor enhii. Elerpiin pon is a cloth striped in red and black. In addition, the border is decorated with designs. Monsang bachelors warp it around their bodies but, during dance, they use it as kilts.

The fanek known as Edung enhii has stripes of red, blue and black colours and has designs of wide and large motifs with extra weft. It is a cloth for unmarried ladies. A fanek of the Monsang women having white pattern upon red, is named as Echang. Atrim enhii which is worn by young married women is also another Monsang fanek having red pattern upon black.

The dance costume includes two faneks to be worn at a time. The undergarment is Changka enhii. It has small blue motifs upon the white base. Besides, there are extra wrap of ordinary designs of red colour on the border of the cloth. This cloth is worn by womenfolk covering from waist to half of calve portions. The black outer garment which is known as Ekam enhii is wrapped round the body covering from bosom to knee. Thus, the lower border the undergarment remain little below that of the outer garment.

Sometimes, Zor enhii is worn above Changka enhii. A cloth used for class stratification is Savang Jur enhii and this shawl is particularly worn by rich women. The cloth is decorated upon blue base with extra weft design symbolising Ponare (stool). The designs of all the Monsang cloth are only a few, the exception being the designs of Savang Jur enhii. In the funeral functions, Monsang women wear a red bordered black fanek known as Ethii enhii.

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 December 28, 2012.