The Story behind the Fabrics
THE HEIRLOOM OF THE NORTHEAST (INDIA) Is a graceful amalgamation of ethnic Northeastern wear, namely our handwoven creations of different types of fabric, woollen wear and jewellery of 7 NorthEastern states namely Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh popularly called “The Seven Sisters”. The Creations of this region is stunningly different from the rest of India and the world.
The Northeast is the homeland of approximately 145 tribal communities of which 78 are large , each with a population of more than 5000 people, constituting almost 26% of the population of the NorthEast. Most tribes have their unique sense of dressing and it is their women who weave these fabrics and woollen wear at home in their small looms even in remote towns or villages.
Like the wild and untamed beauty of the Himalayas in this region, the uncanny costumes and the unique jewellery of this region has largely remained unexplored and untapped. Their sense of craftsmanship is a distinct creation of their native land and their specific tribe. Their ensembles are not only unique but also fashionable and waits to be the “haute couture” in the world platform.
HORNBILL FESTIVAL
The festivals celebrated in different parts of the NorthEast India at different times of the year showcases their ethnic ensembles, their bright coloured weaves and handcrafted jewellery.
One such festival is the famous HORNBILL FESTIVAL , also called the Festival of Festivals held every year in Nagaland during winter to protect, revive and promote richness of the Naga heritage, traditions, their ethnic wear and food. It is held in Kisama Village which is wrapped in breath taking scenic views at the foothills of the Himalayas.
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The Hornbill Festival provides a colourful mixture of dances, performances, crafts, parades, games, sports, food fairs and religious ceremonies. The festival both exposes the culture and tradition of tribal peoples, and reinforces Nagaland’s identity as a unique state in India’s federal union. Experts have commented that A lot of older folk in the villages travel to Kohima to attend this festival and meet people from other villages from Nagaland because they haven’t met before, hence leading to cultural assimilation.
SANGAI FESTIVAL
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Sangai festival is an annual cultural festival organised by Manipur Tourism Department every year from 21 to 30 November. Even though many editions of this Festival has been celebrated over the past few years with the name of Tourism Festival, since 2010 this has been renamed as the Sangai Festival to stage the uniqueness of the shy and gentle brow-antlered deer popularly known as the Sangai, a regional name given to this rare species of deer. It is the state animal of Manipur.
As this festival is being celebrated to promote Manipur as a world class tourism destination, it showcases the states contributions to art and culture, handloom, handicrafts, fine arts, indigenous sports, cuisine, music and adventure sports, as well as the natural environment.
It is celebrated in different parts mainly in the valley areas of imphal. Many tourists come from all over the world and represent their craft making. Many people have also started to talk about the way Sangai festival is celebrated. They say that it should be celebrated only in one place with a proper arrangement and with big budget so that this festival grows more bigger and unique and spread all over the world.
Mizoram – Known for its evergreen hills and dense bamboo jungles, it is also called “Land of The Blue Mountains” because the hills are criss crossed by gushing rivers and high sparkling waterfalls.
The Chapchar Kut is a vibrant and colourful festival celebrated during march after the completion of their most difficult task of Jhum Operation i.e Jungle clearing. This Spring festival is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety. The famous dance “Chailum”, where men and women dance in their traditional attires. The traditional attire of the woman called Puanchei dress is very famous.
The main dress is Pawl Kut and Chapchar Kut. Puan has shades of black and white . Another traditional dress worn by Mizo girls is known as Kawrechi. These dresses are beautiful and can be westernised at any point of time.
