TABLE OF CONTENTS

SL.NO TOPIC NAME PAGE NO.

1. Introduction

2. History of weaving in
Ladakh

3. Weaving practices

4. Traditional Ladakhi bride

attire

5. Ladakhi jewellery

6. Ladakhi bride accessories

7. Thigma- tie and dye of

Ladakh

8. Traditional Ladakhi groom

attire

9. Ladakhi designers
 LADAKHI BUDHIST MARRIAGE

1.INTRODUCTION

Picture 1. Image courtesy: lehladakhindia.com

Weddings in Ladakh are not like weddings in India generally.

No priest, pandit, or lama is available to conduct the marriage.
It is a social event that is unlike any other function. Typically,
the boy's parents will start searching for bride when he is
around 20 years old. The boy's parents go to the girl's parents
(who are typically two to three years younger than the boy) and
ask them to approve the match. When choosing an auspicious
date, lamas are consulted.

h
Picture 2. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com
 Picture 3. Image courtesy: pinterest.com
Beginning in the
late evening when
the village families
assemble and each
brings food for the
wedding feast, the
wedding celebration
typically lasts all
night. While the bride
is expected to remain
seated, frequently in
the kitchen, the
husband will
frequently dance and
undoubtedly drink chang (local barley alcohol). The people
who came to witness the marriage give a ceremonial khata
(traditional ceremonial scarf) and cash to the bride and groom
separately as a symbolic gesture saying we have witnessed
your marriage.

As dawn approaches, the bride is brought to the home of the groom's

parents, where she is welcomed by lamas and her new family. The
bride first declines food during the subsequent ceremony until she is
brought from her father to her new husband, with whom she then
enjoys a meal. By dawn, the ritual is over after the bride is shown. It is
possible to see the variety and richness of textiles used and worn in
Ladakh at weddings and religious events, including magnificent silk-
brocades, heavy wool fabrics, robes fastened with tie-dye belts, capes
with felt appliqués, and velvet jackets in dark tones.
Picture 4. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com
 Adorning bride and groom with ceremonial khatas and sums of cash.

Picture 5. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com

picture 6. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com

Picture 7. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com

Picture 8. Image courtesy: silkphotos.com

 2.HSITORY OF WEAVING IN LADAKH

The historical evolution of clothing in Ladakh is poorly

understood, and there are few, if any, early references and
records on the issue. Ladakhis talk about a time before cloth
was weaved when their forefathers wore clothing made from
animal skins, straw, and tree bark, despite the fact that they
consider weaving to be an ancient craft. Later, they mastered
the art of spinning and weaving their own clothing. In Ladakh,
animal skins are still utilised to manufacture clothing, a practise
that most likely dates back to their ancient customs.

Life and weaving are inextricably intertwined among the

nomads of Ladakh. Here, the creation of textiles is connected
to both the early beginnings of human existence and the act of
giving birth. In the male loom, the act of weaving and the fabric
that results symbolize the birth of a child. Here, the man is
symbolised by the warp, which is solid and firmly twisted. The
lady is the weft, which is weak and loose in comparison. They
cooperate to encourage one another and work for the same
objective—the birth of a child. The male warp also denotes
one's family history and discusses relationships between a
father and his offspring. The woven fabric is viewed as a
representation of the family network, serving as a bridge
between mothers and their offspring and between men and
women. Beyond the loom, the woven fabric also denotes ties
to one's personal family, memberships in larger kinship groups,
position, and prestige.

In Ladakh, it is common knowledge that weaving and the loom

were modelled after the legendary loom of Duguma, King
Gesar's wife. She weaves one row a year, and according to
oral versions of the Gesar tale, which are told throughout
Ladakh, the world will end when she has finished. Some
speculated that it might be a backstrap loom because women
typically use them among Ladakh's nomad population, as
opposed to the non-nomadic, settled population, where
weavers are males who use foot looms.

Picture 9. Backstrap loom used by women Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

Picture 10. Foot looms used by men. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

Visual sources hold a special place among the many that are
available regarding the history of textiles in Ladakh. The Suru
Valley, Dras, and Mulbekh deep-relief rock engravings are
some of the most obvious examples of this. When the warrior
monarch Lalitaditya Muktapida ruled over the Kashmir Valley
and beyond in the eighth century, they were constructed.
These engravings mostly depict Buddhist deities and their
followers; the most of them are dressed as Indian ascetics,
typically in dhotis, which are highly improbable to have been
worn in Ladakh. However, male devotees are seen at the feet
of the Avalokiteshvara picture in Mulbekh wearing long robes
with sashes similar to those used in modern-day Ladakh.
There is also an image of a guy wearing a hat like the tibi.
Female devotees are dressed in half-saris. A horseman with a
sword in his right hand is depicted in Dras. He is dressed in
boots, pants, and a long-sleeved, short jacket. This is possibly
a Central Asian soldier's uniform rather than an exact duplicate
of what was worn in Ladakh at the time.

Wall murals are a more important source of knowledge about

Ladakh's textile history. 85 mahasiddhas are depicted in rows
in murals in a cave above the village of Saspol, each
performing a different activity. The Mahasiddha Tantipa, also
known as "The Weaver," is seen in the top register weaving on
a foot loom that resembles those used by men in Ladakh. He
looks to be weaving nambu (snam-bu), a white wool fabric that
is commonly used to make clothing in the area, with a shuttle
in his right hand. Because of artistic similarities, some
researchers speculate that the artists who painted the cave in
the 12th and 13th centuries may have come from the
monastery of Alchi, which is located across the river from
Saspol.

Picture 11. Mahasiddha Tantipa, ‘The Weaver’, weaving on a foot loom. Detail
from a painting at Saspol Cave, estimated to be around 12th–14th century.
Photograph by Monisha Ahmed. Image courtesy: sahapedia.com
The Sumstek's ceiling is made up of 48 panels that depict
textiles made using a variety of manufacturing techniques,
some of which were made in Ladakh and others that were
imported through commerce, like brocade, lampas, and
embroidered fabrics. The murals depicting the deities, the
aristocracy, and donors all wear clothing with textile patterns
that cover the ceilings. This evidence shows that the textiles
depicted in the murals are not merely copies of real textiles;
rather, they were in use when Alchi was being built and
decorated, or at least had been seen by the artists in the 11th
century and later.

Alexander Cunningham, a British officer, provides the first in-

depth description of both men's and women's clothing: The
men typically dress in woollen great coats that are below the
knee length. They also wear leggings, usually made of thick,
colourful wool. Their short boots are made of sheepskin or
goatskin, with the wool or hair turned inward. The cap is
typically made of goatskin with the hair turned inward,
alternatively it could be made of woollen fabric with coarse red
silk or skin edging. However, He have also seen them wearing
three or four thick woollen petticoats and a sheepskin jacket
with the wool turned inwards over the coat. The
women frequently wear long big coats and leggings like the
men.

3.WEAVING PRACTICES

The loom is commonly referred to as thags-cha and the

weaver as thags-mkhan across Ladakh. Even while weaving is
commonly practised throughout the region, there are
variances. In the settlements of central and western Ladakh,
weaving is solely the domain of males, who use a foot loom
that is portable and easily disassembled and reassembled.
There are no formal laws that forbid this, but the craft is
typically passed down from father to son. Despite being
involved in the preparation of the fibre, women are not allowed
to weave. Male weavers assert that if a woman were to weave,
either the mountains or her hands would catch fire. It is also
stated that if a woman touches a man's loom, she will lose her
ability to conceive; likewise, if she touches her husband's loom,
they will have severe arguments that will most likely end in
divorce. Similar to weaving, males have traditionally dominated
the fields of dyeing and tailoring.

In contrast, both men and women weave among nomads. Men

use fixed-heddle looms known as sa-'thags, while women use
backstrap looms (sked-'thags). The portable looms are made
of metal, wood, rope, and wool. A loom can endure several
generations and is typically passed down through the family.

Picture 12, 13. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

 4.TRADITIONAL LADAKHI BRIDE

TRADITIONAL ATTIRE
Picture 14. Image courtesy: pinterest.com
1. Sulma: -This vibrantly
coloured Ladakhi
traditional garment is
constructed of brocade,
silk, or velvet. Sulma is
constructed in a way that
it almost resembles a ball
gown. Sulma is frequently
worn with tilin, a blouse
made of silk, nylon, or
cotton. It is a loose-fitting
dress with puffy sleeves.
Married women wear
sulma as a symbol of their marriage and as a mark of their
marital status.

This is fitting on top with gathers (sul) around the waist and
knee-length slits, and it has a round neck and long sleeves.
Women can move with the dexterity they need when working
in the fields or their houses thanks to the dress's quite wide
and voluminous skirt. The robe is held together by a thin belt
that tightly cinches the waist rather than any buttons. Women
cover their robes with a loose, long-sleeved blouse called a
"greslen," which has a soft collar that rolls over the robe's
neck. Additionally, the sleeves of the blouse fold over the
sleeves of the robe to form a broad cuff. Women wear loose
cotton trousers in the summer and nambu trousers beneath
the robe in the winter. The trouser is designed with an
extraordinarily long leg, and there are multiple gathers in the
area between the knee and the ankle.
 Picture 15. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

Picture 16. Image courtesy: ladakhnatureproducts.wordpress.com

2. SKERAGS: -

Females use bright-coloured thick sash or skerag to tie around

the waist. Nowadays they also use a turquoise and coral
beaded waistbelt with a flower like piece in centre. The Skerag
is about two metres long and 20 cm wide, wound round and
round and tucked in.

Picture 18. Image courtesy:

grazia.com
Picture 17. Image courtesy:
pinterest.com

3. YOGAR AND LOKPA

Women cover their backs with square capes called yogar and
lokpa, which are
worn around the
shoulders. In
order to keep the
wearer warm,
these capes
made of
sheepskin are
worn with the
Picture 19. Image courtesy: fashiondesignersindia.com
wool facing inside.
 Yogar is embellished with rainbow tassels, cotton or brocade
silk embroidery, and sheep wool lining to make it more
attractive. A yogar is a decorative item used on important
occasions like weddings and festivals. A bok is a gorgeously
crafted yogar.

On the other hand, Lokpa is entirely made of sheepskin and

without any embroidery or decoration. In addition to offering
warmth, yogar and lokpa serve as cushions for the back when
bearing a heavy weight.

Picture 20. Image courtesy: hispic-cafe.com. Picture 21. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

Picture 22. Image courtesy: pinterest.com

 5.LADAKHI JEWELLERY

Ladakhi jewellery is meticulously handcrafted with devotion

and great patience. Each stone has been carefully cut to
increase its dependability and durability. A piece of beauty
known as Ladakhi Silver Jewellery is crafted with precious or
semi-precious stones. They are a regular component of the
distinctive and traditional clothing worn by Ladakhi ladies.
Many locals and foreigners alike are interested in the large
selection of Old Tibetan Jewellery Ladakh that is available.
One such location in the upscale neighbourhood of Leh market
where a broad variety of decorations, handicrafts, and
jewellery items are on display mesmerises visitors is Ladakh
Art Palace. The heritage of a great past is preserved in these
relics, which is one of their best features. These handicrafts
and jewellery are a tad pricey due to their genuineness.

Ladakhi ladies enjoy adorning themselves with lovely jewellery

pieces that are finished in silver and feature precious or semi-
precious stones. Men can be seen sporting lovely rings and
earrings in addition to women. Ladakh's antiques are
renowned across the world for their exquisite craftsmanship.
Similar to Tibetan jewellery, Ladakh's jewellery is also
exquisitely crafted. The most popular jewellery item here
among locals is Ladakhi Silver Jewellery. The traditional head
jewellery in this area is called Perak, and it is typically worn at
the wedding ceremony. Its turquoise stones are artistically
arranged in a line to create a stunning and sophisticated piece
of jewellery. Almost all jewellery in this country is made of
silver.

Tourists in Leh Ladakh are huge fans of Tibetan jewellery. The

magnificent piece of jewellery with turquoise accents is in high
demand. It is valuable to purchase because it is handcrafted
with stones that are precisely positioned to give it a shiny
texture and is typically worn by Ladakhi ladies.
 6.TRADITIONAL LADAKHI BRIDE ACCESSORIES

1.PERAK: HEADRESS

The signature piece of this attire is the Perak or perag which is

so characteristic of Ladakh. The purpose of these
headdresses, however, was originally one of protection rather
than arousing fear. They made women into community
protectors and provided them with a measure of material
prosperity that allowed them to live independently.

Picture 23. A ritual headdress, Perak Tibet, Ladakh, 19th Century. In the shape of a
hat with arched flap, richly applied overall with turquoise, coral, mother-of-pearl,
wood, and various stone beads, centred by a silver roundel inset with turquoise, the
flap terminating with a silver openwork medallion with attached miniature bells.
Image courtesy: christies.com
 It is worn by Ladakhi bride that are beautifully embellished with
lapis lazuli, turquoise, shells and corals along with different
many precious stones. In Ladakh, there are numerous regional
varieties of the perag, which literally means "lotus cover." The
most common style of perag is the one that people wear right
now in central Ladakh. It comprises of a tapering base of
leather covered in red felt or cotton that is sewn vertically with
turquoise bits. The pattern starts with a single huge turquoise
stone placed over the
woman's brow. It is believed
to resemble a serpent's hood
as it fans out into multiple
turquoise lines before
tapering off halfway down her
back. Along with the turquoise
lines, there are silver or gold
amulet boxes (ga'u)
containing semiprecious
stones.
Picture 24. Image courtesy: christies.com

Women who can afford it weave up to ten vertical lines of

coral (churu) that end in cowrie shells onto a separate section
of cloth (chuti) that is attached to the left side of the perag.The
perag is secured over a hairpiece (lambu) formed of braids of
the wearer's hair and woollen yarn that are braided together
and collected at the bottom with a huge yarn tassel (geblin)
decorated with coins, cowrie shells & miniature brass bells.

Picture 25. Image courtesy: blogspot.com. picture 26. Image courtesy: worthpoint.com
Earflaps (naglan) made of black lambskin (tsaru) are located
on either side of the perag.Silver chains are used to secure the
earflaps and perag (thenthak). Flat silver plaques (shunga),
typically with a knot motif, hang below the silver chains and are
suspended with tiny bells.

Picture 27. Image courtesy: bowers.org

Although later 20th-century variants use filled, re-dyed cotton

instead of the customary leather for the perak's main body.
Rows of the headdress' unique turquoise, coral, and carnelian
stones are arranged in this centre part as decorations. The
main amulet box of the headdress and other attached trinkets
are made of silver or, in the case of some of the finest peraks,
gold. With the help of leather straps and elaborate silver
chains, the black lambswool ear flaps are fastened to the main
body'. These flaps are lined with braided yak hair, which is
then knotted in a knot behind the wearer's back. With the help
of

Picture 28. Image courtesy: bowers.org

extra silver chains that are linked to women's hair and provide
some additional stability, the entire headpiece is balanced on
the wearer's head. Shape, nomenclature, accessories, the
quantity of turquoise lines, and the presence of an additional
coral strip on one side are all variations of the perag.

Strong beliefs exist in the ability of stones to ward off harm, as well as in
their therapeutic potential in treating specific conditions. The dzi, for
example, is thought to shield the wearer from the attacks of bad spirits
that might result in disease and death. Turquoise is thought to purify the
blood and treat disorders of the liver brought on by heat, such as
jaundice and poison.

Another myth is that if a turquoise transforms from blue to light green

while being worn, the wearer gets ill. Coral is thought to be lucky, give
women strength, strengthen their blood, and help with menstruation.
Pearls are prized for improving women's fertility in a similar way. In
Changthang, young girls receive the perag before marriage, when they
are 16 or 17 years old, as opposed to the majority of Ladakh where it is
given to women at the time of their marriage.

Picture 29. Image courtesy: Picture 30. Image courtesy:

silkphotos.com michaelbackmanltd.com
The number of turquoise rows from front to back used to
denote the wearer's social standing: nine rows for the queen of
Leh (the capital of Ladakh), seven rows for the more
contemporary nobility, five rows for the wonders, and three
rows for the lower ranks. The diamonds themselves serve as a
representation of the Ladakh gods, guarding and guiding their
user through the perilous world of people. Although later 20th-
century variants use filled, re-dyed cotton instead of the
customary leather for the Perak’s main body. Rows of the
headdress' unique turquoise, coral, and carnelian stones are
arranged in this centre part as decorations.

Picture 31. Image courtesy: stokpalaceheritage.com

Many valuable and semi-precious stones, as well as

commodities like gold and silver, were traded into Ladakh.
Coral came from South India, the Mediterranean, primarily
Italy, and Tibet. Turquoise, gold, and semi-precious stones
originated in India. Iran produced turquoise, amber came from
northern Europe and Burma, the Persian Gulf produced pearls,
and South-East Asia produced conch shells.
Women were the yudan
(turquoise spread),
which is similar to the
perag, in the Sham
region of lower Ladakh.
Women wear the garleb
in the Changthang
region of northern and
eastern Ladakh, which
is home to nomadic
pastoralists. Rather
than a single, huge
turquoise stone, this
has a long, flat piece of
silver above the forehead. Picture 32. Image courtesy: bowers.org
Picture 33. Image courtesy: flickr.com
Women in the Wakha-
Mulbekh region of
western Ladakh dress in
a cap with jewel
embellishments and a
turquoise-lined tail that is
considerably shorter than
the one on a central
Ladakhi perag. Women of
Turtuk and the
surrounding Muslim-
dominated communities
don a silver tiara (ngama
chaneyetu) on their
heads. It is fastened to a crimson garment that tapers down
her back to an edge and sits on her head like a fitting cap (the
shape similar to that of the perag).

Perag were generally passed down from mother to eldest

daughter as family heirlooms for women. For younger
daughters, new perags were developed, typically in smaller
sizes. The lone exception is the royal family of Ladakh's perag,
which is inherited by the future queen and hence remains
within the family. A headpiece with seven lines of turquoise
was considered a status symbol in the town of Leh, whereas
one with even five rows was valued in remote villages. Perags
are essentially moveable possessions that show a woman's
economic power and rank. Nine-line perags were typically
worn by queens.

Picture 34. Image courtesy: lehladakhtaxis.com

Picture 35. Image courtesy: artemisgallery.com

2.BRIDAL NECKPIECES: -

Picture 36. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

They were, many necklaces around their neck (skecha). One
is normally an amulet the size of a fist that is hexagonal or
octaganol in shape that is hung on a string of pearls called gau
or cow. Crafted of silver or gold (or gold plated), set with
turquoise, coral, or aniline stones. Filigree work may also be
used to embellish it.

Picture 37. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

Two necklaces—one consists of a series of eight silver
amulets, strung together on a strand of coral beads, with a
central turquoise stone. The second necklace consists of large
coral and turquoise stones.

Large coral, amber, and dzi (etched agate) beads could be

used in a second necklace. A third might be made up of a
string of tiny oval silver amulets connected by a row of tiny
coral beads. As seen in the murals at Alchi.

Picture 39. Image courtesy:

Picture 38. Image courtesy:
pinterest.com
pinterest.om

Upper class ladies also wear a stiff biblike collar piece gorget,
which is constructed from a piece of padding red cloth and
embellished with coral, turquoise, amber, carnelian, pearl,
mother-of-pearl, silver, and a huge central amulet.

Picture 40. Image courtesy: bloodspot.com

3.EARRINGS: -

Several strings of beads, usually made of coral, turquoise,

glass, or mother-of-pearl, are frequently used to create
earrings, but little freshwater pearls attached to a metal hoop
whose weight is supported by chains. are the most popular
type.

Picture 41. Image courtesy:

Picture 42. Image courtesy: quora.com
pineterest.com

Another one is a silver earring that consists of a lotus flower

which has a central red-colored glass bead with turquoise
petals from which several strands of pearls (mutig) dangle.

Picture 43. Image courtesy: Picture 44. Image

timesofindia.indiatimes.com courtesy: sahapedia.com
4.CHATELAINE & DODCHAS

A Ladakhi woman wears a chatelaine (tsundus) on her left

shoulder, and one or two dodchas (a silver or brass disc
typically bearing the endless knot of good fortune, from which
six or seven lines of cowrie shells are strung with small bells at
the end) dangle from the belt around her waist.

Picture 45. Image courtesy: Picture 46. Image courtesy:

ethnicadornment.com lifestylefun.net

Picture 47. Image courtesy: blogspot.com

5. BANGLES: -

They wear a pair of conch-shell bracelets on their wrists

(tunglak). Typically, a woman wears these bracelets her entire
life. Wealthier women tend to wear silver bracelets that
resemble conch shell bracelets in shape. Buddhist ladies wear
items that have patterns of sacred symbols engraved on them.
Women also wear narrow silver bracelets with turquoise
stones set in them for the eyes and two dragons or makara
heads meeting at the ends.

Picture 48. Image courtesy: lindahorn.com

Picture 49. Image courtesy: pinterest.com

6.FOOTWEAR: -

Ladakhi shoes: - pabu

Traditionally Ladakhi shoes pabu is made using woven yak

hair, wool and insole is made of jute to keep the wearer warm
during winters. Thigma fabric is used to make these shoes.
These are used by both male and females. Dyeing is done on a
maroon base and colours like black, white, blue and mustard are used
for making pabu. The main characteristic of pabu is that it has a pointed
turned up toe.

Picture 50. Image courtesy: fashiondesignersindia.com

Picture 51. Image courtesy: ju-lehadventure.com

 7.THIGMA/ TIE-DYE TECHNIQUE OF LADAKH

Thigma is a form of tie-resist-dyeing technique mostly practiced in the

Ladakh region. Chief centres for practicing this craft are the Nubra
valley, and Sabu. The word thigma derives from the local word thitoo
that means dot. It involves resist-dyeing strips of woollen cloth. Natural
dyes are used in this technique. Products like panels for garments
Nambus, belts called skerekh and narrow belts are created under
thigma. The tools used for practicing this craft are thread and cord.

The cloth is pinched, without any tools and the part not to be dyed is tied
gently with thread. The tie-dye dot motifs are usually done in
multicolours to form a spiral patterning of shades in the tie-dye parts.
The colours used are natural dyes made of apple bark and onion peel
for light browns, charcoal soot for shades of grey, the root of the chutza
for yellow and the roots of the chzot for pink.

There is little information available regarding the thigma's historical

roots, although paintings at the Sumstek Temple, which is a part of the
Alchi monastic complex and dates to the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, show the technique's distinctive patterns. The existence of
thigma motifs at Alchi implies that the method was well-known in the
area for a long time.

The thigma technique is still used today by current Ladakhi artists and
designers like Stanzin Palmo, Padma Yangchen, and Jigmet Diskit.

Picture 52. Image courtesy: rugrabbit.com

 Picture 53. Image courtesy: soilofindia.in

Picture 54. Image courtesy: asiainch.org

Picture 55. Image courtesy: rugrabbit.com

 8.TRADITIONAL LADAKHI GROOM

TRADITIONAL ATTIRE

1.GONCHA:- Goncha Picture 56. Image courtesy: sahapedia.org

or kos is the traditional

attire of Ladakhi men.
It is a thick bulky robe
similar to coat made of
wool, velvet, cotton
and polyester or a
combination of these.
Goncha was said to
be inspired from
Tibetan, Chinese and
Mongolian style of
robes and eventually turned out to distinctive local aesthetic.

The robe is buttoned from the left shoulder all the way down
and overlaps on the right side. It has side slits that are knee-
length and a collar in the Chinese fashion. They are brightly
coloured during weddings and uses imported brocade, silk or
velvet. The robe is secured by a wide belt/sash where they
hang a variety of tools like knife, spoon, needle case.

The front portion of the robe often falls over the belt and serves
as a pocket for males to store items like a cup, dried apricots,
and cash. Men typically wore shirts underneath their robes,
followed by a pair of loose-fitting, straight pants made of wool
in the winter and cotton in the summer.

The front portion of the robe frequently blouses over the belt
and serves as a pocket for males to store items like a cup,
dried apricots, and cash. Men typically wore shirts underneath
their robes, followed by a pair of loose-fitting, straight pants
made of wool in the winter and cotton in the summer.
 2.TRADITIONAL HEADRESS -TIPI/TIBI:-

Tipi is the traditional hat of the Buddhist community in Ladakh.

It is worn during special occasions. It is made out of imported
brocade. People wear it on the top head portion and some of
the hair will be exposed. Men usually wear maroon or
monochrome colour hats. Also, it has upturned corners that
makes it stand out. They are lined with skin of small goat or
sheep.

Because it is decorated with Buddhist symbols that promise

wearers blessings and protection, Chinese silk-brocade was
especially popular among Buddhists.

Picture 57. Image courtesy: Picture 58. Image courtesy:

agefotostock.com jullayladakh.com

Picture 59. Image courtesy: kashmirilife.blogspot.com

 The majority of the Buddhist men in Ladakh wear necklaces
and single earrings that are similar to those worn by women,
except the amulet cases are larger. They also have necklaces
made of big stones like dzi, turquoise, and coral.

In their left ear they wear a hooped earring made of a circle of

pearled wire set with a single turquoise stone facing outward.

Picture 60. Image courtesy: pinterest.com. Picture 61. Image courtesy: etsy.com

They also wear square, rectangular, hexagonal, or lozenge-

shaped silver or copper ga'us. Men also wear embossed
amulet boxes strapped across the back, made of brass,
copper, or silver, for protection and to fend off demons and evil
spirits. On long voyages, these are used as temporary shrines
and contain incense or little Buddha statues. Typically, they
are embellished with Buddhist iconography and the eight
fortunate emblems.

Picture 62, 63, 64. Image courtesy: pinterest.com

Men may also be seen wearing a silk neckpiece with a single
turquoise stone.

They usually wear rings (serdup) made of silver or gold and

adorned with a single turquoise or coral stone. Although they
may be spherical, the more common ones are supposed to
resemble a horse's saddle since Tibetan design has been
fashionable since the 1960s (stagam).

Picture 65. Image courtesy: pinterest.com

 9.LADAKHI DESIGNERS

Since 2010, Ladakh has seen the rise of a number of fashion

designers, many of whom received their education outside the
area. When they return to Ladakh, they use traditional form
while also drawing inspiration from a modern design lexicon.
They have progressively developed a market for Ladakhi
clothing and jewellery, particularly among young people. This
drive will guarantee that jewellery in Ladakh endures and
develops moving forward.

Designer Jigmat Norbu of Jigmat Couture has led the charge

in exploring and celebrating these, and has even founded a
textile museum in Leh.Jigmat Norbu – who, along with his wife,
Jigmat Wangmo both alumni of the Northern India Institute of
Fashion Technology in Mohali, Punjab, are pioneers of sorts in
these parts.

Picture 66. Image courtesy: businessnewsthisweek.com

PRODUCTION PROCESS AT JIGMAT

Jigmat Couture adheres to conventional, antiquated production

methods. These activities are seasonal, beginning in the
summer when we start gathering different fibres including
pashmina goat wool, yak hair, and sheep wool. The wool is
washed when the shearing is complete. It is carded the
following day after cleaning. Although there are now machines
for carding, we still use a balchat, a piece of wood with a wire
comb, to do it by hand. The fibre becomes soft and delicate
after carding.

After that, the spinning begins. In Ladakh, they also twist for
the coarser fibres in addition to spinning. Spindles come in four
or five different kinds. Women work on spinning wool, whereas
men work on twisting hair. Following spinning, weaving can
start on a foot loom or a backstrap loom. After washing, the
fabric made on Ladakhi looms is just 12 to 14 inches broad. As
a result, instead of producing cloth in bales like the rest of
India, they weave it into 16-meter rolls. After the fabric is
woven, napping is done, which essentially involves lifting the
fibre from the fabric's surface. To provide texture and get rid of
any dirt that may be left over. These cloths don't have a lot of
ornamentation. These textiles offer a distinctive hand feel and
a lot of texture. It is crucial that the cloth is practical given the
terrain and the extreme cold. Nambu is the only material that
can keep us warm during the winter when temperatures dip to
- 20 or minus 30.

They do colour the fabrics. Traditional colours were only

available in reds, maroons, and browns; however, They
experiment with a wide range of hues and natural dyes utilising
wild rose, nettle, tree barks, walnut shells, marigold flowers,
saffron, and other herbs from the mountains. In order to
produce intriguing herringbone and houndstooth patterns in the
cloth, they have also started dyeing the yarn. Wool from sheep
or lambs has historically been used to weave Nambu. Nambu
is a luxury item since it is woven at Jigmat Couture with yak
wool and pashmina.

In 2010, Jigmat Couture debuted as a couture collection. They

started off selling bridal wear, but after receiving requests from
tourists who wanted to purchase items off the rack, they
opened a prêt shop. Later, they opened Raas Hatti, a fabric
shop that offers all kinds of natural fabric at reasonable prices.
Once things had calmed down, they began another category of
wearable art, and this type of collector's item is exclusively
available through an invite-only studio. Since he doesn’t
belong to the mainstream fashion industry, they don't have
summer and winter seasonal collections. They only produce
one collection every year, and it must be closely related to
Ladakh and the Himalayas. They often choose one type of art
or craft from this area, research it well, and then compiles a
collection.

Picture 67. Image courtesy: Ju-lehadventure.com

Building a resource centre for the numerous interns and

students who come here to research the area, costumes, way
of life, etc. was the initial concept. However, his family also had
a plot of land in the heart of the city and a sizable collection of
art and antiques that were kept in trunks. So, eventually, they
constructed a museum, which took over five years to complete
because it was created in a meticulously conventional manner.
 The rich history of Ladakh provided Padma Yangchan and
Jigmet Disket, the creators of the couture company Namza
Couture, with more than just inspiration; it also gave their work
a sense of direction. The two aim to promote regional clothing
and woollen fabrics through their label, which they describe as
everything that we can manufacture from scratch in Leh itself,
inspired by the many tribes of Ladakh. They mostly work with
wool from sheep, which is then transformed into opulent coats
and capes. The pair uses needlework in their traditional
mogos, which is typically worn inside of a tilan (blouse).

Picture 68. Image courtesy: Picture 69. Image courtesy:

grazia.co.in Jigmatcouture Facebook page

Picture 70, 71. Image courtesy: indulgexpress.com

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