SAARC textile heritage comes together at NHHM

03 Mar '08

3 min read

Traditional and cultural heritage of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries was brought under a single roof by the National Handicraft and Handlooms Museum (NHHM), New Delhi.

An exhibition entitled 'Textile Traditions of South Asia' was organized on December 7, 2007 and will continue till March 6 of this year.

The main objective of this expo was to reduce regional differences between SAARC countries and highlight the area of shared cultural heritage. To meet this end, the event saw merging of spaces between countries having a close physical proximity. For instance, the representation of textiles of India and Pakistan merge into a common space when it comes to depicting the culture of the Thar Desert or the Punjab.

The participating countries that include Afghanistan, Nepal, Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, have been displaying a variety of traditional handmade textiles and other artistic goods.

Afghanistan is exhibiting several styles of tunics that Afghan women wear. Regional variations in stitching and decorations are remarkable. White cotton tunic of Mangali nomads are known for its heavy embroidery on sleeves and shoulders. Also on display are many types of footwear worn by the men of Kandahar or by women of western Afghanistan and Hammam wrappers.

Since cloth weaving is an integral part of the Bhutanese traditional life, a wide range of locally available fibres and garments have been put on display by Bhutan. On the other hand, products coming from Maldives saw several varieties of feyli woven on handloom, which was one of the most distinctive and unique features of the Maldivian dress.

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