Kinnauri Shawl is a type '' shawl'' manufactured in

Kinnaur district Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative he ...

of the Indian state

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

. The shawls are known for their geometric designs. In October 2010, the shawl was registered by the Indian government under the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 which prohibited unauthorized production of the shawl which would invite INR 2 lakh punishment or three years imprisonment.

Designs

Known for their intricate geometric designs, objects of religious importance are weaved on these shawls with colours of mythological origins. The colours used have a meaning with green signifying air, blue - ether, white - water, yellow standing for earth and red for fire. The geometric designs give the shawls a

Central Asian Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former S ...

influence.

Weaving

Shawls for commercial purposes are woven with frame loom, pitlooms shawls cater to the local usage. The weavers weave to pieces of half length shawl with similar designs, and after completion are joining at the centre through stitching. On average, it takes around 45 days to complete a single shawl.

References

{{reflist Indian shawls and wraps Kinnaur district Culture of Himachal Pradesh Geographical indications in Himachal Pradesh