North East of India

A view of Mon town, Nagaland

Recently, a friend and I travelled to some parts of North East India. Apart from the natural beauty that is so completely overwhelming, it was interesting to note the variety of work done by hand. There were handmade wraps of leaves to hold vegetables, woven bamboo containers that held oranges, bamboo baskets of all shapes and sizes, the matting for walls of tribal houses, thatched roofs and of course the beautiful cloth the region is famous for. 

The North Eastern region of India is not about 'wild and forgotten' lands and peoples (forgotten might still hold true). Modern machinery and goods have made its inroads into the villages and towns but demand is greater than supply. Instead of waiting for weeks or months for material to come over the mountains, from the nearby state of Assam, they continue to live as they have from time immemorial - self sufficiently.

A few photographs from the trip:

Ziro town, District HQ, Arunachal Pradesh

Woven baskets of bamboo used for all sorts of purposes

Woven containers and leaf wraps to hold produce & even live creatures.
Bottom left: hanging baskets hold crabs at a roadside market stall

Left: Hanging bridge with bamboo footboards but steel ropes & netting, the newer version.
Right: Only bamboo hanging bridge built fully by hand, the older version

The weaves created in almost every home with a smaller back-strap loom
(pink threads) or on larger hand looms mostly in govt. run craft centres

In and around the house - vessels from gourd to carry liquids;
backpack made of closely woven bamboo; walls of a home made of
bamboo matting and a ladder with deep notches for steps to climb up to the loft

Times are changing though, in larger towns, thatched roofs and walls of bamboo matting are giving way to concrete and tin roofs. Satellite dishes pop out of the tops of most houses and in the evenings as we walked along the homes, we could hear the latest soap operas and Bollywood tunes blaring from the television sets.  One can only hope that a modern outlook to life doesn't erode the better aspects of the traditional living all that easily.

The many chic ways of wearing a scarf

In India, our version of the scarf has traditionally been the dupatta or odhni. Larger and longer than regular scarves or stoles and covering a larger part of women's bodies than its western counterpart. 

Scarves are no strangers to us anymore, though. It's an essential accessory to jazz up a plain dress or add colour to a monochrome outfit. 

Wearing just one in different ways makes it look like a different scarf each time. Here are a few options:

A style that's perfect when you feel that nip in the air (like now!) 

Carry it off in style, draped across your arms, for an evening out

Falling down across your shoulders - looks chic as well as practical enough to leave your arms free











(The fuchsia embroidered scarf seen in the photographs above is available at A Full Moon.)

There are oodles more resources on the internet which show you intricate ways to wrap scarves, each one more creative than the other.

Goodies in block prints

In the suburbs of a large metropolitan city in Southern India, there are a few women's groups who have learnt the skill of block printing. The women who come from economically backward families are using their skills in block printing to create beautiful accessories like stoles, scarves, children's apparel etc. These products are now a steady source of livelihood for them. 

A few of their creations are displayed below - also availabe at A Full Moon.

Orange stole with gold leaf motif block printed

Blue stole with pink leaf motif block printed

Triangle block print motif on a beige stole

The women's groups also block print covers on journals and diaries (as seen below). Gorgeous raw silk covers in eye popping or elegant, timeless colours are printed with designs that are inherently Indian, though not necessarily traditional. 

Journal with autorickshaw motif on turquoise blue

Diamond pattern block print journal

Ganesha motif block print 

The groups were initiated by a non-profit based in the city and the women artisans continue to be encouraged and supported with design inputs and marketing efforts by them. Besides, income-generation opportunities, the non-profit works with the communities on maternal and adolescent healthcare and education.  

For more information about or to purchase these beautiful products, please visit A Full Moon. Alternatively, you can leave a message here or email us at pc.afullmoon@gmail.com.