Handloom & Textiles of Northeast India: State-wise Fabrics, Weaves & Traditional Dress
The handloom and textiles of Northeast India include Assam’s Muga, Eri and Pat silks, the distinctive shawls of Naga communities, Manipur’s fine woven fabrics, Meghalaya’s Ryndia, Mizoram’s patterned puan, Tripura’s risa and Sikkim’s Lepcha weaving. Arunachal Pradesh adds a wide range of community traditions, from Adi gale to Monpa woollen textiles.
These textiles serve many purposes: everyday clothing, warmth, ceremonial dress, gifts, household furnishings and income. This guide covers all eight northeastern states and connects selected textiles with their communities, materials, techniques and uses.
Start with three distinctions: Muga is a type of silk; mekhela chador is an ensemble of garments; a backstrap loom is a tool for weaving. Understanding these categories makes textile names much easier to compare.
Contents
- State-wise handloom and textile table
- Fibres, looms and textile techniques
- Assam: silk, gamosa and community textiles
- Arunachal Pradesh: weaving across communities
- Manipur: phanek, innaphi and distinctive fabrics
- Meghalaya: Ryndia, jainsem and dakmanda
- Mizoram: Puanchei and other puan
- Nagaland: shawls, motifs and social meaning
- Sikkim: Lepcha weaving and woollen crafts
- Tripura: risa, rignai and rikutu
- Selected GI-recognised textiles
- Weavers, livelihoods and contemporary design
- How to understand textile labels
- Frequently asked questions
Handloom and Textiles of Northeast India: State-wise Table
Northeast India comprises Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The examples below are a starting point: a state can contain many weaving traditions, and communities also live across administrative boundaries.
| State | Textile or garment and community | Material or craft feature | Main uses and context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Mekhela chador and gamosa; Bodo dokhona and aronai | Cotton and silk traditions, including Muga, Eri and Pat; woven borders and motifs | Daily dress, ceremonial clothing, gifts and honouring guests; each garment has its own use |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Adi gale; Apatani and Mishmi textiles; Monpa woollen weaving | Backstrap weaving in many communities; cotton and wool traditions vary by locality | Wrap garments, shawls, blankets and community-specific ceremonial clothing |
| Manipur | Meitei phanek and innaphi; Wangkhei Phee and Moirang Phee; diverse hill-community textiles | Fine cotton, woven patterning and distinctive borders; materials differ by product | Everyday and formal dress, weddings and ceremonial textiles |
| Meghalaya | Khasi Ryndia textiles and jainsem; Garo dakmanda | Eri silk spinning and weaving around Umden-Diwon; patterned Garo fabrics | Shawls and wraps, women’s dress, ceremonial use and contemporary clothing |
| Mizoram | Mizo Puanchei, Tawlhlohpuan, Hmaram and other named puan | Patterned cloth; supplementary yarns create Puanchei motifs during weaving | Puanchei is worn as a lower-body wrap at weddings, festive dances and ceremonies |
| Nagaland | Ao Tsungkotepsu; Chakhesang shawls and other community-specific textiles | Stripes, bands and symbolic motifs; some textiles combine weaving with other decoration | Dress and ceremonial shawls; particular designs have histories of status and achievement |
| Sikkim | Lepcha thara; carpet and woollen textile traditions | Narrow backstrap looms for Lepcha weaving; cotton and wool yarns are used | Traditional dress, bags, belts and home textiles; carpets form a separate craft category |
| Tripura | Risa, rignai and rikutu in Tripuri dress and related community traditions | Patterned handwoven cloth; backstrap or loin looms are important | Upper cloth or stole, lower-body wrap and outer covering respectively; designs vary by community |
Materials and uses can vary between named products, villages and contemporary versions. The table identifies representative associations, rather than one fixed costume for each state. Sources: [1–11].
For the wider cultural setting, read our guide to the tribes of Northeast India and their community traditions.
Understanding Fibres, Looms and Textile Techniques
Fibre, yarn, fabric and garment
Fibre is the starting material, such as cotton, silk or wool. Fibres or silk filaments become yarn; yarn is woven into fabric; fabric may then be wrapped, draped or stitched into a garment. A garment name does not always specify its fibre.
Backstrap looms and frame looms
A backstrap loom, often called a loin loom, uses a strap around the weaver’s body to help control the tension of the lengthwise threads. It is important in several northeastern weaving traditions. Frame and other handlooms are also used, so one loom type cannot describe the whole region. [4, 10, 11]
Woven motifs and embroidery
Warp threads run lengthwise; weft threads pass across them. Extra or supplementary yarns can form patterns while the fabric is being woven, as in Mizo Puanchei. Embroidery adds stitches to an existing fabric. Some textiles also have painted or attached decoration, so a detailed motif is not automatically embroidery. [5, 9]
1. Handloom and Textiles of Assam
Assam’s textile heritage combines silk production, household weaving and specialised commercial centres. Sualkuchi is an important silk-weaving centre, while weaving traditions extend across many other districts and communities. [1, 2]
Muga, Eri and Pat silk
| Silk | Basic identification | Yarn or appearance | Common textile uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muga | Silk associated especially with Assam | Known for its natural golden colour; commonly reeled as filament yarn | Mekhela chador, ceremonial dress, saris and other woven fabrics |
| Eri | Silk important in Assam and elsewhere in Northeast India; associated with Ryndia in Meghalaya | Commonly spun into yarn; typically has a softer, less glossy appearance than reeled silk | Shawls, stoles, wraps, dress fabrics and home textiles |
| Pat / Paat | The Assamese name commonly used for mulberry silk | Known in its undyed form for a white or creamy appearance; also made into coloured fabrics | Mekhela chador, saris, ceremonial clothing and dress material |
Muga’s colour, Eri’s spun yarn and Pat’s association with mulberry silk are useful identification points. A finished fabric may contain different yarns in its body, border or motifs, so the fibre composition of a particular product should be checked separately. [1, 2]
Mekhela chador and gamosa
The mekhela chador combines a lower garment with a separately draped upper cloth. The gamosa, also written gamusa, is a culturally significant cloth commonly seen with a light ground and red woven borders or motifs. Cotton and silk examples occur, with uses ranging from everyday life to respectful presentation. [2, 3]
Bodo dokhona and aronai
The dokhona is a traditional garment worn by Bodo women. The aronai is a smaller cloth used as a scarf and in cultural occasions and felicitations. These names identify distinct products with their own significance. Assam’s handloom traditions also include those of the Mising, Karbi, Dimasa, Rabha and other communities. [3]
2. Handloom and Textiles of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh’s weaving varies between communities and valleys. MyGov’s account highlights Adi gale, Apatani patterned cloth, Mishmi textiles and Monpa woollen weaving. Backstrap looms are important, alongside other loom forms. [4]
Adi weaving is associated with striped and patterned garments. Apatani traditions include geometric arrangements, while Mishmi textiles are known for elaborate patterning. Monpa weaving includes woollen clothing and blankets suited to mountain life. These examples show why both the community and the particular garment should be named when describing a textile.
Colour combinations alone cannot establish a cloth’s identity. For a museum label, photograph caption or purchase, record the name supplied by the maker, the place of production and the intended use. A generic label such as “Arunachal tribal shawl” loses much of that information.
3. Handloom and Textiles of Manipur
Manipur has important Meitei weaving traditions as well as the textile traditions of Tangkhul, Thadou, Paite, Anal and other communities. IGNCA’s documentation records this variety through separate garment names and uses. [8]
Phanek and innaphi
A phanek is a lower-body wrap associated particularly with women’s dress in Manipur. Innaphi, also written inaphi or inaphee, refers to a wrapping or covering cloth familiar in women’s ensembles. Garment form, fibre and decorative style are separate details; the name alone does not establish all three. [7, 8]
Wangkhei Phee and Moirang Phee
Wangkhei Phee is known for fine cotton fabric and delicate woven designs. Moirang Phee is associated with the distinctive Moirang Pheejin border, whose repeated pointed forms run along the edges. The Handloom Export Promotion Council describes the use of this border on different fabric forms, including chadors and stoles. [7]
Shaphee Lanphee is another recognised Manipuri textile name. The Ministry of Textiles lists it with Wangkhei Phee and Moirang Phee among Manipur’s GI-registered handloom products. These named textiles provide useful reference points without representing every community’s weaving. [13]
4. Handloom and Textiles of Meghalaya
Ryndia and the Umden-Diwon weaving tradition
Ryndia is closely associated with Eri silk in Meghalaya. Umden-Diwon in Ri-Bhoi is an important centre of spinning, dyeing and weaving. Meghalaya Tourism describes this textile tradition through both its production processes and its continuing use in clothing and contemporary design. [6]
Eri is often promoted as “peace silk” or “Ahimsa silk.” When that production claim matters, ask how the particular yarn was produced. Fibre identity alone does not document the treatment of cocoons, the dyes used or every stage of manufacture.
Jainsem and dakmanda
The jainsem is associated with Khasi women’s dress; dakmanda is a patterned cloth associated with Garo women’s dress. These garment names should be distinguished from Ryndia as a silk-textile tradition. Meghalaya’s Khasi, Pnar and Garo communities have distinct forms of dress and cultural practice. [6]
Traditional clothing is especially visible during the festivals of Northeast India, where its use can be understood alongside music, dance and ceremony.
5. Handloom and Textiles of Mizoram
The word puan broadly refers to cloth or a garment in Mizo usage. Named puan have different designs and associations, making the individual textile name more informative than the general label “Mizo shawl.” [9]
Mizo Puanchei
Mizo Puanchei is a richly patterned textile worn by women as a wrap around the lower body. It is associated with weddings, festive dances and formal ceremonies. MISTIC’s description explicitly explains this way of wearing it. [9]
The patterns are produced during weaving through the use of supplementary yarns. Describing the entire design simply as embroidery would therefore give the wrong impression of how it is made. [9]
Other named puan
Tawlhlohpuan is known for its compact construction and cultural significance; Aizawl and Thenzawl are important production centres. Hmaram has a documented tradition of patterned cotton cloth. Pawndum and Ngotekherh are further distinct names in the state’s textile heritage. These products should not be treated as interchangeable versions of Puanchei. [9]
6. Handloom and Textiles of Nagaland
Ao, Angami, Chakhesang, Lotha, Sumi and other communities have their own textile traditions. Stripes, bands, colours and motifs can carry particular meanings, with variations between communities and sometimes between villages. [5]
Tsungkotepsu, also written Tsüngkotepsü, is associated with Ao men and has a history linked to achievement and status. Chakhesang shawls form another important group and have GI recognition. [5, 12]
Some historic shawls carried restrictions on who could wear them. Their meaning should be explained in its particular community and historical setting. “Naga shawl” alone is too broad to establish a design’s meaning or customary use.
Our guide to the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland provides further context for public presentations of traditional dress and crafts.
7. Handloom and Textiles of Sikkim
Lepcha weaving and thara
Sikkim’s Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom describes Lepcha weaving, or thara, on narrow vertical looms with a backstrap. Its account records cotton and woollen yarns and the use of both vegetable dyes and synthetic colours. [11]
Lepcha woven fabrics are used in traditional dress and in products such as bags, belts, cushion covers and other furnishings. This range shows how a weaving tradition can support new products while retaining recognisable design knowledge.
Carpet and woollen crafts
Sikkim also has carpet-making and woollen textile traditions. The state’s craft institute documents its historical connection with Tibetan carpet instruction. Carpet making is a separate craft category from Lepcha cloth weaving and should be identified accordingly. [11]
The wider setting is covered in our introduction to Sikkim’s geography, culture and resources.
8. Handloom and Textiles of Tripura
Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission explains the distinct uses of risa, rignai and rikutu in traditional Tripuri dress. [10]
- Risa: a small cloth traditionally used as an upper-body covering, with additional uses as a stole, headcloth and presentation cloth.
- Rignai: the cloth wrapped around the lower body.
- Rikutu: an outer or upper covering used in the ensemble.
Risa has ceremonial associations, including Risa Sormani, and is also used to honour guests. Backstrap or loin looms are important in its production. The three garments have different functions; risa should not be used as the name for the entire outfit. [10]
Selected GI-recognised Textiles of Northeast India
A Geographical Indication, or GI, identifies a product whose qualities, reputation or other characteristics are linked to its geographical origin. The recognised name and product specification matter when checking a claim. [9, 12]
| State | Selected recognised names | Reference point |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | Muga Silk of Assam; Gamosa of Assam; Bodo Dokhona; Bodo Aronai | Listed in official registered GI records |
| Manipur | Shaphee Lanphee; Wangkhei Phee; Moirang Pheejin | The registry uses Moirang Pheejin; Ministry of Textiles material also uses Moirang Phee |
| Meghalaya | Meghalaya Ryndia Textile; Meghalaya Khasi Handloom Products | State government material records their GI recognition in 2025 |
| Mizoram | Mizo Puanchei; Tawlhlohpuan; Hmaram; Ngotekherh; Pawndum | Documented by MISTIC and official GI announcements |
| Nagaland | Chakhesang Shawls | Registered product recorded by the GI Registry |
| Tripura | Tripura Risa Textile | Registered product recorded by the GI Registry |
This is a selected reference list, checked against official material available on 26 September 2026. It is not a complete inventory of northeastern GI products. Sources: [9, 10, 12–14].
A registration applies to the named product and its defined requirements. It does not automatically cover every cloth sold from the same state. Filing dates, certificate dates and public announcements can also differ, so they should not be presented as interchangeable “GI years.”
Weavers, Livelihoods and Contemporary Design
Textile work includes much more than the time spent at a loom. Yarn preparation, dyeing, setting the warp, planning motifs, weaving and finishing all contribute to the finished piece. In many northeastern communities, women play a central role in passing on these skills and producing cloth for household use and sale. [3, 4, 10, 11]
A sustainable livelihood requires orders that cover materials and skilled labour. Clear product descriptions, reliable payment, access to suitable yarn and opportunities to teach younger weavers can help sustain production. Recording the maker and community also makes the cultural origin of a design visible.
Contemporary products include stoles, jackets, bags and furnishings. Design changes can create additional uses for woven fabrics, while collaboration with weavers helps retain their knowledge and credit. The Karbi Youth Festival and its cultural traditions offer another setting in which dress and craft remain part of public life.
How to Understand Textile Labels and Buy Thoughtfully
A useful product description answers four questions: who made it, where it was made, what it contains and how it was produced. Ask for the local textile name and written fibre details, particularly where a product is described as pure silk.
- Handloom Mark: identifies the product as handwoven under the scheme. It does not identify the fibre as silk. [15]
- Silk Mark: concerns pure silk and uses labels issued to authorised users. It does not, by itself, establish that a fabric was handwoven or identify it specifically as Muga. [16]
- GI identification: concerns a recognised product’s geographical origin and defined characteristics. Check the actual product name and producer details.
- Other claims: handspun yarn, natural dyes, organic production and Ahimsa processing are separate attributes. Ask for information supporting whichever claim matters to you.
For a ceremonial design, ask the maker about appropriate use and the meaning they attach to it. For care, follow instructions specific to the fibre, dye and finishing; cotton, delicate silk and wool should not automatically receive the same washing treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the famous handlooms and textiles of Northeast India?
Examples include Assam silk and gamosa, Adi gale, Wangkhei Phee, Meghalaya’s Ryndia, Mizo Puanchei, Ao and Chakhesang shawls, Lepcha thara and Tripura risa. Each belongs to a particular textile or community tradition.
What is the difference between Muga, Eri and Pat silk?
Muga is associated with a natural golden colour, Eri is commonly spun into yarn, and Pat is the Assamese name commonly used for mulberry silk. They are different silk categories, not three names for one fabric.
Is Puanchei a shawl or a skirt?
Although some descriptions broadly call it a shawl or textile, Mizo Puanchei is characteristically worn by women as a wrap around the lower body. Describing how it is worn is clearer than using “shawl” alone.
What is Ryndia?
Ryndia is associated with Eri silk textiles in Meghalaya. Umden-Diwon in Ri-Bhoi is a well-known centre of the tradition.
Are all Naga shawls the same?
No. Communities have distinct designs, names and customary associations. Some particular shawls have histories linked to achievement or status.
What is the difference between risa and rignai?
Risa is a smaller cloth with uses including an upper covering or stole. Rignai is the lower-body wrap in traditional Tripuri dress.
Which weaving tradition is associated with Sikkim?
Lepcha thara is an important example. Sikkim also has carpet-making, blanket and other textile traditions.
Does handloom always mean natural fibre?
No. Handloom describes weaving on a manually operated loom. Fibre composition, dye type and whether the yarn was handspun are separate details.
Sources and Reference Notes
The numbered references identify the official and institutional material used for this guide. Local names may have more than one English spelling.
- Directorate of Sericulture, Government of Assam: silk production and silk reeling and spinning; Census of India: Selected Handicrafts of Assam, 1961, for historical silk terminology.
- Assam Tourism: Sualkuchi and its silk-weaving traditions.
- Chirang District, Government of Assam: traditional attire and handloom and textile information; Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms: Assam product descriptions.
- MyGov, Government of India: Preserving the Weaving Heritage of Arunachal Pradesh, 5 December 2024.
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts: Textiles of Nagaland.
- Meghalaya Tourism: art and handicrafts, handcrafted textiles and Eri Silk Village, Umden-Diwon.
- Handloom Export Promotion Council: Buyer Magazine, May 2023; Government of India ODOP catalogues: Wangkhei Phee.
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts: Textiles of Manipur.
- Mizoram Science, Technology and Innovation Council: named Mizo puan and GI documentation; Press Information Bureau: Four New Products get GI Tag, 16 August 2019.
- Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission: New Initiative and Tripura Risa textile documentation.
- Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Government of Sikkim: weaving, training and institutional history.
- Geographical Indications Registry, Intellectual Property India: registered-product lists and individual textile records.
- Ministry of Textiles, Press Information Bureau: Parliament Question: Women Weavers, 21 March 2025.
- Government of Meghalaya: National Handloom Day press release, 7 August 2025, and Governor’s Budget Session address, 2026.
- Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles: Handloom Mark scheme documentation.
- Silk Mark Organisation of India: scheme information and frequently asked questions.