Tibetan carpet makers weave their magic in Dehradun

Sitting in a dark room full of woollen yarn, Samten, 62, a Tibetan refugee, is busy making balls of wool. Despite her old age, Samten labours hard in unknotting the jumbled yarn at Rajpur village in Dehradun, nestled in the foothills of the hill resort of Mussoorie.

Samten unknots the yarn and makes it into balls, to make it easier for the weavers to use it in looms for making carpets.

Along with Samten scores of women in Tibetan Women’s Centre, Dehradun weave carpets of different colours and shades. With their fingers virtually weaving magic, these women make carpets that are sold in a variety of markets, including foreign countries.

Over the past few decades, the Dalai Lama has started a number of initiatives to provide various sources of livelihood for Tibetan refugees in India. The Tibetan Women’s Centre at Rajpur is one such initiative, where women can earn a livelihood. Under the programme, women are trained in carpet weaving and other handloom products like bags and aprons. Nearly 80 families are now associated with the carpet weaving.

Carpet weaving at the centre is the most attractive profession for these women, who are also given other incentives like accommodation.

Established in 1965, the centre is a charitable registered body for Tibetan refugees set up with the aim of working for their rehabilitation. “An important concern includes women’s empowerment through ancient skills of craftsmanship that have been handed down from one generation to the next,” says Tsering, who is in charge of production at the centre.

Foreigners visiting Mussoorie and other tourist spots come to this centre to buy these carpets.

Orders also come from places like Himachal Pradesh. But demand has remained sluggish due to the lack of publicity for the carpets. “People really don’t know that such fine quality carpets are available in Dehradun,” said Tsering.

Hand-knotted and hand-tufted carpets are being churned out at the centre by Tibetan women, who show amazing dexterity of craftsmanship. The carpets make ample use of symbols of Tibetan culture such as the Yak, which is found in the Himalayan region. “These carpets are most appropriate for lending grace to interiors, since most of them are embellished with flawless design patterns,” said Tenzin Kunsang, the manager of the centre.

There are 51 carpet weavers, six embossers, six yarn winders, a graphic designer and a teacher at the centre, which also produces some other handloom products like aprons and bags.

“A few years ago, the market for aprons was very good, but due to the import of low-cost aprons from China, the market for Tibetan aprons has gone down,” said Tsering.