Puan - Draped and Uncut
​
Mizoram’s exclusive Puan weaving available for sale at Gamthi’s.
​
Handlooms have always been an integral part of the Mizo life. In earlier times, every Mizo girl was expected to know the art of weaving, which met the practical needs of not only herself, but those of her family as well. The courtship of a young woman by a young man usually took place at night, with the girl often industriously making preparations for the next day’s weaving by cleaning the cotton, hanging the threads on the loom, or generally preparing the implements for weaving, and the young man conversing and assisting by her side. The main garment of the Mizo is called the Puan, which simply means cloth’. The Puan has always played a central role in the social fabric of the Mizos, transcending its mere functional aspect as a garment worn by women – and men too, in earlier days – to play a crucial role in the performance of rites, rituals and other special occasions like births, deaths, and weddings.
​
Gamthi, a small shop located in shankar market deals in all kinds of fabric, especially Mizo woven fabrics. They had some of the most gorgeous handloom textiles we’ve ever seen.Right from Pochampally ikat {priced between INR 175 – 1,000 per metre} and vegetable-dyed kalamkari {INR 1,250 per metre}, to Shibori fabric from Kutch {INR 1,250 per metre}, khadi {INR 225 per metre}, and south cotton border fabric {INR 250 per metre}, everything here had a certain quality that made it stand apart. Run by a husband-wife duo, both of whom have a background in fashion, Gamthi’s selection of fabric had a little something rather unique about it.
Monika Mair, owner of Gamthi says,”This cloth is a traditional weaving and is bought from the eastern parts of country. We deal in all north-eastern traditional fabrics. The Puan weave is a rare find and is exclusively supplied to us by a family member living in Mizoram”.
​
Women are the sole weavers in Mizoram. Their craft shows them as being a self reliant, sensitive and skilled. Since skills of weaving reflected a woman`s capability for hard work and enhanced her marriage prospects; weaving 15 to 30 puans for her dowry was fundamental for a girl as some had to be gifted, while others were essential to her trousseau. Puan, a draped and uncut rectangular cotton cloth with well crafted edges and prominent horizontal borders, was the main costume of Mizos that men draped around the entire body till they adopted wearing a shirt and trouser. The woman`s puan worn over a blouse has undergone a chnage and is now worn as a wrap skirt measuring 51 inches X 43 inches. Earlier woven on a loin loom in two parts and later stitched together, today these are woven on frame handlooms as single width fabrics.
Horizontal stripes with multi coloured wefts and motifs are woven in extra weft technique is a the signature Mizo technique. A black stripe is woven in a weft faced plain weave. At Gamthi,you can get a cloth from there and can get it stitched the way you want. So, the next time you are in dire need of some authentic fabric exclusively from Northern India, go to this place.
Price : Rs 600 per metre
​
Where to buy: Gamthi
​
Located : Shop No. 47, Shankar Market
​
Contact: 011 23411171
​
Nearest metro station : Rajiv Chowk
Contributed by : Jasleen kaur
