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INDIA - an enigma wrapped in mystery. So much about India is unique - it's varied cultures, diverse languages and the wide variety of crafts which is unique to each state. The Madhubani of Bihar, the Chiken Embroidery of Lucknow, the Muga of Assam, the Kanjivaram of the South and the Pashmina wool of Kashmir, everything has something so unique about itself.
Pashmina is not just a name, it's a legacy. The wonders of Pashmina shawls are woven out of best quality of cashmere wool, whose name has been derived from the word Kashmir- the beautiful state in the Northern most part of India known for it's beautiful lakes, magnificent mountain scapes and virgin beauty, all of which is inherent in the Kashmiri people. The ancient treasured art of Pashmina is probably their greatest source of pride. The artisans who weave these Shawls using the very fine hair of the Pashmina goat which is 12 to 14 microns in thickness, much finer than a human hair which is more than 6 times thicker.
One can well imagine the lightness of the Shawls woven from the Pashmina wool... so soft that it can pass through a finger ring and it's warmth is like a child sleeping in his mothers laps .
 What goes into a Pashmina Shawl ?
The Wool is derived from the inner layer of the (Capra Circus), commonly known as the Himalayan goat and each goat yields only about 80 grams of wool per year. The fiber is collected every spring and painstakingly hand-spun and woven using handlooms. The wool is so fragile that entire process of weaving a Pashmina shawl is done by hand. |
