On The Pashmina Trail in Ladakh

Most travellers visit Ladakh for its mountains, monasteries, and wildlife. But did you know that it is also home to one of the finest fibres in the world The Pashmina. 

For centuries, Ladakh (now a Union Territory of India) was an important stopover for international trade routes from the East as well as the West. Of all the goods that passed through the region or changed hands here, Pashmina played a significant role in determining the economic and cultural evolution of Ladakh. &ldquoNo wonder it was called soft gold,&rdquo said author Monisha Ahmed, co-founder of Ladakh Arts and Multi-cultural Outreach Trust (LAMO), while recently talking at a digital meet. Wars were fought and treaties signed between the Mughals, British, Sikhs and Ladakh kings to control and claim this prized commodity, she said. Ahmed is an independent researcher who has been visiting and writing about material culture, mainly the textile arts, in Ladakh since 1987.

Legend has it that French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte&rsquos wife owned as many as 400 pashmina shawls that then cost her 20,000 gold francs. Featured in French Fashion Magazines as early as the 1790s, the Pashmina shawl came to become a fashion statement and heirloom for women globally.

According to Ahmed, Pashmina remains the most coveted fibre in the world and finds its origin in this land of High Mountain Passes. Changthang region in Ladakh, an extension of the Tibetan Plateau, is home to pastoral nomads known as the Changpa, or &ldquopeople from the North&rdquo and their livestock includes the Pashmina goat or the Changra. Over centuries they have been following the same migration pattern and lifestyle. From time in memorial this fibre was sent to Kashmir where the weaving was done and sent out to the rest of the world.

At the digital meet, Stanzin Minglak and Sonam Angmo, founders of LENA, a Ladakh based slow textile label crafting Pashmina heirlooms, also shared their experience of working with the Changpa tribe. They said Ladakh is one of the largest exporters of Pashmina but as raw material and not as a finished product. LENA is trying to revive the Ladakhi art of weaving and colouring. According to them, trying to retain the art of handlooms in the age of machine-made cheap products, is an uphill battle. Hence, many of the younger members of the tribe are not very keen to continue the tradition as it involves hard work and time but not very economically gainful.

Travellers who are keen to know more about the Changpa tribe and follow the story of the Pashmina in Ladakh may go on curated trips. For example, Shoba George, founder of Extra Miles, has curated &lsquoThe Pashmina Trail&rsquo where you can trace the stories and experiences.  The trip has been designed to include interactions with locals, being invited into private home kitchens, a peek into the current residing royal family&rsquos home, lecture sessions, visiting some noteworthy yet non touristy monuments and of course, with enough time for introspection and visits to some of the finest couture boutiques. 

According to Shoba George, the tour has been curated in a way to positively impact the local economy, making sure that every stakeholder in this entire trip is a local.

The trip includes workshops and lectures led by LENA Ladakh, walking with the Nomads, camping, insights into traditional robes and attires, interactions with the locals, and choosing hotels that follow the local tradition and are environment friendly.