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Kishuthara: The Silken Kira (Bhutanese women dress)
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  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002067
    Country Bhutan
    Address
    Lhunetse lies in eastern region of Bhutan where it established link as the ancestral home of the Wangchuk Dynastry with an areas of nearly 2854sq.km and an altitude of 1452-6800 meters above sea level. There are eight Gewogs (block) of which Khoma is one of the Gewogs. Khoma is located 11 km away from Lhuentse Dzong. Khoma Gewog consists five Chiwogs (sub-administrative division) namely Pangkar, Gangla-khema, Tsango, Baptong, Khoma. Under Khoma Chiwog it also consists four small scattered communities: the village of Lugchu, Namgong, Berpa and Khoma where Khoma is a clustered settlement. As per the oral accounts, during 8th century, Guru Padsambava attempted to suppress the demon king, Khikharathoed (khi-Dog, Kha- Mouth, Ra- goat, thoed (forehead), who escaped from Tibet to Khempajong in Kurtoe Dungkar side and established kingdom there. Guru followed the demon king and finally subdued at Khempajong. Guru then moved to Singye Dzong, the mystical lion fortress to suppress Drakpa Gyaltshen who was riding on the Yak-nag Tingkar (Black yak with white hoof). Guru failed several times in suppressing the deity, however upon reaching Khoma, deity promised to Guru to safeguard the community and teach Buddhism for the community. Before subduing the deity, Guru Rinpochoe secretly meditated six months above Khoma village currently known as Sangwa Dhawdrug (sangwa-secret, Dhawdrug- 6 month). Then after suppressing the deity, people offer one Khandum Trashi Khewdron to Guru as a token of gratitude. From there, he prophesied, “Kho lu mo chi go, Mo lu kho chi go” literally it portrays “man should have a woman, woman should have a man.” Thus Khoma is derived from Khomo (Kho-man, Mo-woman).
    Year of Designation 2005
Description Kishuthara (The Silken Kira (Bhutanese women dress)), is a native intricate patterned silk textile particularly Khoma Gewog (block) under Lhuentse Dzongkhag (district) where it become the production hotspot of the Bhutanese woven textile in the country. Kishuthara adhere its origin from the Tibetan king Songsten Gampo’s (Reign: c. 618 – 650) wife, Ashi Jaza (Bhrikuti) who introduced the backstrap loom and weaving traditional wear in Bhutan. According to oral source, the design of Kishuthara was tweeted by the bird called Tsheringmo when Azhi Jaza was wondering about motif. The bird tweeted; “chi tu nee nun, nee thu sum nun” (pick one left two, pick two and left three”) Kishuthara- tema design was thus born. Thus, hereafter Azhi Jaza taught her weavers the procedure of weaving loom textile. Later, Khoma women were able to incooperate the patterns of Kishuthara while they were trading with Tibetan merchant. Additionally, in the eight century, during the visit of Guru Rinpoche and his consort Khandro Yeshey Tshogyel at Khoma, Khandro also blessed the progress of Kishuthara as villager’s livelihood and primary source of income. When Tibet was officially incorporated into the territory of China’s Yuan Dynasty during mid- 13th century, some Tibetan fled to Bhutan. Some steeled at Khoma and from there, villagers learnt the patterns of Kishuthara in full swing. Another source traces back to Azhi Jaza’s merchant Tshonpon Norbu Zangpo, the most influential trader around the world, once reached at Khoma for trading purpose. While staying at Khoma, he had fallen in love with one Khomapa girl and as a token of fidelity, he presented kushung to her. Kushung is the name of patterning technique in their local dialects and thara in tshangla dialect means kira. Then girl learnt the motif by looking at kushung and some believe that motif was taught by the same bird Tsheringmo to the girl. Kushung is later called as Kushuthara due to mispronunciation. On contrary, according to the textile Arts of Bhutan, by Susan S. Beans and Diana K Myers, kushuthara was flourishing as early as the 17th century, local noblewomen commissioned more elaborately kiras until kushuthara become a distinct regional fashion. Today Khoma people are depending mainly on Kishuthara as their livelihood because Kishuthara is the primary source for income generation thus, weaving the patterns of their life. Past few decades, people were engaged in farming and when agriculture season is over, women in group set up their backstrap looms in the harvested paddy field and sheltered by bamboo canopies. However, at present few household are engaged in faming activities while rest of the women are busy with Kishuthara throughout the year.
Social and cultural significance Khoma village has been increasingly gaining recognition in the world for its beautiful weaves. It is also a component of Zorig Chusum (The Thirteen arts and crafts) of Bhutan and Kishuthara has maintained a high regard for the arts of weaving as unique identity. In the modern Bhutan, appreciation and usage of our textile has ensured not just the survival but the thriving of the age old and time honored arts of weaving and various skills that come along with this arts form. Locals also believe that unlike other kiras, Kishuthara has been blessed by Guru’s consort Khadum Yeshey Tshogyel and it has historical significance in Bhutanese textile products; and weavers invest painstaking effort, time and money to bring into creation the artistic textile. Additionally, motif of Kishuthara has been taught by bird Tsheringmo thus, its origin take pride in the Kishuthara as noble intricate pattern silk textile. Beside its cultural significance, Kishuthara has been identified as the potential product of the gewog under flagship program by the government in the 12th FYP to enhance the livelihood of the community. Thus, it is evident that there is economic development as demand for Kishuthara keeps on increasing every year despite exorbitant price. Additionally increase in the number of tourists visiting the gewog has also helped boost sale of the textile. Thus, Kishuthara not only enhances reputation but also preserves uniqueness of Khoma village and boosts the economy of the community.
Transmission method There is no Khomap women who do not know how to weave Kishuthara. It is customary for all Khomap women ranging age from eight to sixty five know and learn the finely honed arts of weaving the Kishuthara that has been passed down from generation to generation. Learning Kishuthara is not easy. Each Kishuthara has its signature of its weaver who designed patterns depending on the occasion that the Kishuthara is to be worn for. As beginners, the young girl learn to weave on cotton fabrics using silk thread for the intricate motif design seated beside their mother who direct them. Completion of every weave sets a new course for young girls to weave different patterns and design. All the women should know a number of procedures involved before weavers can finally start. Firstly, the most significant local weaving material is nettle where nettle has to turn into thread, then boil in a critic (khomang) and dry it to sun. Secondly they used locally available dye plants like madder, Bhutanese indigo cultivated in household garden, Symplocos leaves known as source of yellow and Lac. However, due to availability of brocade in retail markets made easy for weavers compared to past few decades. After dying all the silks, silk is spun into ball to form a yarn which is stretched on two stands before it finally spread out vertically on the Thakshing (backstrap loom). As for the transmission of the weavers, youth learn during vacation from their parents and there is less drop out students compared to olden days. During olden days, youth usually drop the school because they foresee more income from Kishuthara than employed and enhance their weaving skills with which they will be able to earn about Ngultrum 30,000- Nu. 40,000. Nowadays, due to advocacy program, people are aware about the importance of education, and Khomap women teach their children during vacations to enrich their weaving culture.
Community Women and girls from all five Chiwogs (sub-administrative division); Pangkar, Gangla-khema, Tsango, Baptong and Khoma under Khoma block knows how to weave the exquisite garment. Data collected by: Ms. Sherab Zangmo, Teacher, Khoma Primary School, Lhuentse
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Information source
National Library and Archives of Bhutan
https://www.library.gov.bt/archive/
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