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Dhaka is gorgeous, one-of-a-kind cotton fabric that has been skillfully hand-woven into an endless array of imaginative geometric patterns and designs with opulent colour schemes. Dhaka is a traditional form of artistic expression in fabrics that has become synonymous to our culture and identity.
In Nepal, Dhaka is a beautifully hand-woven fabric with countless colours and design options. It used to be produced in Palpa, a region of western Nepal. Palpali Dhaka is a type of Dhaka, which derives its name from the city it was produced. It was historically hand-woven on wooden looms in Palpa and the hilly regions of Eastern Nepal. This trade has been passed down from one generation to the next.
The traditional Nepali shawls and the Nepali topi are some of the more well-known products of Dhaka fabrics. Currently, it is becoming more and more popular around the world. The preceding generations have passed on its knowledge of Dhaka-making to posterity.
The Dhaka fabric can be revived by using it to make unique apparels, including fashionable clothes sold in boutiques, as well as for clothing accessories like scarves and handbags. It can also be used for interior decorations like upholsters, curtains, table runners, table mats, and wall hangings.
With the advent of power looms, traditional weaving techniques have been rapidly disappearing in Nepal. However, some organisations are now fostering a revival of this kind, preserving and protecting these techniques for current and future generations. Anyone who has been to Nepal will recognise the geometric Dhaka motifs on the traditional shawls and men’s caps, which are parts of the well-known Nepali cultural attire.
Surprisingly, Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh. Damber Kumari, the daughter of Nepal’s Prime Minister Junga Bahadur Rana, lived in Banaras, India, during the time he ruled Nepal (1846-1877). For her clothing, she used Chamula Dhaka fabric, which was particularly inspired by a textile known as Dhaka. It was hand-woven in Dhaka, back when Bengal was an undivided province of India. Damber Kumari adored the fabric because it was smooth, fine, and reasonably colourful. So, she promoted the fabric in Nepal.
Compiled by: Nikita Gautam
Photo credit: Upper Himalayan, Pinterest
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