Kullu Shawls

Kullu Shawls are well known all around the world for its simple and elegant designs and its fine woolen fabric and manufacturing quality. Kullu shawls are worn by both: men and women, but men’s shawls are usually called "Loi" or "Pattu" and are often plain without any pattern or very minimal patterned stripes on two edges.
Characteristics :

• Kullu shawls are mostly made of three types of wool: Merino wool, Angora wool and Local sheep wool.
• These different kinds of wools are sometime used combined to make more varieties. Designs patterns are mostly geometric shapes with few exceptions where floral designs are used.

Importance of Kullu Shawls in local economy :

• Kullu shawls play a very significant role in the economy of valley. It is one of the major income sources for these people where thousands of them earn their living by weaving part time or full time. Around 20,000 people work part-time and about 10,000 people earn their livlihood by working full-time. These shawls are made in valley itself by local people who have inherited their skills from their past generations. Shawls made in the valley are woven using handlooms and these handlooms can be found in almost every home in rural areas.
• These are used to weave shawls and fabric for other clothes to fulfill their own needs or for commercial purposes. Kullu shawls are also an important part of heritage of Himachal Pradesh due to which state government provides many benefits to weavers so this heritage can flourish and can be preserved.