Lham- Visual Documentation of Tibetan Boots Crafts

Lham

A visual journey to the making of Tibetan Boots Craft

A visual journey to the making of Tibetan Boots Craft called

Lham

Lifestyle Accessory Design Batch of ‘12

Digital publication of student documentation for private circulation only.

M.Des Lifestyle Accessory Design National Institute of Design, India Text- Primary and Secondary Research National Institute of design PhotographsPrimary and Secondary Research Processed at -

The viewer has permission to use and reproduce any part of this book in terms of electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher,except for the copyrighted material.

Every reasonable attempt has been taken to identify the owners of the copyrights.

Errors and omissions have the scope of correction if its validated.

Digitally printed at PLEZER DIGITAL PRESS

Source : Mentioned under photographs unless otherwise stated Documentation compiled bySumedh Sonare Lifestyle Accessory Design, 2012 Illustration & Cover: Sumedh Sonare

Typesetting in : Display : Foglihten No.07 Headline & body : Adobe Garamond Pro

Special thanks to : Shimul Mehta Vyas, Amresh Panigraphi, Ravish Kumar, Prabhakar Dabral, Ketki Sharma, Judith Kujur, Arjun Visit the author’s blog at www.sumedhsonare.tumblr.com

Lham ‘Lham’ is the common name given to the footwear worn by the people of Tibet.

‘Lham’ are often richly decorated, compensating the simple, nomadic lifestyle. Some boots have elegant flowing lines and patterns where the seams are connected, and some materials for example, cloth and canvas allow for intricately embroidered and dyed designs. Exquisite workmanship and fine, decoratively embroidered patterns are characteristic of these boots.

Tibetan boots have a long history of more than 600 years, which is characterized by its variety in styles and sizes.

Tibetan people, no matter male or female of all ages can wear these boots.

The original boots were made from yak hide and the soles were embroidered with all kinds of patterns,such as dragon,snake and so on, and the surface of the shoes were decorated with red and green woolen cloth. It is colorful and exquisite, and most of these are crafted by hands. The different levels of the beautiful gorgeous shoes can reveal the social status and the profession of the people who used to wear them.

Today,even though less and less people choose to wear Tibetan boots,its still is a form of ethnic handcraft,which also has high art value with a longstanding good reputation at home and abroad.

Content Acknowledgement

1

Kalimpong

26

Preface

3

People

30

History

6

Demographics

32

Current scenario

8

Geography

35

Demographics

10

Flora

36

Tibetan clothing

12

Traditional Tibetan festival

14

Fauna

38

Tibetans in exile

16

Religious practice

40

The Dalai Lamas

18

Customs,cultures & cuisines

42

His Holiness Dalai Lama

20

How to reach

44

Tibetans settlements in India

23

Other tribes

47

Lepchas

48

Craft

51

A short visit to Darjeeling

105

About the craftsmen

54

Happy valley tea estate

106

Ghalo

63

Tibetan Refugee

Technique

65

Self Help Center

108

Somba

87

Conclusion

122

Technique

89

References

124

Other types

100

Mr. Arjun Lama

Mrs. Topgyal

Mastercraftsman

(Sonam’s Mother)

Mr.Sonam Topgyal

Mr. Rangalal

Owner

Mastercraftsmen

Craft Workshop

Lobasang La Craftswomen

Mr. Mangalal Mastercraftsman

Phunsuk Dolma Craftswomen

Acknowledgement I would like to dedicate this document to everybody from whom I got help at each and every step in more than one way by many people directly and indirectly.

Any attempt at any level cannot be satisfactorily completed without the support and guidance of learned people. I would like to express my immense gratitude to the Topgyal, Dolma family & the mastercraftspeople who remain as the only families, still keeping this traditional craft alive. They not only welcomed me and shared their rich insights about the craft practice, its techniques, process and various kinds of information, but also offered genuiene help to understand about these traditional footwear. Without showing any hesitation or reluctance towards the documentation process ,they cooperated willingly and with great compassion, offered insights which was needed for successful documentation of the craft and their lives associated with it.

A no. of community members, administrative officers and staffs and writers who welcomed us with an open heart and shared their much preserved wealth of knowledge with me.

I would specially like to thank the following people for their consistent support of Ms. Shimul Mehta Vyas, Mentor of Lifestyle Accessory Design.

I would like to thank NID and all the faculty members specially Ms. Shimul

Photo Credit : Amit Chahalia

Preface I’m very happy to share this book about the Tibetan craft of shoemaking, a craft which is indigenous to the people of Tibet, to the readers who might want to know more about the hidden crafts and arts that exist within the country.

The craft research and documentation of “Tibetan boots called Lham”, done as a part of the curriculum at the National Institute of Design, is an endeavour to document the traditional footwear made and worn by the numerous Tibetans of Kalimpong, a part of the district of Darjeeling, and also those from many other places around the country, where they have migrated to and settled over the years.

The intention was to understand the process of documenting crafts done in our country and preserve the technique for the future generations to understand and use to revive the craft which is, of late, nearing the brink of extinction. It may sound like the narratives that are used in ‘Save The Tiger’ campaigns, but it is true to say that if these crafts are not documented and preserved, the indeginous knowledge which has taken nature as a source of inspiration may probably get lost due to the rapid industrialisation and urban migration from rural areas. In this context,

let me introduce you to the journey which I embarked on, while going through the a very resourceful book “Handmade In India” which basically documented the overview of all the rich sources of crafts according to different geographical locations and, while going through it, opened me to the vast indigenous craft practices happened or happening in the country.

Being interested in learning about footwear making, narrowed my search towards the ‘Tibetan footwear craft called ‘KONGLHAM’.

I would like to thank Mr. Sonam Topgyal, the owner of the workshop, Shri Arjun Lama and Shri Mangalal, Shri Rangalal, Shrimati Lobasang La & Phunsuk Dolma(Mastercraftspeople) for sharing their rich insights and craft making techniques about the practice.

I would like to thank my mentor Mrs. Shimul Mehta Vyas for supporting and guidence during the entire process. I would also like to convey my thanks to the course coordinator Mr. Amresh Panigrahi who constantly kept me moving forward. Lastly I would like to dedicate this documentation to the people of Kalimpong with whom I shared a memorable experience, talking and understanding about the town, and the craftspeople through whom I learned about a rich traditional practice.

Amdo, Ustang and Kham are the three regions into which Tibet is divided.

All the three regions have different costumes which have their own cultural siginificance. These regions are sub divided into smaller regions. In this project, due to the contrained availibity of resources I have focused mainly on the region of Amdo and Utsang. But before we learn about these regions we should first learn a little about the cultural aspect of of Tibet starting with The Dalai Lama.

The map of tibet before China establised its rule over Tibet.

Tibet

Tibetian Refugee Self Help Center Archives

TIBET History

Humans inhabited the Tibetan Plateau at least 21,000 years ago. This population was largely replaced around 3,000 BP

by Neolithic immigrants from northern China. However, there is a partial genetic continuity between the Paleolithic inhabitants and the contemporary Tibetan populations.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet/

history]

The earliest Tibetan historical texts identify the Zhang Zhung culture as a people who migrated from the Amdo region into what is now the region of Guge in western Tibet.

Zhang Zhung is considered to be the original home of the Bön religion. By the 1st century BCE, a neighboring kingdom arose in the Yarlung valley, and the Yarlung king, Drigum Tsenpo, attempted to remove the influence of the Zhang Zhung by expelling the Zhang’s Bön priests from Yarlung.

He was assassinated and Zhang Zhung continued its dominance of the region until it was annexed by Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. Prior to Songtsän Gampo, the kings of Tibet were more mythological than factual, and there is insufficient evidence of their existence.

Buddhism has exerted a particularly strong influence on Tibetan culture since its introduction in the 7th century.

Tibet & Culture

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6

Tibet & Culture

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Current Scenario Land Size:

} 7.5 million

The area of Tibet consists of 2.5 million square kilometres, which includes U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo provinces. “Tibet Autonomous Region”, consisting of U-Tsang and a small portion of Kham, consists of 1.2 million square kilometres.

The bulk of Tibet lies outside the “TAR”.

Political Status of the country stands occupied

by China and without United Nations’ representation. The average altitude of the country is 4,000 metres or 13,000 feet above sea level.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet {Demographic}]

(living in Tibetan Autonomous Region)

Administration:

37%

Under Chinese rule, Tibet is divided into the following administrative units : • Tibet Autonomous Region, • Qinghai Province, • Tianzu Tibetan Autonomous County and Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, • Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Mili Tibetan Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, • Dechen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. [http://www.vermonttibet.org/know-abouttibet/tibet-at-a-glancemap/]

37%

Literacy Rate

8%

Population:

The total Tibetan population in Tibet is 6 million.

Of them, 2.09 million live in the “TAR” and the rest in the Tibetan areas outside the “TAR”.

Tibet & Culture

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8

Major Rivers: Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra in India), Machu (Yellow River in China), Drichu (Yangtse in China), Senge Khabab (Indus in India), Phungchu (Arun in India), Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween in Burma) and Zachu (Mekong in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos).[http://tibet.net/about-

tibet/tibet-at-a-glance/]

Native Wildlife: Tibetan antelope, wild yak, wild ass and Tibetan argali, blue sheep, black-necked crane, Tibetan gazelle, giant panda, red panda, golden monkey.[http://tibet.net/about-tibet/tibet-at-a-glance/] Economy: Agriculture and animal husbandry.

Literacy Rate: Approximately 25 per cent.

Giant Panda

Tibetan argali

Tibet Vista

Black-necked crane

Tibet & Culture

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Demographics Historically, the population of Tibet consisted of primarily ethnic Tibetans and some other ethnic groups. According to tradition the original ancestors of the Tibetan people, as represented by the six red bands in the Tibetan flag, are: the Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru and Ra. [http://www. newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tibet]

Other traditional ethnic groups with significant population or with the majority of the ethnic group reside in Tibet (excluding disputed area with India) include Bai people, Blang, Bonan, Dongxiang, Han, Hui people, Lhoba, Lisu people, Miao, Mongols, Monguor (Tu people), Menba (Monpa), Mosuo, Nakhi, Qiang, Nu people, Pumi, Salar, and Yi people.

The proportion of the non-Tibetan population in Tibet is disputed.

On the one hand, the Central Tibetan Administration of the Dalai Lama, accuses China of actively swamping Tibet with migrants in order to alter Tibet’s demographic makeup.

As of 2014 Census, there are 7.5 million Tibetans living in Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in People’s Republic of China .The SIL Ethnologue in 2009 documents an additional 189,000 Tibetan language speakers living in India, 5,280 in Nepal, and 4,800 in Bhutan.The Central Tibetan Administration’s Green Book (Tibetan document) (of the Tibetan Government in Exile) counts 145,150 Tibetans outside Tibet: a little over 100,000 in India; in Nepal there are over 16,000; over 1,800 in Bhutan and more than 25,000 in other parts of the world.

There are Tibetan communities in the United States,Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Norway, Taiwan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_people]

On the other hand, according to the 2010 Chinese census ethnic Tibetans comprise 90% of a total population of 3 million in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Exact population numbers probably depend on how temporary migrants are counted. [http://www.ksatochina.com/En/index.

php?go=guide&more=5]

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The economy of Tibet is dominated by subsistence agriculture. Due to limited arable land, livestock raising is the primary occupation mainly on the Tibetan Plateau, among them are sheep, cattle, goats, camels, yaks, donkeys and horses. The main crops grown are barley, wheat, buckwheat, rye, potatoes, oats, rapeseeds, cotton and assorted fruits and vegetables. In recent years the economy has begun evolving into a multiple structure with agriculture and tertiary industry developing side by side.

Ga

nsu

Amdo Dharamshala New Delhi

N

China

U-TSAN G

ep

Kham

Lhasa

al

India

Sichuan

Bhutan Burma

B’Desh

Yunnan

The historic map of Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion

http://www.gettyimages.in

Tibet & Culture

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Tibetan Buddhist monks leave after a ceremony at the sacred Labrang Monastery, which is second only to the Potala Palace in Lhasa in size, at the town of Xiahe, Gansu Province on March 13, 2008. Chinese police fired tear gas to disperse a second day of protests in the Tibetan capital Lhasa by hundreds of Buddhist monks demanding the region’s independence. Up to 600 monks marched from their monastery to police headquarters to demand the release of monks detained a day earlier after a protest marking the anniversary of a 1959 Tibetan uprising that was crushed

by China.

11

Tibetian Clothing Tibetans tend to be conservative in their dress, and though some have taken to wearing Western clothes, traditional styles still abound.

Women wear dark-colored wrap dresses over a blouse, and a colorfully striped, woven wool apron, called pangden signals that she is married.

Men and women both wear long sleeves even in the hot summer months.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_culture] Their costume is not elaborate. It normally consists only of a chuba, a long capacious robe with wide, elongated sleeves which hang almost to the ground. This is caught up at the waist by a woolen girdle, so that its skirts reach only to the knees and its upper folds form an enormous circular pocket round its wearer’s chest. [wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_ culture] Owing to the differences in the natural conditions and working and living styles of various places in addition to the factors of economic and cultural exchanges, Tibetan costumes and ornaments are really rich and colourful. The structure of costumes, ornaments, and way to wear them all show strong local feature.

Another striking feature of the Tibetan costumes and ornaments is the extensive use of gold and silver jewellery, ivory and jade, the ornaments look very bold and heavy but the carving done on them is very elegant and refined, these ornaments are worn on the head, hair plaits, neck, wrist, fingers, back and waist .The typical ornaments include elegantly carved gold and silver coated daggers, buckles, various kind of ear-rings and hair ornaments embedded with jade and turquoise.

The Tibetan costume and ornaments have evolved during the course of time, for eg. In north Tibet XUEJI – is a anchor shaped ornament worn around the waist hung from belt. It is generally used when the people are milking the cows, it acts as support to the bucket- in course of time this ornament has taken a important place in the attire of the people, they wear it on daily basis, while working or resting going on pilgrimage- it has become a part their lives now. [wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_culture]

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Pilgrim with prayer wheel,and wearing traditional shoes meant to be worn by the Lamas.

Photo Credits: Prabhakar Dabral

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Traditional Tibetan Festivals Tibetan festivals are an intrinsic part of Tibetan culture. They are held according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, which usually lags at least a month behind our Gregorian calendar.

Losar Festival Tibetan New Year is the most important festival in Tibet. the festival starts from 1st to 3rd of the 1st Tibetan month.

Specially made offerings are made to family shrine deities; doors are painted with religious symbols; other painstaking jobs are done to prepare for the event.[http://www.oft.ca/EN/Tibet.html] Sho-Dun Festival is the opera festival. In ancient times, pious folks went into mountain hermitages where they ate yogurt and listened to folk songs and dances. Presently, opera contests and distribution of prizes are held for seven days.

Jeykundo Horse Festival in Kham, East Tibet - Home to the Khampa warriors, Kham is a remote, rugged and seldom visited region in Eastern Tibet, characterized by high mountains, deep alpine gorges and spectacular fortress homes. For three days in August the Khampas erect hundreds of tents on the grassy plains above Litang and fill the air with jangling horse-bells, thundering hooves and whooping cries of riders showing off their equine skills.

Almost unknown by the outside world, this is a festival that has remained unchanged for centuries Litang Horse Festival Every year in August for more than 400 years, monks and herdsmen have saddled up for a horse racing festival on the Litang plain in Tibet.

The Nakchu Horse Race Festival is the most important folk festival in Tibet. Thousands of herdsman throng to Nakchu riding fine horses and carrying the local products. They form a city of tents south of Nakchu town. There is thrilling horse race, archery and demonstrations of horsemanship and song and dance troupes from all parts of Tibet add to the fun.[http://regenttour.com/chinaplanner/lxa/ lxa-odds-festivals.htm]

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www.thrillophilia.org

www.heritagehimalaya.org

www.scitgroup6.in

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Tibetians in exile Emerging with control over most of mainland China after the Chinese Civil War, the People’s Republic of China incorporated Tibet in 1950 and negotiated the Seventeen Point Agreement with the newly enthroned 14th Dalai Lama’s government, affirming the People’s Republic of China’s sovereignty but granting the area autonomy. Subsequently, on his journey into exile, the 14th Dalai Lama completely repudiated the agreement, which he has repeated on many occasions.[http://www.

Following in the footsteps of the 14th Dalai Lama more than 150,000 Tibetan refugees have fled to India during the past 50 years. He left with his initial entourage in 1959, following an abortive uprising of disputed motivations. He was followed by about 80,000 Tibetan refugees. Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to provide all assistance to the Tibetan refugees to settle in India until their eventual return). 120,000 refugees remain in India today.

Tibetans re-settled at Dharamshala (the nodal centre and the ‘capital in exile’ of the Dalai Lama were initially re-settled) in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun (Uttar Pradesh), Kushalnagar (Karnataka), Darjeeling (West Bengal),Kalimpong, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh. The Tibetan diaspora maintains a government in exile in Himachal Pradesh, which coordinates political activities for Tibetans in India. The Tibetan governmentin-exile functions from McLeodGanj, a sleepy little town in Dharamshala.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_

ksatochina.com/En/index.php?go=guide&more=5]

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama and some of his government fled to India. From 1959 to 1960, about 80,000 Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama to India through the Himalayas. Continued flights, estimated in the numbers of 1,000 to 2,500 a year, increased these numbers to 100,000. The movement of refugees during this time is sometimes referred to as an “exodus”, as in a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1961 that asserted that the presence of Tibetan refugees in neighboring countries was “evidence” of rights abuses in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama found Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh as an ideal place to establish his “capital in exile” at McLeod Ganj in close vicinity to Dharamshala, and is called the Little Lhasa and also as Dhasa (a combination of Dharamshala and Lhasa in Tibet). This situation has given the state a unique status in the global firmament of Buddhist traditions. [http://www.ksatochina.com/En/index.

Himachal_Pradesh]

php?go=guide&more=5]

Tibetans re-settled at Dharamshala (the nodal centre and the ‘capital in exile’ of the Dalai Lama were initially re-settled) in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun (Uttar Pradesh), Kushalnagar (Karnataka), Darjeeling (West Bengal),Kalimpong, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh.

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Tibetians travelling with their families after the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, escaped from Tibet with his followers in 1959 and took refuge in India overthrown by the Chinese Government. From 1959 to 1960, about 80,000 Tibetans followed the Dalai Lama to India through the Himalayas.

The main organisation of the Tibetan diaspora is the Central Tibetan Administration of the 14th Dalai Lama based in the McLeod Ganj suburb of the city of Dharamsala in India.

Namgyal Monastery (left) relocated to Dharamshala, India, where it continues, active, to this day. Namgyal (Dharamshala) has “nearly 200� monks representing all four main Tibetan monastic lineages.

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The Dalai Lamas 1st Dalai Lama

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*The First Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, was born in 1391 in Gyurmey Rupa, near Sakya in the Tsang region of central Tibet to Gonpo Dorjee and Jomo Namkha Kyi, a nomadic family.

His given name was Pema Dorjee.He did his primary studies of reading and writing Tibetan script with GyaTon Tsenda Pa-La, and then at the age of fourteen, he took his novice vows from Khenchen Drupa Sherab, abbot of Narthang monastery, who gave him the religious name of Gedun Drupa. Lat, in the year 1411, he took the Gelong vows (full ordination) from the abbot.The young Gedun Drupa was aware of the fame of the Great Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School and he became his disciple in 1416.

His loyalty and devotion to Tsongkhapa persuaded the great master to make Gedun Drupa his principal disciple. Tsongkhapa handed Gedun Drupa a brand new set of robes as a sign that he would spread the Buddhist teachings all over Tibet. In 1447, Gedun Drupa founded the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, one of the biggest monastic Universities of the Gelugpa School.

The First Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa was a great person of immense scholarship, famous for combining study and practice, and wrote more than eight voluminous books on his insight into the Buddha’s teachings and philosophy. In 1474, at the age of eighty-four, he died while in meditation at Tashi Lhunpo monastery.

* http://www.dalailama.com/biography/the-dalai-lamas Tibet & Culture

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Photograph Credit:

Purdue University

His Holiness

Dalai Lama Tibet & Culture

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The Fourteenth and the current Dalai Lama His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet.

He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.[http://www.dalailama.com/biography/abrief-biography]

Leadership Responsibilities:

The Five Point Peace Plan

In 1950 His Holiness was called upon to assume full political power after China’s invasion of Tibet in 1949. In 1954, he went to Beijing for peace talks with Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiaoping and Chou Enlai. But finally, in 1959, with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan national uprising in Lhasa by Chinese troops, His Holiness was forced to escape into exile. Since then he has been living in Dharamsala, northern India, the seat of the Tibetan political administration in exile. Since the Chinese invasion, His Holiness has appealed to the United Nations on the question of Tibet. The General Assembly adopted three resolutions on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965.[http://www.dalailama.com/

In his address to membersof the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. on 21 September 1987, His Holiness proposed the following peace plan, which contains five basic components: • Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of peace.

• Abandonment of China’s population transfer policy that threatens the very existence of the Tibetans as a people.

• Respect for the Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.

• Restoration and protection of Tibet’s natural environment and the abandonment of China’s use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste.

• Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

biography/a-brief-biography]

[http://www.dalailama.com/biography/a-brief-biography]

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Ladakh Dharamsala Bir Dehradun Clement Town Delhi

Ravangla

Gangtok

Kalimpong Darjeeling

Mundgod Bengaluru

Bylakuppe Hunsur

Kollegal

Tibet & Culture

Various Tibetan settlements in India

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Tibetan

settlements in India

Following China’s occupation of tibet, over 80,000 Tibetans was able to safely follow His Holiness to exile in 1959. The most important task of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Government in exile was to provide relief to thousands of traumatized and dislocated Tibetan refugees.

The most worthy leadership of His holiness believed that in order to preserve and maintain our distinctive Tibetan socio-cultural ethos and values, the small number of the Tibetans should live, as far as possible, in homogenous communities with the larger host communities. And with this consideration, with the kind assistance and cooperation of the Governments of india, Nepal and Bhutan, fifty eight Tibetan Refugee Settlements were successfully established.

[http://www.centraltibetanreliefcommittee.org/messages/kalon-message.html]

This phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction would not have been possible, also without the strong determination of the first generation of Tibetan refugees and the timely assistance extended by various International and Governmental aid.Though the larger number of the Tibetan Diasporas live in the settlements, there are also many living outside the settlements including the recently arrived refugees. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has often says that we must hope for the best and prepare for the worst. This has been the guiding principle in seeking to make the settlements and the community as viable and sustainable as possible.[https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/ wr2014_web_0.pdf ]

One of such settlement is Kalimpong, where a handful of small number of Tibetan population has taken refuge in the northern part of West Bengal.

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Ladakh Dharmshala Bir Dehradun Clement Town Delhi

Ravangla

Gangtok

Ahmedabad

Mundgod Bengaluru

Bylakuppe Hunsur

Kollegal Tibet & Culture

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Kalimpong Darjeeling

My curiosity took me to this this town ‘Kalimpong’ specifically to see if the craft, we wanted to document, whether was still being practised or became extinct, with the forces of urbanization and industrialization.

The reference of the beautiful compilation of myraid crafts of our country called ‘Handmade In India’ beautifully documented by Mr. M.P. Ranjan & her wife Aditi Ranjan, at NID’s Knowledge Management Center (KMC) which made me choose this location.The geographical location of the place, set on the hilltops and surrounded with beautiful kanchenjunga range, made me inquisitive towards the lives of the people who reside there, to understand their lifestyle,traditions and the origin of the crafts. There were several doubts before pursuing the crafts, whether I would have to come empty handed back, as there was no way to enquire whether the boots craft was still practised or not.But after getting there, it wasn’t so.

Tibetan settlements in Kalimpong Few nos. of Tibetan after exile, came and took refuge in the peaceful town called ‘Kalimpong’ are started taking up odd jobs they could manage for survival. I got to meet about four families and it seemed as their families started flourishing after they completely settled to the lower altitudes. The Tibetans are spread out over the town and it would be difficult to trace them, but its known for sure that the Tibetans have adapted and been living in the town peacefully with people of other communities.

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Kalimpong Kalimpong is a hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal.

It is located at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101ft) Kalimpong and neighbouring Darjeeling were major centres calling for a separate Gorkhaland state in the 1980s, and more recently in 2010.

Kalimpong, on a ridge overlooking the Teesta River, is a tourist destination owing to its temperate climate, magnificent Himalayan beauty and proximity to popular tourist locations in the region. Horticulture is important to Kalimpong: It has a flower market notable f ; nurseries, which export Himalayan grown flower bulbs, tubers and rhizomes, contribute to the economy of Kalimpong.

More about Kalimpong Kalimpong town itself is a quite big & crowded and blocked, but the huge area is covered with a lot of greenery, forested land and terraced fields where rice, corn, millet and seasonal vegetables are helped grow. The place is also well known for growing quality spices like cardamom, ginger, turmeric etc.

As one goes around the hills, one may find numerous flowering plantations, ferns and mosses. There is a great variety of flowering plants in Kalimpong sub division including over 400 types of orchids. Other than tourism, a major driver of economy here is Floriculture - there are numerous flower nurseries here that cater to both export and domestic markets. Some of the flowering plants grown in the nurseries include Cacti & Succulents, Orchids of different types, house plant & bulbs etc. One will see year-round flower shows in some nurseries here.

Kalimpong is an excellent location to base your vacation in North Bengal. (more than two, but not a lot of ) great tourist destinations like Lava, Loleygaon, Rishyap, Pedong and Rikkisum are part of Kalimpong sub division and well connected by road. You can easily make day trips to these places. In fact you can also make day trips to places like Darjeeling, Mirik, Kurseong and even Gangtok. And in case you plan to make onward holiday trips to any of these places, Kalimpong can be an excellent starting point.

People in Kalimpong The original settlers of Kalimpong are the Lepchas although the majority of the populace are ethnic Nepali, having migrated to Kalimpong in search of jobs while it was under British rule.

Kalimpong is the closest Indian town to Bhutan’s western border, and has a small number of Bhutanese nationals residing here. Hinduism is the largest religion followed by Buddhism and Christianity. Islam has a minuscule presence in this region, mostly Tibetan Muslims who fled in 1959 after Chinese invasion of Tibet. The Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang holds a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. There is a mosque in the bazaar area of Kalimpong.

Indigenous ethnic groups include the Newars, Bhutia, Sherpas, Limbus, Rais, Magars,Chettris,Bahuns,Tha kurisGurungs, Tamangs, Yolmos, Bhujels, Sunuwars, Sarkis, Damais and the Kamis. The other non-native communities are the Bengalis, Marwaris, AngloIndian, Chinese, Biharis and Tibetans who escaped to Kalimpong after fleeing the Communist Chinese invasion of Tibet. [http://alchetron.com/Kalimpong-8301-W]

People in Kalimpong The original settlers of Kalimpong are the Lepchas although the majority of the populace are ethnic Nepali, having migrated to Kalimpong in search of jobs while it was under British rule.

Kalimpong is the closest Indian town to Bhutan’s western border, and has a small number of Bhutanese nationals residing here. Hinduism is the largest religion followed by Buddhism and Christianity.

Languages spoken in Kalimpong include Nepali, which is the predominant language; Lepcha, Limbu, Tamang, Kirat, Hindi, English and Bengali.

Demographics

of Kalimpong

} 67,672

As per 2001 census, Kalimpong I block had a total population of 67,672, out of which 34,344 were males and 33,328 were females.

Kalimpong I block registered a population growth of 26.16 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for the district was 16.94 per cent.

Kalimpong had an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy was 84%, and female literacy was 73%.

In Kalimpong.

83%

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimpong_I_(community_ development_block)]

73%

Literacy Rate

8% Under 6

Kalimpong

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Hindi Lepcha

English

Bengali Languages Spoken

Nepali

Tibetan

Diversity Kalimpong has become a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions from Lepchas, Nepalese (also known as Gorkhas), British, Indians, Tibetans and even Sikkimese.

Indigenous ethnic groups include the Newars, Bhutia, Sherpas, Limbus, Rais, Magars, Chettris, Bahuns, Thakuris, Gurungs, Tamangs, Yolmos, Bhujels, Sunuwars, Sarkis, Damais and the Kamis.. Today Kalimpong is well known for its stunning mountain views, great hill walks, bird watching, and wonderful scenic drives. [http://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_000127.htm]

Demographics

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Kirat

Georgraphy The town centre is on a ridge connecting two hills, Deolo Hill and Durpin Hill, at an elevation of 1,247 m (4,091 ft). Deolo, the highest point in Kalimpong, has an altitude of 1,704 m (5,591 ft) and Durpin Hill is at an elevation of 1,372 m (4,501 ft).

The River Teesta flows in the valley below and separates Kalimpong from the state of Sikkim. The soil in the Kalimpong area is typically reddish in color. Occasional dark soils are found due to extensive

existence of phyllite and schists.

The Shiwalik Hills, like most of the Himalayan foothills, have steep slopes and soft, loose topsoil, leading to frequent landslides in the monsoon season. The hills are nestled within higher peaks and the snow-clad Himalayan ranges tower over the town in the distance. Mount Kanchenjunga at 8,586 m (28,169 ft) the world’s third tallest peak, is clearly visible from Kalimpong.

The annual temperature ranges from a high of 30 °C (86 °F) to a low of 9 °C (48 °F). The monsoons are severe, often causing landslides which sequester the town from the rest of India. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimpong]

Flora Kalimpong also has over forty-six nurseries which mainly cultivate gladioli which account for 80%of India’s production of orchids, which are exported to many parts of the world. The Nature Interpretation Centre and the Rishi Bankim Chandra Park are two ecological museums within Kalimpong.

made up of pine trees and other evergreen alpine vegetation. Seven species of rhododendrons are found in the region east of Kalimpong. The temperate deciduous forests include oak, birch, maple and alder.

Three hundred species of orchid are found around Kalimpong, and Poinsettia and sunflower are some of the wild species that line the roads of Kalimpong.

Acacia is the most commonly found specie at lower altitudes, while Cinnamon, ficus, bamboo, cacti and Cardamom, are found in the hillsides around Kalimpong.

However, the reddish soil of Kalimpong supports Acacia- which are widely used as ornamental plants and are also used in the production of pharmaceuticals and preservatives.

The forests found at higher altitudes are

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimpong]

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Kalimpong is considered at the best ecological destination in India. It thrives in wide range of flora and fauna. Some of the most commonly found floras in Kalimpong are acacia, orchids, cinnamon, ficus, bamboo, cacti and cardamom

Fauna The faunas, which are largely found in Kalimpong, are Red Panda, Asiatic black bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Tahr, Siberian Weasel, barking deer, Clouded Leopard, goral, gaur and pangolin. Some of the major birds, which are found here, are Monal pheasant, hornbills, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, Black Baza, Besra, Himalayan Griffon Vulture, and the Kalij Pheasant. [http://www.theroute.in/place-details]

Red Panda

Himalayan Thar

Hornbill

Hornbill

Black baza

Fauna of Kalimpong

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Religious Practice Hinduism is the largest religion followed by Buddhism and Christianity. Islam has a minuscule presence in this region, mostly Tibetan Muslims who fled in 1959 after Chinese invasion of Tibet.The Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang holds a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. There is a mosque in the bazaar area of Kalimpong.

Kalimpong was a focus for Christian missionary activity in the 19th century, there are a lot of Christians in this town. They seem to be mostly Catholic. [http://www.triposo.com/loc/Kalimpong/tle-People2C_culture2C_and_ cuisine]

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Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang

Mangal Dham, Kalimpong

Interiors of Mangal Dham

Customs,Cultures & Cuisines Kalimpong is the closest Indian town to Bhutan’s western border, and has a small number of Bhutanese nationals residing here. Hinduism is the largest religion followed by Buddhism and Christianity.

Islam has a minuscule presence in this region, mostly Tibetan Muslims who fled in 1959 after Chinese invasion of Tibet.

The Buddhist monastery Zang Dhok Palri Phodang holds a number of rare Tibetan Buddhist scriptures. There is a mosque in the bazaar area of Kalimpong.

Popular festivals include Diwali/Tihar, Christmas, Dussera or Dasain in the local Nepali dialect and the Buddhist festival of Losar. Languages spoken in Kalimpong include Nepali, which is the predominant language; Lepcha, Limbu, Tamang, Kirat, Hindi, English and Bengali.Though there is a growing interest in cricket as a winter sport in Darjeeling Hills, football still remains the most popular sport in

Kalimpong.Every year since 1947, the Independence Shield Football Tournament is organized here as part of the two-daylong Independence Day celebrations.

Former captain of India national football team, Pem Dorjee hails from Kalimpong. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimpong]

A popular snack in Kalimpong is the momo, steamed dumplings made up of pork, beef or vegetable cooked in a wrapping of flour and served with watery soup. Wai-Wai is a packaged snack made of noodles which are eaten either dry or in soup form. Churpee, a kind of hard cheese made from yak’s or chauri’s (a hybrid of yak and cattle) milk, is sometimes chewed.A form of noodle called Thukpa, served in soup form is popular in Kalimpong.

Wai-Wai is a favorite packaged snack of Kalimpong comprising noodles that are eaten either dry or with soup.

Buddha Purnima Procession with full galore with musical instruments and chants going round Kalimpong city

Momo is a popular snack in Kalimpong and is steamed dumplings made up of pork, beef or vegetable cooked in a wrapping of flour and served with watery soup.

Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup. It originated in the eastern part of Tibet.

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Tourism

in Kalimpong There are many places of attraction that are frequented by tourists from all parts of the world. The places have a rich history and these stories are still, an important part of the history and beginning of Kalimpong.

There are a number of places of tourist interest in Kalimpong. Kalimpong has three important gompas or monasteries: the Tharpa Choeling Gompa, the Tongsa Gompa and Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa. The Tharpa Choeling Gompa was established in 1922 and belongs to the Yellow Hat (Gelukpa) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. His Highness the Dalai Lama also belongs to this sect, which was founded in the 14th century in Tibet.

The Tongsa Gompa is located near the Tharpa Choeling Gompa. It is the oldest monastery in Kalimpong and was founded in 1692. The present building is constructed over the ruins of the original monastery, which was raised by the Gurkhas, in the pre-British era. [http://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_00000e.htm] This magnificent building has been the landmark of Kalimpong. The church was built on by the Scottish Missionaries.

The superlative architecture of the church attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The church serves as a landmark of kalimpong. Mac Farlenchurch is also famous because it serves the sermons in ten different languages, which are Chinese, Urdu, Lepcha, Hindi, English, Bodo, Nepali, Bengali, Sanskrit and Tibetan.

Kalimpong

PC : jrharris

Located vary close to the Kalimpong town, Lepcha museum is one of the prime attractions that displays a great no. of cultural artifacts related to the Lepcha culture, traditions and heritage.

Zang Dhok Palri Phodang is a Buddhist monastery in Kalimpong in West Bengal, India. The monastery is located atop Durpin Hill, one of the two hills of the town. It was consecrated in 1976 by the visiting Dalai Lama.

The monastery houses many rare scriptures that were brought into India after the invasion of Tibet in 1959. It also houses the 108 volumes of the Kangyur. It is also popularly known as the Lava Monastery. The view from the hill-top is breathtaking. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zang_ Dhok_Palri_Phodang]

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How to Reach Kalimpong

By Air

The nearest airport from Kalimpong is Bagdogra near Siliguri. From Bagdogra, Kalimpong is nearly 70kms away. In the northern side of West Bengal, Bagdogra is an important domestic airport, which is regularly served by flights from Kolkata, New Delhi.

By Road

By Bus

Siliguri serves as the gateway to reach Kalimpong. Siliguri is well connected by road to Kolkata, Guwahati, Patna.

Tourists can avail jeeps, buses or even taxis to reach Kalimpong crossing the full stretch of Teesta Valley. The National Highway, 31A, leading to Kalimpong is also the only road link of Sikkim with the rest of the country.

Bus service is available from Siliguri Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus.

Bus Fare - 65 Rs. per seat Small Car/Jeep - 80 Rs. per seat

No special permit is required for, either travelling or trekking inside Kalimpong.

There is no rail route to Kalimpong.

Tourists coming to Kalimpong have to travel by train till New Jalpaiguri.

New Jalpaiguri Railway Station

From Kolkata Darjeeling Mail 12343

Guwahati Express 12507

Kalimpong Kalimpong

Darjeeling,

Bus Station

West Bengal

Mangpu

Kurseong Teesta River

Bagdogra Airport, Silliguri

New Jalpaiguri Railway Station

The River Teesta captured while travelling on a bus to Kalimpong which flows in the valley below and separates Kalimpong from the state of Sikkim

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Other tribes at

Kalimpong

As metioned earlier Kalimpong has become a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions from Lepchas, Nepalese (also known as Gorkhas), British, Indians, Tibetans and even Sikkimese.

Indigenous ethnic groups include the Newars, Bhutia, Sherpas, Limbus, Rais, Magars,Chettris, Bahuns, Thakuris, Gurungs, Tamangs, Yolmos, Bhujels, Sunuwars, Sarkis, Damais and the Kamis.

The other non-native communities are the Bengalis, Marwaris, Anglo-Indian, Chinese, Biharis and Tibetans who escaped to Kalimpong after fleeing the Communist Chinese invasion of Tibet. The one such tribe that has been native to the town is Lepcha.

Tribes of Kalimpong

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Lepchas

Traditional Lepcha homes in Kalimpong living as a small community

Lepcha’s are among the indigenous peoples of sikkim and number between 30,000 and 50,000. Many lepcha are also found in western and southwestern bhutan, tibet, darjeeling, the ilam district of eastern nepal, and in the hills of west bengal.

The lepcha people are composed of four main distinct communities: the renjóngmú of sikkim; the támsángmú of kalimpong,

kurseong, and mirik; the ilámmú of ilam district, nepal; and the promú of samtse and chukha in southwestern bhutan.

[http://www.lonelyplanet.com/asia/tours/cycling/ darjeeling-sikkim-cycle]

The lepcha have their own language, also called lepcha. Most lepchas are tibetan buddhist by religion, which was brought by the bhutias from the north, although a large number of lepchas have adopted christianity today.

Clothing The traditional clothing for Lepcha women is the ankle-length dumdem, also called dumdyĂĄm (“female dressâ€?). It is one large piece of smooth cotton or silk, usually of a solid color.

When it is worn, it is folded over one shoulder, pinned at the other shoulder, and held in place by a waistband, or tago, over which excess material drapes. A contrasting long-sleeved blouse may be worn underneath.

Craft Like any other Indo-Mongoloid tribes the Lepcha tribe also has rich tradition of bamboo craft. Apart from their own ethnic designs due to long subjugation there is considerable influence of the Tibetan designs on their craft. In interior Sikkim traditional small baskets are still being used to measure the grains. These baskets utilise traditonal warp-weft weave and interresting geometric forms. The Lepcha tribe essentially live on the hills. They usually need to carry goods, up hill.

Their carrying baskets are suitably designed for the purpose, so that it gives less strain while carrying goods on the slopes.

Such carrying baskets are conical in shape, double weave type with hexagonal pattern. The storage baskets. traditional boxes to store valuables etc. are also made of

A Lepcha ceremonial gathering which requires the summoning of their diety by offering the first alcohol in a bamboo container which is also prepared in it.

A portable grinder for grinding masala made using bamboo is a very innovative indeginious craft from Lepchas.

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The

Craft The craft documented on the following pages happened by visiting the only two tibetan families left in Kalimpong region involved in making these footwear and understanding their livlihood , techniques and the craft was much of an experience.

The aesthetic interest along with the craftsmanship in designing embroidered shoes in Kalimpong is an endangering profession today. Wrestling with the evolution of modernity and the shrinkage of ethnicity, the shoemaker of Kalimpong breathe in anxiety and feels that the profession will no longer inherit to the next generation.

The colors of Tibetan boots are exquisite. Some of the insteps are embroidered with silk thread into varying designs while others are edged with golden silk thread. The toecaps can be square, round, sharp or hooked. At the back of various boots, a 10cmlong mouth can be opened for the convenience of taking off or putting on the boot.

Craft

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The day after I reached Kalimpong in the evening, I took a stroll of the streets of kalimpong. I got some information about the surrounding through the guest house’s caretaker who had prepared very nice tea in the morning & provided me with a tourist map of the town which helped me navigate the places I thought could lead to the the place of Tibetan bootmakers.

A tourist map provided by the caretaker of the guest house

After enquiring around for an hour, finally I could find the workshop where the craft is still alive and being practised. Below is the workshop which is located on the street when one enters Kalimpong towards the beginning of the town.

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This is the point where we got introduced to the craft and this is the starting point of documentation of the craft of the Tibetan Boots called ‘LHAM’.

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About Arjun Lama (Craftsperson) Upon entering the workshop the first person I interacted was Arjun Lama, a professional Tibetan shoe maker, of Wongmo Villa, Kalimpong, who has been doing this since the last 34 years. Spending most of his life making these shoes, he learnt a lot about the culture, history and traditions of the craft.

In a conversation he recalls the time he learnt the art of making traditional footwear from an old man from Tibet named as (late) Pasang Dorjay Bhutia, who was locally known as Pala. I was in my early twenties when I first learnt about shoes from Pala; I couldn’t study more, that’s how I decided to make traditional shoes’ said Lama, where he added that those shoes in Tibet once spoke about the status, gender, ethnicity, religion and profession of a person who wore them and also said that it was once worn only by the Tibetan aristocracy which gradually evolved to be a necessity of common people.

The materials he works with in making footwear’s are leathers (oxhide/ cowhide), jutes, fabric materials, wools, etc,. He explained that the shoes are made with the type of orders people make and the names of the traditional boots varies according to the status of people,

Arjun Lama while working on the boots with Mamgalal Singh & me making notes and enquiring about the footwear craft practise

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Mr. Mangalal Singh (Craftsperson)

Mangalal Singh is the other member of the workshop who started in his early yound age, into the profession of being a Cobbler and running a shop in Kalimpong, and later was hired by the late owner of the workshop along with Mr. Arjun Lama.

His work mostly is to work on the sole of the boots and stitch the upper to the sole. Mostly one would see him sitting down with folded legs. and the reason for this posture is to have a better grip to the sole, when he is stitching.Mr. Mangalal works with satisfication and earns about 200 Rs. daily for doing this job.

Both Arjun Lama and Mangalal Singh work together to create and craft the beautiful boots that one can only wonder of its making, and would get to see it made a another beautiful process that could observe and learn by engaging myself deeply into it.

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Workshop space This is how the workshop looks like,being one of the ony two places in Kalimpong town where the craft is still being practised.

The workshop is roadside shop, a small space where the whole process of getting the raw materials to crafting the boots takes places.

Craft Workshop Owner Sonam Topgyal Bhutia Sonam Topgyal is the owner of the workshop in Kalimpong and is one of the only remaining families that still persue this craft with two persons appointed as the artisans Mr. Arjun Lama and Mr. Mangal Singh.

He pursued this proffession from his (late) father, who took refuge in the town of Kalimpong after the dispora of Tibetans to India in 1950 and started crafting the footwear by himself and later taught the artisans the technique to design the footwear.

Mr. Sonam has two sons and one daughter who are doing well in career and well out of the footwear craft buisness. He is the few of the last caretakers who are practising this craft as he conveys that his childrens are not interested in taking the craft practise ahead.

Mr. Sonam’s mother is a very sweet lady who not only guided me to the workshopbut also who takes care of the workshopand does the necessary to keep the artisans on track.

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A very old photograph of Sonam Topgyal with his family taken 48 years ago.

Mr. Sonam shared the history of the footwear and also talked about how the purpose of the footwear was to keeping the Tibetan wearer’s feet warm and protecting their feeble knees from cold, snowy weather of Tibet.

Mr. Sonam also mentioned about the different kinds of Tibetan boots and also shared about the significence of the colour associated with them.

He explained through his knowledge that the Tibetan boots were worn in different regions in Tibet.He explained that ‘the type of boots Lama’s (monks) wear is known as Ration, which means rainbow in Chinese, it carries a religious meaning, ladies wear is known as Somba, boots worn by the average people is known as Ghalo and the types school Tibetan dancers wear is known as pumalam.’

Tibet is primarily divided in three regionsBelow are the name of the boot which are worn at the part pf Tibet

Utsang Amdo

Puma Lam is worn byTibetans residing in the Utsang part of Tibet.

Tibetan males wore Black Lhams as it signified strength.

Tibetan womans wore Butin Red as its colourful and signifies beauty and grace.

Ghalo is a traditional footwear worn by Tibetian sect called ‘Dhotey’ for the purpose of walking on the mountain plains as well as for traditional dance .

Kham

The people of this region wear a certain kind of boot Teylam in red,mostly used to be worn by the warriors.

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About Rangalal Bhai ( Craftsperson )

Just ahead on the main street, I came across the only the family which is practising this craft. Upon visiting I got to interact with Mr. Rangalal who is the one of other craftsperson being employed for this profession.

He does most of the work by himself from getting the raw materials to constructing the boots. He gave similar insights to the ones shared by Mr. Arjun Lama and I visited him often everyday documenting the craft practise and understanding the craft and their livelihood from their own perspective.

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Rangalal Bhai’s life has not many chores apart from doing that is doing the job for Mr. Tenzing, his boss and making the boots as per the order. He is born hindu and was picked as a kid by the owner of the shop to work and make the boots for him. His work starts from 8 and goes on till 5 in the evening.

His hobby is to listen to music in his past time and wants his son, who wants to make it big in the indian rock music scene even though belonging to a small town, giving a encouraging hand to his son.

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In order to understand & appreciate the craft from a better perspective, its important to understand the process of its making and the act of form giving.

And to understand it better is to understand the creator, the materials, the resources involved into the creation and manipulated of materials and creating something that could be appreciated in terms of the colour, form, aesthetics, historical association and many more factors that would define the richness of the craft being documented.

I first started with documenting Rangalal Bhai’s process of making the Boot ‘Ghalo’ which is typically used worn by the average Tibetan people and now is mostly made to be used for dancers during cultural events.

The documentation of the process of constructing the boots is shown in transitions from Rangalal bhai to Arjun & Mangalal Bhai and I had to document all these processes at different times during different stages and then compile to make a clearer sense of the process without affecting their process.

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Ghalo

Ghalo is a traditional footwear worn by Tibetian sect called ‘Dhotey’ for the purpose of walking on the mountains as well as used for traditional Tibetan dance .

History These boots are average shoes which were once worn by the people staying in Tibet. It is known that the boot have no distinction between left and right, and is divided into different sections while making, each of which is later assembled into a full piece and the base part or sole is often made up of cowhide or buffalo hide.

The shoe is actually made for the ones who stay in snow and the sole made of cowhide are slippery there which is now alternated by a rubber sole.

History

Ghalo

The history of the footwear also talks about keeping them warm and protecting their feeble knees from cold, snowy weather of Tibet.

These boots were generally worn by the average people and is known as Ghalo and the types school Tibetan dancers wear is known as pumalam.’

65

Materials Incorporated

Jute padded upper

front panel

Fancy Stitch

brocade embroidary

back panel

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Technique The major technique involved in it includes stitiching, pressing, sticking and layering.

Tools used : Glue developed from Dough ‘Maida’ and salt in a container

Salt composition to be mixed with dough

Squeezy for applying glue on the fabric

Wooden plank for pressing

Wooden block for beating and pressing Tailor scissors for cutting fabrics

Materials incorporated

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Constructing side panels for upper The panel of this footwear has to be thick in order to provide warmth the feet and also be comfortable yet durable.

The construction techniques highlight how traditionally these footwear gets constructed and how different design element of it are processed and take its final form.

1.

Applying ‘laie’ on jute fabric

The construction starts with application of a adhesive called ‘Laie’ which is prepared from a mixture of rice water and a chemical and is used here to apply on the jute fabric evenly using a squeezy to the whole surface.

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2.

Pasting and beating

The jute fabric is pasted carefully on aonther fabric that has been glued and is firmly pressed onto the surface for good bonding

3.

Beating and cutting fabric

The craftsmen Rangalal bhai then beats the fabric with a wood block and cuts it not two halves and lay one on top of another.

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4.

Cutting white fabric

A length of white fabric is cut in equal parts in the measurement 1’x 3’ in order to stick it to the jute layer.

The Laie is yet again used here to put the adhesive on to the jute layer evenly with a squeezy and the equally measured white cotton fabric is pasted evenly with hands on top of the jute layer .

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5.

Beating and drying

The pasted layers are then taken out of the workshop and dryed under the sun for a day to let all the layers to stick completely and bond stronger.

The dryed panel is then taken to workshop and another layer of a cotton fabric is added as a lining which is glued in the same way as the above layers and pressed firmly wih hands.

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Rangalal bhai then takes the plank, throws it on the fabric in order to press the fabric to stick evenly.

6.

Drying the fabric

The fabrics are then laid for drying under direct sunlight till both all the layers have bonded and stuck to each other.

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7.

Pattern cutting After the stuck layers dry, the craftsmen then cuts the side panels along with the traced silhoutte lines drawn using a pencil.

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Cutting decorating panel for toe and heel counter

8.

Front and back panel cutting on leather

The front leather panels are cut along the traced silhouttes on a buffalo leather hide and kept in stack for stitching later.

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II. Stitching the upper The upper’s construction involves a lot of elements where the pattern is cut part by part according to specified measurements visually described on the right page.

The material incorporated is Felt and

The fabric and the paper is cropped according to the measurements and later pasted on top of each other Flipped View showing the newspaper stuck on the reverse to the fabric to prevent it from freying and making the fabric stiff for easy stitching.

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Flipped view showing the newspaper stuck on the reverse to the fabric to prevent it from freying and making the fabric stiff for easy stitching.

Technical specification for construction for the upper

All the different panels and their measurements are defined on left.

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Stitching the lace visual element (for decorative purpose)

The craftsmen now stitches the border element to add visual drama and then precisely stitches the yellow thread

using sewing machine with precision by fixing the foot and stitching the thread vertically .

The thread being used for stitching the embroidary as a visual element.

Stitching the piping -

Stitching the corners with blue fabric cord for adding a visual element consistant with the colour harmony of the upper.

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Stitching the padded panel to upper -

The upper is then stitched in a cyliderical form and later is stitched to the sole.

Stitching the lower panel The panel is a long pattern cut, identical from the centre which is then folded and stitched but before that following steps are taken :

a) The panel gets piping in order to add strength on the contours

b) After piping, the panel is embroidered with stitch lines flowing in transition from top to bottom stitched in linear manner

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Stitching the panels to the toe and heel counter The stitched panel is now ready to complete the lower panel of Ghalo and the black chrometanned leather decorative panels are stitched to the front and the heel counter.

Stitching the padded panel to upper

The cylinderical panel, after stitched, is attached to the padded panel by manually putting running stitiched to create the form of toebox along the way towards the heel counter.

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Constructing the sole 1.

To begin with, a thick card sheet is folded and pattern is sketched from the fold, in order to get a symmmetrical pattern and later cut.

2.

The card is then placed on the stiffened fused jute fabric and made a pattern and is repeated four times to later add in layers which would provide insulation against cold weather.

3.

The rubber sheet is cut with the same pattern which would be used as the outsole, as the craft after coming to India went though minute transition in terms of functionality and utility which was to provide grip on myraid terrains in the country.

4.

4.

the pattern is again placed on leather hide, marked and cut to get the sole.

5.

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The leather outsole is shaved in order to make it plain and remove undulations for better finish.

6.

Finally all the layers are pasted together and are now ready to be stitched to the upper cylinderical panel and the uppersole.

This is how it finally looks like when all the layers are put together.

Preparing the sole for stitching -

The top most leather part is now made wet to aid flexibilty to the leather, in order to manually stitch it to the upper.

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Ghalo

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Stitching sole to the upper -

Here the sole is stitched to the upper manually by holding the sole affixed by feet and the upper is held onto the surface and stitched from the front and goes around all the way till the back.

The sole is manually stitched with the tool.

A thick thread is used in this process that ensures the sole is stitched to the upper which will provide strength to the footwear which historically had to tread mountain hills and rugged surfaces and is traditionally followed by the craftsmen as a design element.

Construction

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The stitched footwear which is almost finished gets press along the sole lines for ensuring that the form has slight radii about the foowear which makes it look more resolved as a form.

The footwear is now ready as per construction and only could be worn if there would be a moulded surfaces which may easily snug the feet without creating ergonomical discomfort.

The naxt stage would be to put the pherma and leave the panels to take the moulded form.

Kalimpong & Craft

Ghalo

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A wooden mould sticks are used for putting inside the footwear to mould it in a form which can be used to wearing it without causing discomfort .

The moulding sticks are accomodated to stretch the inside of footwear by shuffing all the stick and pushing them inside using a hammer to expand the heel counter and and are surrounding it.

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After the forming process is done using the mould, the sticks are removed and Arjun bhai gives the boots, a final hammering for resolving the sole to make it even.

Kalimpong & Craft

Ghalo

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The boots are finally done and are prepared to be shot to to feature on the cover of this booklet and later would be sent to the tibetans who would wear these either on cultural ceremonies or for tibetans cultural dances that still revive and make the people of tibet remember their roots and the land they walked on with these boots.

Construction

Ghalo

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Lham

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Somba

Somba is a traditional footwear worn

by Tibetian women which is distinct due to its embroidered upper passed on by one generation to another.

History The footwear traditionally traces its root in Tibet where the women crafted these footwear themselves and wore them for treading on hills and protecting their feet from getting frost bites.

The shoe making was passed down the generation from the women of the family to their daughters who interpreted the upper of the shoes in their own style inspired from the flora around the hills.

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About Somba

Materials Incorporated

Colourful stitched sole

front panel

Felted upper

Embriodary on the felted parts

Ombre stitch on the leather sole

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Technique The major technique involved in it includes stitiching,sticking and layering.

Tools/materials used threads

Felt jute

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Rubbersole

Constructing Upper The upper is mostly constructed with felt to provide warmth to the feet and is decorated with colourful embroidary.

1.

Stitching the upper The construction of somba is fairly simple in comparison to ghalo.

The upper is constructed by cutting long felt strips and stitching them in top and bottom panel format with much addition of visual elements like the floral embroidary and later is stitched to the sole.

The strips are stitched according to the size of the sole and happens intuitively as the craftswomen works her way along the contours of the jute base on the outsole.

Kalimpong & Craft

Somba

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Somba

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About the craftswomen Phuntsok Dolma is one of the only two women in Kalimpong practising the Somba boot craft. She is 77 years old and has been doing this as a hobby for the last 65 year. She says that only she is doing the craft in her family as her daughter in law does not want to adapt or learn the craft,as she did when she was in tibet with her parents .

It takes her about a day to braid the sole. The thread she uses to do embroidary is sourced from calcutta. When asking upon if she teaches the technique of making the boot, she replies that nobody seems to be interested in learning it. Also the boots have a niche clientele and after finishing are wither sold to tibetan schools or exported to forign countries.

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Somba

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Tibetan Buddhism is considered a fancy form of the traditionally simple religion, with its brightly colored extravagant art and rituals. All of the colors used in Tibetan art and its rituals holds specific meanings. There are five main colors that are known as pancha-varna in Sanskrit, which means The Five Pure Lights, according to Religion Facts. Each color represents a state of mind, a celestial Buddha, a body part, a part of the mantra word Hum or a natural element.

When asked about the colours incorporated,she replied that they have used traditional colours that also a synonymous with their heritage.

Mombo Undho

Blue is associated with purity and healing. Air is the element that accompanies this color. It is believed that anger can be transformed into wisdom.

Jangbo

Green is the color of balance and harmony.

Green represents nature.Its use on the footwear is to be harmonius with nature.

Sebo

Yellow symbolizes rootedness and renunciation. Earth is the element that accompanies the color yellow.

Red is related to life force and preservation.

In Buddhism, meditating on the color red transforms the delusion of attachment into the wisdom of discernment.

Mabo

Nagpo

Red is related to life force and preservation.

In Buddhism, meditating on the color red transforms the delusion of attachment into the wisdom of discernment.

Karpo

White is the color of learning and knowledge in Buddhism. White is in the elemental group water.

Above ; the colours depicted and their names in Tibetan language

The strips are then stitched linear and parallel to add a visual element of lines to the panel and it provide more stiffness and rigidity.

Craftswomen & Technique

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2.

Embroidery on upper

Embroidary is done with the colour harmony unique to the culture of Tibet.

It is fine example of the inspiration of flora and how the womens interpret it in own style and ways.

The embroidery truly enhances the aesthetics of the footwear worn by the women and adds a distinct recall value of the flora which grows on the mountain hill tops.

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3.

Construction of the sole The process is similar to the construction of sole in Ghalo. The fused jute fabric is formed in a way that it not only gets a form to do embriodary on, but also gives a nice form as it visually tapers towards the outsole.

The process to the making of sole follows the v

The card is then placed on the stiffened fused jute fabric and made a pattern and is repeated four times to later add in layers which would provide insulation against cold weather.

3.

4.

the pattern is again placed on leather hide, marked and cut to get the sole.

5.

Craftswomen & Technique

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About the craftswomen Lobsang La is one of the Tibetian who ran from Tibet after they were exiled from their country and took refuge in the town with her family and has been crafting these footwear as a hobby but also one of the artisan who has been carrying forward this indigenious traditional practice that not only has kept the craft alive but also keeping the essence of tibetian material culture transferred from one generation to the other.

She now stays with her son who is in army and does the boot making as a hobby.

Upon asking,she also feels that the craft won’t get passed on as there are handful of people who are still practising the craft and when they are gone,nobody will take the craft up.

Kalimpong & Craft

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Thre stitching starts with combining the outsole to the insole by stitching the flat glued jute layer to the leather + rubber sole

The flipped view of the sole show how interesting the embroidery pattern is constructed with an imaginative stint of the women of Tibet and the flair

to fill colours to this accessory which they would adorn themselves or let their daughters adorn .

The sole is stitched to the upper using a blue thread and is knotted for structural rigidity and as an addition of a visual element.

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Craftswomen & Technique

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Craft Consumption The craft does no have local consumption and is mostly distributed through mailing to places of Tibetan settlements. The clients for the craft are either educational institutions or cultural committees based at the settlements. It rarely happens that the clients happen to visit the workshop and buy the footwear directly, otherwise its packed and couriered.

While speaking to Mr. Sonam Topgyal (Owner of the workshop), he mentioned that he gets orders throughout the year, and sometimes of large quantities for the purpose of using it for cultural activities like dancing etc.

Some orders get placed from the Tibetan administration located in Dharamsala, for the monks who wear the boots called Reysun.

These boots have undergone a lot of changes from the ones that used to be worn in Tibet.

Pricing/Profit Margin Considering the prices of related accessories and the manpower, material and time spent for making one piece, the final selling price considering the profit margin is Rs.2000 and goes till Rs. 4000.

On an average one pair of shoes with in house costing of Rs.500/- (including material,manpower) is sold at Rs.2000/-

Left : Customer checking the order of Somba footwear which was customized accorging to his requirements, to be used by female dancers for the Tibetan traditional dances that take place during the month of November,December and January.

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Ladakh

Distributor channel across India

( Tibetan migrants)

Dharamsala

(Central Tibetan Administration)

Kalimpong

Bylakuppe ( Tibetan Community)

Somba

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Other different types of boots

Reysun Shoes worn by lamas

Shuozu

Shoes worn by Kings & Authorities

Jhelam

Teylam

Shoes worn by Kings

Shoes worn by Warriors

Kalimpong & Craft

Lham

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The shoes are made with the type of orders people make and the names of the traditional boots varies according to the status of people, ‘the type of boots Lama’s (Monk) footwear is known as Ration, which means rainbow in Chinese, it carries a religious meaning, ladies wear is known as Somba, boots worn by the average people is known as Ghalo and the types school Tibetan dancers wear is known as pumalam.’

Due to the limited time constraint, I could not cover the other footwears but the basic pattern remains the same and it would be adequate enough to give the viewer an idea of the construction and hopefully aid in archival of this rich heritage from Tibet.

Other types of Lham

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After one & half weeks of stay I began my travel to the beautiful place called Darjeeling. To me, Darjeeling already had the visuals of tea plantations, lots of greenary, toy train and many other images which were slowly unfolding as I travelled from kalimpong to Darjeeling on a jeep.

The journey was full of slopes,trees, fields and lot of vivid imaginations and recollections of the beautiful time I spent at Kalimpong and my interactions with the people.

One of the purpose of visiting the place was to visit the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center in darjeeling and find out, whether the boot craft was still being practised or not.

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Lham

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A short visit to Darjeeling The town and hill station of Darjeeling lies in northern West Bengal, India. Darjeeling is a small town and the pleasant climate means walks around town are an extremely enjoyable means of getting around. For longer trips, taxis are available in stands near the entrance to the Mall.

Many Tibetan refugees moved here after Tibet was annexed by China and they co-exist with the descendants of the many Nepali and Bihari laborers brought to work in the tea plantations Observatory Hill (located behind the Mall) which is the highest point in Darjeeling town, attracted lots of lightning and thunders. This is particularly so during the monsoon season. The word ‘Dorji’ in Tibetan means ‘Thunderbolt’ and ‘Ling’ means ‘Place’. Therefore Darjeeling was so named to mean ‘The place of thunderbolt’.

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Happy Valley Tea Estate The tea estate is within walking distance of Darjeeling - don’t bother with taxi drivers who will want to charge a lot and to get you there. You’d get there quicker walking anyway as the traffic on Hill Cart Road is always terrible. The walk back up to Hill Cart Road is quite steep (not recommended for anyone who’s feeble) but it’s worth it.

Darjeeling is famous the world over for its teas, which are very aromatic and have a delicate taste.

Shops selling teas (usually owned by local tea gardens), dot the area in and around the Mall, and at the Chowrasta.

Golden Tips & Nathmulls are especially known for their tea and also ship worldwide, but their prices are 3-4 times more expensive than the shops on the road near Rink Mall. Stop by to smell the numerous varieties they have to offer.

Right ; A women wearing a traditional dress and carrying a basket which id native to the attire of women of the region who pick tea leaves.

A large no. of tourists visit these tea estates as touring thes attraction points and take themselves with them, the memories of being one of them and cherish the moments through the photographs.

A short visit to Darjeeling

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Happy Valley Tea Estate

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A short visit to Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre in Darjeeling, India is a rehabilitation Centre for the Tibetan refugees in the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region.

It was established in 1 October 1959, after they followed Dalai Lama and escaped from Tibet. The production of Tibetan handicraft is the centre’s main activity.

History of the center Situated at Lebong and locally known as Hermitage, the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre (TRSHC) came into existence on October 2, 1959.

In 1959, funds raised from local charity led to the starting of this center

by Mr. Gyalo Thondup. The place initially provided emergency relief to Tibetan refugees who had come through a hazardous trek over the Himalayas into India. The Hill-side had a special significance for Tibetans, because of the fact that Thirteenth Dalai Lama had spent his exile in India from 1910 to 1912 following the Chinese invasion of Tibet at that time.

The center was registered as charitable organization under the act of Government of India. Starting off with just four workers, today the center is the home for 130 Tibetan family. The center has been a part of multifarious activities which ranges from handicrafts, training of artisans, and craftsmen. These activities are primarily to the care of the sick, elders and needy destitute. The Center now comprises one crĂŠche, one nusery school along with a pre-primary school (up to +2 standard). [https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Refugee_Self_Help_Centre]

Right ; Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre on the hilltop surrounded with serene beauty of Darjeeling

A short visit to Darjeeling

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Established in 1959, this refugee centre comprises a home for the aged, a school, an orphanage, a clinic, a gompa (Tibetan Buddhist monastery) and craft workshops that produce carpets, woodcarvings, leather work and woollen items. There’s also an interesting, politically charged photographic exhibition portraying the early years of the Tibetan refugees in Darjeeling.

Visitors are welcome to wander through the workshops.

The handicrafts are for sale in the showroom and proceeds go straight back into the Tibetan community.

Above; A giftcard painted by one of the tibetan women. These cards are sold as souvenir objects at the store which is within the center.

Right ; Tibetan craftswomen weaving a jacket,used in the high altitudes and is very popular due to the warmth,which the material provides and colours used are ecological tnatural dyes.

A short visit to Darjeeling

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The view of mount Kanchanjunga reflected on the glass room that houses giant prayer wheels, a symbolic part of Tibetan buddhist culture.

It reads the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum written in Sanskrit on the outside of the wheel. At the core of the cylinder is a “Life Tree� often made of wood or metal with certain mantras written on or wrapped around it. Many thousands (or in the case of larger prayer wheels, millions) of mantras are then wrapped around this life tree.

The Mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is most commonly used, but other mantras may be used as well. According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition based on the lineage texts regarding prayer wheels, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.

Tibetan Refugee Art Center

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The Refugee center sources natural dyes to dye the yarns which is locally sourced and is sustainable. These yarns later are used to make traditional tibetan carpets and jackets and rugs.

The raw yarns are later converted into ropes and stocked in a particular area where the yarn balls are coded and inventories journals are maintained to keep a record of the stock.

A short visit to Darjeeling

Lham

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The tibetian weaving craft is known for its use of natural dyes and the eco-friendliness. The fabric weaved on the loom are made of high quality and carry the association of the culture of Tibet.

Tibetan Refugee Art Center

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The Carpet weavers who are esentially of Tibetan origin and are practising the craft since their inception of the center.

While visiting the center I was enquiring about the ‘Lham’ boot craft, and I could not see any artisan making it. I came to know that the craft used to be practised 20 years back, as the people who knew it either passed away or left the place to seek for better livelihoods and better opportunities.

One of the things which caught my attention the most, was this boot (above) that seemed like a relic but still firm and spoke tons about the craftsmanship of the boot maker,from the detail’s pont of view, which seemed more detailed than the ones I got to see in Kalimpong.

A short visit to Darjeeling

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The only essence of ‘Lham’ left at the place are these beautiful miniature form of ‘Somba’ footwear in the form of a pincushions that also have a dual utility of using it as a paper weight.

Tibetan Refugee Art Center

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Lham

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Fin

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The documentation of the craft was a very interesting journey for me which not only gave me opportunity to see a craft in the making, but also gave me a chance of a lifetime to explore its history, culture, people and the objects and spaces which the craft embodies.

The effort to visit a setting, where a number of people are applying their skills and how the transition happens from the materials to final product something one can call a final product and to observe the factors invovled in the making was worth doing this project for.

The craft as it seems from what I observed and perceieved is slowly moving towards its extinction as nobody seems to take it up as a livelihood.

The craftsmen is not getting substancial money for his hard work and craftsmanship due to which their next generations are not ready to work on this sector.

The realisation I had while documenting the craft was how the factors determine the existance of objects and how as a designer our keen observation and innovation can help in the upliftment of craft where it will be appreciated by the potential consumer.we can either observe it from a point, document it, and let it be a refernce mateial for people like to appreciate it through our efforts even if the craft practice becomes extinct.

For regular use,people from nearby village,they prefer normal slipper/shoes either branded or local sellers because these slippers are more comfortable and ergonomic to be used on daily basis.

Due to selective and seasonal target area of sale i.e Ladakh’s Tibetan cultural festival where its used as an traditional accessory, there is not much need of ‘Lham’ on regular basis.

These challenges are something which can only be tackled through change of perception, motivating people to adopt to traditional accessories and to take pride in things made locally through branding, material intervention and understanding the urban needs which can help the craft to sustain, and making it come at par with the other footwear sold in the market, and eventually encouraging the younger generation to accept this rich tradition.

References Webliography

Title

Page no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet {history}

Tibet history

6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet {clothing}

Traitional Clothing

8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet {Demographic}

Current Scenario

10

http://www.thenounproject.com

Inforgraphic/pictograms

4

http://www.oft.ca/EN/Tibet.html

Tibetan clothing

12

http://www.ksatochina.com/En/index.php?go=guide&more=5

Traditional festivals

14

http://www.dalailama.com/biography/the-dalai-lamas

The Dalai Lamas

18

http://www.thehimalayantours.com/tibet/information/history.html

Tibetans in exile

16

https://hhdl80.org/his-holiness-the-14th-dalai-lama/

His Holiness/The Dalai Lama

21

http://beta.tibet.net/home/about-us/introduction/

Various Tibetan settlements in India

23

http://www.sikkimtravelzone.com/kalimpong.aspx

Kalimpong

26

http://www.darjeeling-tourism.com/darj_000127.htm

About Kalimpong

28

http://wallpapers.free-review.net/42__Acacia_dealbata_Flowers.htm

Acacia dealbata Flowers

36

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Kalimpong

Geography

35

http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/82000/82085/82085_gladiolus_ga_lg.gif

Flora

36

http://morningredpanda.tumblr.com/post/18944241888

Fauna (Red Panda Photograph)

39

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schuppentier-drawing.jpg

Pangolin Sketch

39

http://mosquitoeskids.blogspot.in/2013/06/hornbill-birds.html

Fauna (Hornbill bird image)

39

http://travelgr8.com/offers/zang-dhok-palri-phodang-durpin/

Religious Views

40

http://alchetron.com/Kalimpong-8301-W

People in Kalimpong

30

http://wikitravel.org/en/Darjeeling

About Darjeeling

105

Webliography

Title

Page no.

https://www.upcscavenger.com/wiki/kalimpong_i_(community_ development_block)/#page=wiki

Demographics of Kalimpong

32

http://kalimpongmunicipality.blogspot.in/p/about-kalimpong.html

Flora

http://rintudas.hpage.co.in/karsheong-kalimpong_72344017.html

Fauna

http://gangatours.net/City_Guide.aspx?c=Kalimpong

Religious Practice

40

http://kalimpongmunicipality.blogspot.in/p/about-kalimpong.html

Customs, cultures and cuisines

42

http://www.yaknyeti.com/kalimpong_howto_reach.html

How to reach

44

http://geringerglobaltravel.com/northeast-india-tour-hornbill-festival/

Other Tribes

48

http://www.tourismguideindia.com/darjeeling-hill-station.htm

Short Visit to Darjeeling

106