CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Indian shawls are famous all over the world since antiquity! In the nineteenth century shawls reached their

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 5

2 CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 5.1 SUMMARY : Indian shawls are famous all over the world since antiquity! In the nineteenth century shawls reached their zenith and this period was called as the "Shawl period". Women in Europe wore shawls with each and every dress as a mark of gentility. In India shawls are usually worn as a decorative article by the rich and the noble and as a protective covering by the common man. Shawls are produced not only in wool but also in cotton and silk. Shawls are produced in many regions of India, for example, in the eastern states, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura produce cotton, wool and silk shawls on loin looms. Orissa is famous for its silk Ikat shawls. Gujarat and Rajasthan in the west produce woolen shawls; in the north Kashmir shawls are world famous since ages. Himachal Pradesh also produces beautiful woollen shawls using a large variety of woollen yarns. Earlier shawl production in Himachal Pradesh was essentially a household craft but now commercial units have also been set up. It is an established fact that crafts play an important role in building a stabler national economy, provide employment to many in villages and also maintains a rich culture. Shawl weaving is part of the life of the people of Himachal Pradesh. They not only weave but also rear sheep for 256

3 the wool, spin the yarn and weave shawls. This craft of shawl weaving if not protected, encouraged and made commercially viable, it may fade away and leave people of Himachal Pradesh helpless and they may have to look for other occupations to make their two ends meet. This would also endanger a beautiful traditional craft of shawl weaving. Critical review of the available literature illustrated that information on shawls and the shawl industry of Himachal Pradesh was not sufficiently available. The investigator being interested in the traditional textiles of India, and a native of the state of Himachal Pradesh undertook this study on the shawls of Himachal Pradesh.,Specific objectives of the study : 1. To understand the socio-economic background of the weavers. 2. To study the structure of shawl producing units in Himachal Pradesh. 3. To study the production processes and techniques employed in shawl making and their marketing. 4. To establish the significance of colours, designs and motifs with special reference to their culture. 5. To probe into the problems faced by the weavers and manufacturefjr in the industry. Delimitations : The study was limited to five districts of the state viz., Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur. 257

4 5.1.1 Methodology : Research design for the study was a descriptive survey method. On the basis of specific objectives of the research study theoretical frame was planned for the systematic work process. j Multistage representative purposive sampling design with snow ball techniques was followed to select the sample. Tool employed for data collection was structured interview schedule with both open and close ended questions. Information on various processes and techniques was supplemented with participatory observations. Three separate interview schedules were formulated to collect informaation on (1) Profile of the units (2) Weavers and (3) Designers. Sixty seven villages and towns in five districts viz., Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur of the state were selected. In which thirty three master weavers/traders, 164 weavers and two designers were personally interviewed to collect authentic first hand data. A professor of Tibetan Studies was also interviewed to collect information on significance of colour and design. The data was systematically coded, tabulated and statistically treated as per the objectives of the study. 258

5 5.1.2 Major findings of the study : below : Highlights of the findings o'f the study are reported Socio-Economic background of the Weavers : Due to climatic and geographical reasons,'people of the state in some places have to be indoors for about six months, when there was snow all around. They were self reliant for their woollen products. They kept their own herd, spun yarns and wove woollen products at home. Thus weaving in Himachal Pradesh become an important occupation of the people of the state. Weavers interviewed in the state were widely distributed in all ages even more than 60 years. Weaving in the state was not restricted to any religion, caste or sex. The weavers interviewed were Hindus except in Kinnaur they were Buddhist. Only in Kinnaur there was a separate Julaha community which belonged to schedule caste and wove for others. But now other castes have also entered this field. Both men and women participated equally in weaving and allied jobs. Educational level of the weavers in the state was sadly low as almost one third of the weavers were illiterate and very few had studied upto senior secondary level. The results also illustrated that less importance was given to female educa tion. 259

6 Majority of the weavers were married. Joint family as well as nuclear family system prevailed. Size of the family varied from 2 to 8 members per family. Since shawl making has been a family craft most of the members were involved in it one way or the other. But there were very few families in which only the respondent was engaged in weaving. Usually 2 to 3 members per family were engaged in weaving. When one person started weaving a shawl no other family member interfered to weave till the shawl was completed. One third of weavers had family income of Rs. 1001/- to Rs. 1500/- followed by Rs. 1501/- to Rs. 2000/- per month. Very few number of weavers had family income below Rs. 500/- and above Rs. 3500/- per month. Sources of income were agriculture, labourers in the fields and serving outside along with weaving. Barter system still prevailed. Family income denotes only the cash earnings of the family. About forty percent families had two earning members followed by four and more earning members per family. This was mostly an inherited craft i.e., the weavers learnt the craft from their family members though one third of the weavers had learnt the craft from training centres where they were paid stipend in the training period. Majority of the weavers learnt at the age between years but some of them learnt below sixteen years of age and since then started weaving professionally. '260

7 As far as experience in the craft was concerned weavers interviewed had mostly 6-15 years of experience but some of them had even forty years of experience in weaving. Weavers wanted to carry on with their family occupation and thus wanted to teach this craft to their children. Thpy felt that it was beyond their reach to send their children for studies in cities and towns because of non-availability of school in their own villages and they were left with only choice of adopting the family occupation for earning their living Profile of the industry : Two types of units produced shawls in Himachal Pradesh viz., Commercial units and Household units. Commercial units comprised of Government units; Himachal Pradesh Handloom and Handicraft Corporation and Khadi Units, Private Units, and Producer's Co-operative Societies. Broadly speaking two types of shawls were woven in Himachal Pradesh; Kinnauri shawls and Kullu shawls. Five districts were engaged in the craft viz., Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur. Looms were installed in the home surroundings but commercial units had separate sheds where looms were installed. Weaving occupation was an inherited occupation. Some of the units were established by weavers/traders themselves. Weavers utilized their own savings for establishing the unit. Taking loans was not popular in the 261

8 state. Majority of the weavers were not aware of credit facilities available to them. Four types of looms were owned by the shawl producing units, i.e. 'throw shuttle pit loom, throw shuttle frame loomr fly shuttle frame loom and border looms. In all the districts throw shuttle frame loom was commonly used except in Kinnaur where only throw shuttle pit loom was used. Fly shuttle frame looms were common in commercial units. All were four harness looms except border loom. It was smaller loom with two harnesses!*was used for weaving borders to be attached along the selvedge in some of the Kullu shawls. One to two, looms were installed in each household unit. Commercial units had more number of looms ranging from below 5 to 250 looms per unit. Three types of warping equipment were commonly used; warping pegs, Aernoti and warping wheel. More number of shawls were warped at a time on warping wheel and it worked faster, thus was common in commercial units only. On an average not less than two members per unit were engaged in the weaving of shawls. Commercial units being bigger establishments, more members per unit were working, usually 6-10 members, but large units had as many as 261 members working per unit. Weavers in the commercial units were not given any service benefits except the employees provident fund, but other regular employees like peons, 262

9 1} clerks and others were eligible for all service benefits. Though in Chamba due benefits were given to the weavers Production and Marketing : Shawls in Himachal Pradesh were found in great variety in terms of yarns used, designs woven and the sizes of the shawls. I^innauri shawls were usually made with Desi wool and Raffal. Majority of the Kullu shawls were produced with yarns made from Desi wool, Ra f f a 1, Pashmina wool, Angora wool and cotton. Ra f f a 1 and Desi wool were the most popularly used yarns. Shawls were also produced with different warp and weft yarns. Use of acrylic yarn was restricted for designing throughout Himachal Pradesh for both the types of shawls. Desi wool was bought locally and they even had their own which was spun into yarns. Cost of the raw wool varied from Rs. 30/- to Rs. 80/- per Kg. Cost was less in vi 1 lages on hills a s compared to t owns and cities. Desi wool consumption in household units was less than 5 Kg. per unit per month. Whereas in commercial units it was about 15 Kg. per unit per month. Raffal was the most common yarn used for shawl making, cost varied from Rs. 250/- to Rs. 400/- per Kg. Its cost was less in towns and cities than villages. Commercial units bought Ra f f a 1 from Ludhiana, Amritsar or Kullu. Consumption per household unit was about 20 Kg. but in commercial units it was even more than one quintal per unit per month. 263

10 Pashmtna wool, cotton and Angora woo 1 yarns were also used in the smaller quantities. Nurpur in district Kangra was were famous for Pashmina woo 1 shawls. Acrylic yarns/_used allover for the incorporation of the design. Source of buying was as above in case of Raj;_fj3_l. Cost of the yarn varied from Rs.160/- to Rs.220/- per Kg. Consumption per household unit was 1 to 4 Kg and about 20 Kg. per unit per month in commercial unit. Many households in the state kept sheep. Wool provided by them was utilized for their personal use. Raw wool was processed to spin yarn and then was woven to make shawls. Sheep were washed one or two days before shearing} when absolutely dry They, were sheared by experts. Raw Desi wool was thoroughly washed with ritanuts or detergent, dried and was ready for carding. Carding combs or bow shaped card was used for hand carding. Hand carding was preferred by household weavers, though it was time consuming and labour intensive. In commercial units machine carding was done. For Pashmina wool, the rough hair was removed and the soft fibres were mixed with rice powder and then the fibres a were carded with carding combs or wooden comb on a stand. Wool was spun with the help of spindle or spinning wheel. Spindle was common in Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur districts tvhereas spinning wheel was used in Kangra and Chamba Districts. 264

11 Characteristic feature of spindle was that people could spin yarn while walking from one place to another. To rotate the spindle Dhanushu was used and Do was tucked in the waistband and used for the purpose while walking and spinning. Warp yarns were twisted with die-staff Onsaan. 1 Different tools were used for spinning warp and weft yarns in district Kinnaur i.e. Qupang and Pang respectively. Single highly twisted yarni was doubled and was used for warping. Ground warping and wheel warping were two methods employed in the state. Ground warping was common in household units and wheel warping in commercial units. Ground warping comprised mainly of Aernoti and peg-warping. Only one person worked at a time in ground warping. Not more than ten shawls were warped at time in ground warping. Peg warping was common in Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur and warping frame was used in Kangra and Chamba districts. In Kinnaur pegs were arranged in zig-zag position and straight line in Kullu and Mandi districts. Two to four persons worked at a time in wheel warping. More number of shawls upto one hundred could be warped at a time on warping wheel. Then these warp yarns were made into chain for throw shuttle looms and rolled on the warp beam for fly shuttle looms, and were drafted and dented with the help of drafting needle. Two persons worked for drafting and denting. Pashmina wool warps were sized with rice or sago starch while stretched on the loom. Reeling time varied from 45 minutes to 90 minutes Beaming, drafting and denting took around hours for a set of the warps. 265

12 Kullu shawls were woven in 2/2 twill weave and design was woven in dove-tail tapestry technique in 2/2 basket weave or in extra weft technique in 2/2 twill weavekinnaur i shawls were woven with 2/2 herring-bone weave and design in dove-tail tapestry technique in 2/2 basket weave. Kinnauri 1 shawls woven in household units of Kinnaur were woven in half width and then joined. / Shawls woven were*51 of different types and so the time taken to weave one shawl varied. Time taken to weave a Kullu shawl varied from 2 hours to 40 hours and wages paid varied from Rs. 10/- to Rs. 700/- per shawl. Price of the shawls ranged between Rs. 120/- to Rs. 1800/-. Reed number used ranged from 18 to 48 depending on the fabric count. Kullu shawls were mostly made in 200 cms x 100 cms size. Profit margin varied from 5 to 25 persent. Kinnauri shawls were more intricate in design than Kullu shawls. Time spent in weaving one shawl varied from 32 to 240 hours, wages paid to weavers ranged from Rs. 300/- to Rs. 2000/- per shawl. Minimum price for Kinnauri shawl was Rs. 1300/- and maximum was Rs. 4000/- per shawl. This mainly depended on the intricacy and amount of design work. Profit margin was more in case of Kinnauri shawls, upto 40 percent. Overall range of the wages paid to weavers varied from Rs. 10/- to Rs.2000/- for weaving one shawl. The amount of design work done and number of colours used decided the 266

13 wages, greater the variety, more the wages was the practice. Plain shawls earned less profit. Price of the shawl depended on the cost of the raw materials, wages of the weavers, profit margin and overhead charges. Source of the designs were mostly old shawls however the type of design to be woven were suggested by the employer or customers vvhen they were made on order. Weavers referred to graphs for weaving the design. Weavers in Kinnaur and some of them in Kullu did not plan their design on graph paper but wove with their own imagination. Protruding ends were trimmed with the help of sharpscissor.s after the weaving process was over and while the shawl was on the loom. For Pashmina woo 1 shawls loofah was rubbed to remove the extra hair. Raw edges at the two ends were finished with knotting with single or double rows of knots, atleast 100 knots per row was made. After finishing the raw ends shawls were dry cleaned or washed with ritanuts or detergents. In household units shawls were milled and then washed and rolled on the stick and later dried flat. Raffal and Pashnnina Wool shawls were not milled. These were dry cleaned or washed before selling. Shawls were produced both on order basis and in anticipation of demand. Selling outlets varied. They sold at their own residences, in melas or rexhibitions and traders also sold in their own showrooms. Some of the commercial units sold their products out of city and also exported to 267

14 other countries. Only a few commercial units stamped quality marks and care instructions on the shawl Designs and Colours : On the basis of designs, two types of shawls produced in Himachal Pradesh were Kinnauri shawls and Kullu shawls. Weavers in Kinnaur produced shawls on narrow width throw shuttle pit looms. Shawls were woven in half width and later two pieces were joined. Field of the shawl was woven in 2/2 herring-bone weave and design was woven in dove-tail tapestry technique in 2/2 basket weave. Besides household units, Himachal Pradesh Handloom and Handicraft Corporation had opened a few production centres in the district, in which shawls were woven in 2/2 twill weave instead of 2/2 herring-bone weave followed in household units. Very few units in other districts produced Kinnauri shawls. Desi wool and Raffal were used for making shawls. Acrylic yarn was used for the incorporation of design. Single to three ply yarns were used to weave the design. Field of the shawl was in white, black, grey or with checks in black and white in Kinnaur. Traditionally designs were woven in set of seven colours i.e., Bright red, chrome yellow, dark blue, deep green, orange, white and black. Motifs in Kinnauri shawls were angular and geometric in shape and were arranged in horizontal borders. Borders were woven in one motif or in combination of two or more motifs. Each motif in a border was woven with different colour 268

15 combination and was repeated after every fifth motif. Vertical borders were woven in same colour combination throughout the length. On the either side of the horizontal border was woven narrow border. Usually all the shawls had one to three borders. Sometimes in between the two borders were seen a small motif. All the motifs were based on Buddhist mythology and said to have been originated in Tibet. From Tibet these motifs travelled to Kinnaur as it shares a common boundary with Tibet. Popular motifs seen in wide borders were Chalo Panma, Mandal, Palpe, Ratmi, Chos ten, Yungrung Gau, Khirah Tumhi, Sanp and Tanka. Motifs woven in narrow borders were; Changri. Chari, Chakri. Thalo, Patlang, Adha Pa tlang, Gyat Patlang. Motifs for lengthwase borders were Gurgur and Ygngrung; Inbetween the two rows were seen : Topuru t, Go t opuru t and Panma. Weavers in Kinnaur were meticulous in their work and many wove designs with their imagination, without looking into any graph. Kullu shawls had their origin in Kinnaur. Kullu shawls were available in Desi wool' Raffal, Pashmina wool and Angora woo 1. Raffal the most popular. Field of the shawl was woven 269

16 in 2/2 twill weave, designs in the shawls were woven with coloured acrylic yarn in extra weft or tapestry technique. Originally Kullu shawls were also woven in white, black or with checks in white and black as this was natural coloured wool available in the state. With the introduction of Ra f f a 1 wide range of colours were being used in shawls. In Kullu shawls, motifs were arranged in borders but were also seen interspersed in the field. Most of the motifs were taken from their surroundings. Motifs were named corresponding to their shapes. Popular motifs used were - Bulbul Chashm, Do Patti, Teen Patti, Kancho, Ambi, Mergenda, Phool, Ti11i, Gulab, Chidiya, Mandir, Aath Numbri, Dhoop Chaon, Ghanti, Tundu, Kira, Kanghi, Gugtu, and Landscape. With commercialisation many shawls were seen woven with combination of Kullu and Kinnauri motifs. Shawls were deisnged by most the weavers themselves. They took designs from old shawls. Only two designers came across in the state and both of them were interviewed. Both were in Kullu. One was an experienced person of 60 years age and working with National Design Development Corporation and other with Bhutti Weaver's Co-operative Society who was formally trained. He took 6 months training in Panipat. Both of them designed on graph and gave weaving instructions with the same. Both of them were satisfied with their type of job and earning fair amount of money. 270

17 Problems faced by the respondents and their suggested solutions : Weavers and traders of shawl making units in the state faced problems like : Price of raw materials was higher in the local markets from where household weavers needed to buy. Due to lack of transport facilities they were unable do go to far off places to buy raw materials. Control rate shops for buying raw materials at various places would be helpful to the weavers. Due to the irregular supply and low voltage of electricity weavers could not utilize their winters productively. With the regular supply of electricity weavers would be able work and utilize their winter period productively. There was lack of design resource centre and training facilities in the far flung areas. Introducing training facilities with provision of design resource centre would be helpful to new and traditional weavers. corrected. Insufficient marketing outlets also needed to be Credit policies for the weavers were not implemented properly at the grass root level, rate of interest on loans was too high and fluctuated from time to time. Credit policies if properly implemented would improve the standard of living of weavers. 271

18 Weavers in commercial Units could only work on the centres premises and there was no provision of any service benefits like any kind of leave, medical facilities and after service security. Authorities should look into the matter. Co-operative societies were working like private units where most of the weaver members were exploited. Stern steps should be taken to make them work as real co-operative societies. 5.2 CONCLUSIONS Documentation of the shawls of Himachal Pradesh and conclusions related to the shawl industry have been given below : Shawls were woven in five districts of the state viz., Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur. People remained indoors for about six months in winters, in that period they wove woollens for self consumption as well as for the commercial purposes. Two types of units were producing shawls in Himachal Pradesh viz., household units and commercial units. Commercial units comprised of (i) Government units - \ Himachal Pradesh Handloom and Handicraft Corporation and Khadi units, (ii) Private units and (iii) Producer's Cooperative Societies. Two types of shawls were woven in the state, Kinnauri shawls and Kullu shawls. These shawls were found in great variety in terms of yarns used, designs woven and sizes. Desi 272

19 wool and Raf fa I were the most popular yarns used for weaving shawls. Some of the weavers also used Pashmina wool, Angora wool and Cotton for making shawls. Shawls were also produced with different warp and weft yarns. Acrylic yarn was used for weaving designs. Wool was spun with spindle or spinning wheel. Two methods were employed for warping, ground warping and wheel warping. Three types of looms were used for weaving shawls fly shuttle frame looms, throw shuttle pit looms and throw shuttle frame looms. Kinnauri shawls were more intricate than Kullu shawls. Time spent in weaving one shawl varied from 32 to 240 hours. Wages paid to weavers ranged from Rs. 300/- to Rs. 2000/- per shawl and price of the shawl ranged from Rs. 1300/- to Rs. 4000/- per shawl. These shawls were woven on narrow width pit looms in half width and later two ple.ces were joined. The field was in 2/2 herring bone weave and design was in tapestry technique in 2/2 basket weave. Kinnauri designs and colours were based on Buddhism and had great influence of Tibetan culture. Motifs were angular, geometric in shape and were arranged in horizontal borders. Borders along the selvedge were sometimes made but motifs interspersed in the field were rarely seen. In Kinnaur they used seven colours for weaving designs i.e., bright red, dark blue, chrome yellow, deep green, orange, white and black. In other parts of the state wide range of colours were used. 273

20 Kullu shawls woven were of different sizes and designs hence the time taken to weave one shawl varied. Time taken to weave one shawl varied from 2 hours to 40 hours likewise wages paid varied from Rs. 10/- to Rs. 700/- per shawl and price of the shawl ranged from Rs. 120/- to Rs. 1800/-. These shawls were woven in 2/2 twill weave and designs were incorporated with tapestry technique or extra weft technique. Kullu shawl designs had their origin in Kinnaur. Designs were in angular, geometric shape and were arranged in horizontal and vertical borders but motifs were also seen interspersed in the field. Most of the motifs were taken from the surroundings and named according to the shape of the motif. Earlier Kullu shawls were also woven in same set of seven colours but now they were available in wide range of colours. Sometimes vertical borders were woven separately and were attached later. Weavers referred to the graphs while weaving the design. Some of the Kullu and Kinnauri shawl weavers were highly skilled, they wove designs without planning on the graph. Shawls were produced both on order and in anticipation of demand. Weavers sold their shawls either from their own homes or during, melas and exhibitions. Commercial units sold shawls :n their own showrooms and emporia While some of them sold theiw. shawls to different states and/or exported them to other countries. 274

21 Traditional handloom weaving is labour intensive and a time consuming craft. Weavers' family earned just enough to meet' to ends meet even though most of the family members get involved in the craft. Many parents wanted their children to be educated, but due to non-availability of nearby schools children were compelled to take up this profession, rather they were left with no choice but to take up the family profession of weaving and earn their living. However traders/master weavers in the commercial units were earning fairly good amount in the same business. Shawls produced in the household units were different in some respects to the ones produced in commercial units. With passage of time changes in the traditional shawls were noticed especialy in shawls produced in commercial units. This could be attributed to the overall commercialization process. To speed up the total production process of shawl weaving following changes were noticed : Wheel warping is being introduced in place of ground warping. Easily available mill spun yarn in variety of colours is replacing the home spun Desi wool. From herring-bone weave and tapestry technique are being replaced by twill weave and extra weft technique in twill weave. 275

22 Fly shuttle looms are replacing throw shuttle looms for weaving shawls. Traditional intricate and elaborate designs of the shawls are giving way to simpler designs. 1 Traditional craft as understood is handed over from father to son where the cultural background is similar, but there are other weavers who acquire the craft due to economic constraints or out of personal interest. When the craft is acquired it is handed down from one individual to another, could be one generation to another, 'traditional characteristic features of the crafts o-re maintained though with subtle changes. This holds good in Himachal Pradesh where many weaver have not only inherited the craft but have also acquired it. Yet, the original identify of a Himachali shawls is retained and one is able to identify these shawls from the others. 5.3 HYPOTHESES : The findings of the study have raised interesting questions which would stimulate further research. Some of the hypotheses stated have been based on the findings of this study. They are : There exists a significant relationship between the culture of weavers and designs and colours used in the shawls. 276

23 There exists a significant relationship between the geographical characteristics and existence of shawl weaving. Inherited craft retain their traditional characteris tics. There exists a significant association with the change in traditional characteristics of the shawls and commercializa tion. a) Traditional intricate and elaborate designs replace simple designs in shawls. b) Home spun yarn replaces mill spun yarns for weaving shawls. c) Herring-bone weave replaces twill weave and tapestry technique to extra weft technique for weaving designs. Time taken to weave one shawl is directly related to : a) Intricacy of the design b) Elaborate workmanship c) Experience in the craft d) Size of the shawl e) Fabric count f) Yarns used 277

24 Increase in production has significant relationship with : a) More people getting involved in the craft, b) Government policies. c) Interest of private organisations. d) Faster processes adopted. There is a significance relationship between acquiring the craft of sha.wl weaving and a) Non-availability of schools. b) Scarcity of jobs. c) Economic constraints. 5.4 IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY : The study on shawls of Himachal Pradesh gives documented account of all the processes, techniques and designs involved while weaving shawls. Besides this; study also provides information of the profile of the industry and socio-economic background of the weavers. The information can be helpful in : preserving the traditional craft of shawl making. can be a ready reckoner with all details on the shawl industry to new as well as present enterpreneurs. The study also provides full information on the original designs and colours used in shawls in far flung areas. The information can be helpful to traders and 278

25 designers for further designing according to the consumers' demands without sacrificing the traditional qualities and the artistic standards of the craft. The study can be helpful in creating awareness among enterpreneurs in the state regarding the untapped and unexplored potential present in the state, thereby making use of the skills of the household weavers in improving the craft for creating a better and larger market for the shawls. This can be mutually beneficial to both the entrepreneurs and the weavers. This study can be a basis for new research studies on product diversification, as new products can create larger markets both at home and abroad. The study has highlighted the problems and grievances of the weavers and traders. This information can be helpful to the policy makers to revise the existing policies and frame new policies directed towards overcoming various problems. Some of the suggestions are : Provision of design development cell which may provide designs to weavers either free of cost or at marginal rates. This can be beneficial to household weavers and up coming entrepreneurs. Along with the present training programmes in shawl weaving the weavers can b e ma d e aware o f various funding agencies which can provide loans to them and 279

26 guide them regarding the procedures to be adopted for the same. A liason can be established among the household weavers, traders and selling agents belonging to other states so that they may interact and market their shawls. 5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS : 1. Similar studies can be conducted on shawls of other parts of India viz., Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Orissa. 2. Using the traditional designs of shawls of Himachal Pradesh, study can be conducted on product diversification. 280