We always joke that wherever our mill workers go they are sure to find something textile related. Our Heritage Officer Alison is just back from her trekking trip in Nepal and gives us an update on what Nepal had to offer in terms of textiles.
From the vibrant primary coloured prayer flags to the indigo skies, I knew my trip to Nepal was sure to offer mountains and culture, but it gave me so much more.
Nepal is tucked between India and Tibet and is a nation of rich history and cultural heritage. Whilst best known for its majestic mountains, after all it boasts eight of the fourteen over 8000m including the highest of them all, Mount Everest; and perhaps for its ancient temples; it soon became apparent that Nepal is so much more than this. My trek around the Annapurna Circuit showed me Nepalese textiles in all their forms, from dusty roadside weavers to brocaded silk temple hangings and much more in between. Textiles have been a major element of Nepalese culture for over 3000 years.
Dhaka fabric is a hand-woven cotton textile used in regional traditional dressing of the Limbu people. Men wear a dhaka topi (hat) while women wear a dhaka mekhli (dress) made from the fabric. Dhaka fabric is now majorly produced by weavers in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
Inside Buddhist temples both in Kathmandu and far into the mountains, I discovered beautiful tubular silk hangings, called Chukor, brightly coloured with tassels which symbolise the interlocking of the different elements and directions.
On the dusty roadside at Muktinath, I discovered crudely constructed wooden looms with beautiful brightly coloured traditional weaving of scarves in soft cashmere. It’s easy to see the similarities with the Dobby looms here in the Archive and Weaving Shed at Sunny Bank MiIls.
In a mountain village women were spinning and winding shuttles on the roadside on familiar but roughly hewn handcranked machinery and once back in Kathmandu I bought beautiful cotton woven pouches of tea for only a few rupees which will find a new life to carry tea bags around in my handbag. 
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