The sarees of Aizawl
The hill capital of Mizoram, where the puan, a woven wrap skirt with bands of colour, is worn by women every day.
Motifs of Aizawl
Woven here
Best time: October to April; March for Chapchar Kut.
Aizawl is the capital of Mizoram, a hill state in the far northeast. Mizo women wear a puan, a wrapped woven skirt, in daily life and on festival days. The best known pattern is the puanchei, with bands of red, black, white and green, which is worn at celebrations and dance.
What is woven here
A puan is a length of woven cloth wrapped around the waist and falling to the ankle, worn with a blouse and sometimes a shawl. Daily puans are simple stripes, while festive ones are woven with bands of red, black, white and other colours in a bold pattern. Cloth is woven in cotton and also in acrylic yarn in recent years. Several named patterns exist, each known to the community.
The craft and its people
Weaving is traditionally the work of women, done at home on a loin loom or a loom with a frame. Thenzawl, a town in the central part of the state, is the best known weaving centre of Mizoram and has a handloom park and many shops. The craft continues as an everyday skill, supported by state programmes.
Seeing it
In Aizawl, the Bara Bazar sells puan and other cloth. Thenzawl, a drive from the capital, has weaving households and a handloom centre where visitors can see cloth being made. Festivals such as Chapchar Kut, in March, are occasions when women wear their best puanchei.
A trail idea for Aizawl
- Bara Bazar, Aizawl Look at puan in daily and festive patterns, and ask what each band of colour is called.
- Thenzawl Travel to the weaving town to see women at looms and shops selling directly from households.
- A festival gathering If you visit in March, see Chapchar Kut and the dress worn at the dances.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Aizawl" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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