A Tribal identity : The Traditional Costume

Abstract

This articles outlines the unique traditional costumes of the Tangkhul tribe. A tribal community that occupies the Ukhrul district of Manipur and Somrah track of Myanmar. Their arrival in the present habitat is shrouded in mystery as there is no written record up until the arrival of Rev. William Pettigrew. They have very rich culture and traditions and one element of it is the beautiful shawls and skirts weaved in the domestic handloom. Handloom industry is one of the oldest industry of this tribe, an industry that have survived the test of times. The tribe is known for the numerous handloom products and each item having cultural meaning and significance. It is a paper that strives to present the importance of preserving these costumes to protect the tribe from extinction and being suck into the ever dynamics of social, political and economic world.