Traditional Weaving Among the Adi Women: A Case Study of Bomdo Village in Arunachal Pradesh

T
he women in the Adi community are very hardworking.
Apart from involving themselves in household activities
such as cooking and looking after the children, they are
actively involved in agricultural activities. Interestingly, while
managing all these activities, they also take time for weaving.
T
hey weave various clothes, including wrap skirts, coats for
men, badu or gadu (traditional blankets made of cotton), etc.
Various plant-based materials derived from natural resources
available in their surroundings are used for weaving. Though
produced by employing simple indigenous techniques, their
products are durable and long-lasting. The art of cloth weaving
among the Adi women is learned and transmitted orally and/or
through observing their elders, i.e., mothers and grandmothers.
T
he present study explores the weaving practices among the Adi
women in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It also
deals with exploring various forest products used in weaving and
the varieties of clothes produced through weaving. It also aims to
identify the possible threats that arise due to globalization that
might affect traditional weaving. Our findings show that despite
the influence of modernization, the women of Bomdo village
continue to practice traditional weaving