Ngotekherh is a traditional Mizo dress. It is a cloth/skirt which is wrapped around the waist and is worn by women especially during festivals. It is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, and the main centre of production is at Aizawl and in the Thenzawl town.
Ngotekherh got its name from the small white weft stripes present on either edge of the weft-rib structure Hruih. These white stripes give the black Hruih a laddered effect. Therefore in this sense in Mizo language, ‘Ngo’ means white, ‘te’ means small and ‘kherh’ is a type of Hruih.
The original Ngotekherh was plain white, rectangular in shape with only two black stripes of 3 of 4 inches broad each running in traverse direction at a distance of about 1/3rd of the whole length from both edge of the puan (Cloth).
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Ngotekherh is woven in two pieces lengthwise and are sewn together (called Zungthui, meaning sewn together or stitched by hand) in the middle forming a complete puan (Cloth). This stripping was originally called Thaihruih and along the perimeter was embedded a small black and white stripes called kuthruih also known as kherh. However, modifications of the puan which was made from time to time has led to a paradigm shift.
The early modifications of a broader black stripping’s were called Tlangtial Ngotekherh, later the border of the puan was made with a broad black stripes and several number of smaller black stripes running in longitudinal and transverse direction making a number of small perfect squares specifically called as Mangpuantial. Normally it is 60” in length and 45” in breadth.
This particular type of puan is woven with a white background and black stripes on it. Two deep black borders about four to five inches broad run along two edges lengthwise. Adjoining these borders thin black stripes are sometimes woven numbering about two to six according to individual liking. These are so spaced that the intervening white portions look like stripes of the same breadth.
Besides these, quite a few other black stripes of similar breadth are woven throughout the surface lengthwise between the two broad borders. But these are spread differently from those adjoining the black borders.
Usually the spacing between these stripes is maintained between two to three inches, also two black stripes run breadthwise at each edge accompanied by a thin thread like stripe. In addition to these lengthwise borders and stripes there are two broad black bars woven with wool which run in the middle of the puan breadth wise, dividing it into three equal parts.
These thick borders have five to six thin white stripes (about quarter of a centimeter each) woven on the inner side of the borders. Two weft-wide woolen bands with a weft-rib weave divide the whole cloth into three parts. This weft-rib structure is known as Hruih or in this case, Kherh
Ngotekherh is woven on a traditional loin loom. Especially skilled weavers are required for making this well-ordered textile. Weaving of the Ngotekherh requires great expertise since the quality of one is assessed mostly on the basis of the absence of white streaks on the black Hruih, black borders and black stripes and also the smoothness and fineness of the Hruih.
In the earlier days, homespun cotton yarns dyed with natural dyes are used. Synthetic yarns slowly replaced the use of locally produced cotton yarns, since wide range of synthetic yarns are available in the market. The weaving process of Ngotekherh involves starching of the warp yarns, warping, weaving, inserting the designs by hand, and sewing together of the two pieces to make the complete Puan.
Even though Ngotekherh was traditionally woven using a loin loom, now the majority of production of Ngotekherh is done using fly shuttle looms. It has also evolved in different colour combinations such as red and white, and blue and white.
GI Tag Registration Date : 06 August 2019
GI Tag Number : 587
Certificate Number : 348
Geographical Area : Mizoram
Special Cover Release Date : 24 November 2021
Cancellation : Aizawl 796 001
Type : GI Tag Cover
Cover Identification Number : NE/10/2021-2022
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