Dhaka

Tihar came and I am searching Nepali Dhaka Topi evrerywhere in Delhi mostly in Govindpuri,I asked many friends to provide me dhaka clothes  because it is necessary to wear to attend in Deusi Bhailo group of Govindpuri .I also love to give gifts dhaka topis to visitor who come in Tihar celbration because  wearing the dhaka topi,dhaka dress and puting saptarangi tika makes the day tihar best.W.hile dancing for females like me Dhaka dress looks best This handwoven fabric shown in picture  is called Dhaka. It is still quite popular here, one can see women wearing Dhaka blouses and shawls; men like to cover their heads with traditional hat topi made of Dhaka fabric;Historically patterned Dhaka weaving developed in two places in Nepal: in Palpa, west of Kathmandu, and in Tehrathum, in the eastern hills of the Himalayas. 

 Skilled weavers would imitate the complex designs and develop the further. The traditional colors of Dhaka cloth are black, white, red and orange but no two pieces are identical, the handwoven patterns all have an individual touch, reflecting the creativity and skill of the weaver. Nowadays blue, green and brown colours are added to Dhaka patterns as well as silk or lurex threads.

Recognized only as a shadow of its true self, today it is probably best known in the form of a Dhaka topi (cap) – a symbol and part of the face of Nepal and Nepali men. The topi is a mixture of elegance and tradition, and of national heritage, as it carries with it a legacy expressed with a simple headgear. And, there is the Dhaka ko Khasto, a shawl, a truly Nepali shawl.

Like old Nepali houses, like old timeless traditions, like old works of art that are scattered across Nepal – Dhaka belongs there. It belongs in ancient black and white and sepia toned family photographs of grandmothers and grandfathers, with her wearing a dhaka ko cholo and khasto and him wearing a dhaka ko topi. Nepal is a different place in many ways now and these days the fabric makes an appearance mainly at weddings; the fashion of bridegrooms dressing in full dhaka attire – daura surwal (tunic and leggings) and topi and chatti (slippers, yes) being quite popular. Being the choice fabric for such an important day does hint to the true significance of the fabric – significance steeped in history and art, a proud tradition and heritage, and well and truly, a symbol of Nepal. It was the fabric of Nepal. Its value may be a little tarnished due to neglect and the takeover by countless fashion trends, brands and shopping centres and many more but a man wearing a Dhaka ko topi, or women in Dhaka attire will always unmistakably bring to surface the Nepali identity.

 Cloth woven from hand spun thread, which in turn is sourced from cotton grown locally. It’s easy these days to take for granted how clothes and everything else is made. Cloth is woven from thread that comes from cotton, or a range of synthetic materials these days. Before the advent of the power looms, when everything was done by hand, making clothes was a skilled thing to do and cloth in itself was valuable.

Dhaka like most things has seen changes over time, and the methods of production involved in its making as well as the raw materials that go into it have changed slowly too. Originally made entirely by hand from mercerized cotton that was spun into raw yarn which in turn was dyed and then woven in hand looms called ‘Haate taan’, these days there are factories where everything is automated and instead of being made purely from cotton, synthetics such as polyester are used. There are trade-offs between the use of machinery and pure human effort for modern looms such as the Jacquard looms that boost productivity significantly.