The Toda shawl is an exquisitely made classical apparel. A larger version or the puthkuzhy is the traditional garment of the indigenous Todas of the Nilgiris. This renewed version showcases the GI-tagged embroidery on exceptionally drapey, lightweight and luxurious Tencel. Designed with a contemporary aesthetic, the ancient motifs in this shawl represent elements of the Toda landscape including mountains and forest botanicals among others.
Made by an indigenous woman-artisan, this work of art takes three weeks to hand-embroider and comes with a note about the maker and her photo. Read our story below.
Packed with love in a local artisan-made reusable cotton handloom Ikat bag and recycled kraft box.
The indigenous Toda women of the Nilgiris are renowned for their distinctive, GI-tagged, black, and red embroidery. Inspired by nature, the pukhoor (motif) based design follows the warp and weft thread count of the base cloth. The artisans work their magic by stretching the material and counting the threads using just their fingers.
For almost two years, a team of us, including two senior Toda artisans, embarked on an (ongoing) journey to re-imagine this art form on fine, sustainable fabrics with newer formats and a contemporary aesthetic. While we continue to honour the traditional cotton that the artisans have long used, this marks a pronounced departure from the conventional towards a renewed approach to the art form. We work in close collaboration the artisans and select weavers, constantly exploring new materials and beautiful fabrics, especially woven to suit this unique thread-counting technique. Our unwavering mission is to bring the exquisite beauty of this rare art form to a modern, appreciative world.
Fabric composition is organic cotton and Merino wool. Threads used for embroidery are pure cotton. Due to the fine weave of the fabric, and the nature of thread counting which forms the basis of the work, each stole takes an artisan four to six days to complete, depending on the design.
Minor variations and irregularities in the motifs are to be expected, and integral to handcrafted products, adding to their appeal.
Fabric care guide: