Sikkim carpets are very famous all across the globe. The carpets available here are hand made. Many of these carpets are exported to various countries. Those who visit the state cannot resist themselves from buying at least one. The main attraction of these beautifully designed carpets in Sikkim is their unique themes and color combinations which is not available anywhere else in the world.
The carpets of Sikkim are mainly woven by the Bhutia women who are considered supreme in this skill and they follow the Central Asian customs of carpet weaving which is considered to be the oldest in the world and now a days is exclusively practiced in Sikkim.
Making of the Sikkim Carpets
A frame loop is used by the women to weave the carpets. The heave is prepared from the cotton and stretched on the frame. A small section of the heave is woven in plain thread, after which the woolen thread and long metal rods are brought in for use. The metal rod is inserted in the threads of the heave. After this, various colored wools are brought in along with various rods. After around 3-4 rods, these loops are cut with a knife and a pile is created of the cut pieces.The carpets at Sikkim can be availed in some exclusive shades and prints. The range of the themes of the carpets of Sikkim are very wide. But some of the most popular themes of carpets are the one with floral prints and the one with the dragon holding a ball in his mouth. Some carpets have themes inspired from iconography of Buddhists, geometrical shapes, geographical beauty of Sikkim, etc.
The popularity of Sikkim carpets have led to students taking up courses in learning this form of Sikkimese craft.
