About the Book
Traditionalcostumes and ornaments of the people in the interiors and in the rural areas ofthe Western Himalaya present a grand spectacle of enchanting designs, forms, andcolour preferences. The aesthetic and utilitarian elements are deeply ingrainedin the artifacts of this region. So vast is the diversity and the form and use ofornaments and dresses of the people of this region that one can find in them notonly the influence of the areas around, but also of the distant countries. Onefinds reflected in the ornaments and dresses of the composite communities in theWestern Himalayan region, the influences from the neighbouring plains in themainland. In the interiors, the indigenous traditions of the people haveinterfused with the other cultural strains on the international dimension, fromTibet, Central Asia and the Middle Eastern world. This region has, thus, been avast cauldron for the interfusion of innumerable racio-cultural influences. Andone finds them most vividly reflected in the costumes and ornaments of thepeople of this region. In this book, an attempt has been made to presenta kaleidoscopic view of the whole ethno-cultural scenario of the WesternHimalayan region through the traditional textiles, costumes and ornaments of thepeople.