Swadesi
TextileUkhrul, Manipur9 May 2026

Ukhrul Tangkhul Naga Shawl Alaangpat Shirui Lily Manipur

Contributed by Swadesi Editorial Team

Ukhrul district in northeast Manipur is the homeland of the Tangkhul Naga people — one of the largest Naga tribal groups — whose women weave the Alaangpat shawl (a black-background shawl with red geometric borders worn by warriors) on traditional backstrap looms. The Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae) — India's only endemic lily species — blooms only on the Shirui Kashong peak in Ukhrul district (late May–June), making it one of India's most sought-after wildflower trekking destinations. Ukhrul's Naga villages maintain traditional community governance through village councils, and the district's forests harbour the hog deer, Blyth's tragopan, and brown-backed needletail swift.
Ukhrul Tangkhul Naga Shawl Alaangpat Shirui Lily Manipur

Illustrative image from Wikimedia Commons (CC-licensed)

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