Kabui Rongmei Naga Weaving Tamenglong Manipur

The Kabui (Rongmei) Naga community of Tamenglong district in Manipur practise a distinctive loin loom textile tradition producing ceremonial shawls, shoulder cloths, and skirt fabrics in bold red, black, and white stripe patterns with supplementary weft geometric motifs. Kabui weaving is inseparable from Naga identity — specific patterns and the right to wear them are community designations, with patterns for warriors, elders, and women of status differing in motif vocabulary. The primary weaving implement is the body-tension loin loom (backstrap loom) where the tension of the warp is maintained against the weaver's body as she works; this technique produces tight, dense fabric with a characteristic hand feel. Kabui textiles are woven in cotton with wool supplementary yarn for ceremonial pieces; colours are traditionally from natural plant dyes though synthetic dyes are increasingly used. The Kabui weaving tradition is strongest in remote Tamenglong valley villages where cultural continuity is maintained through community festivals like Gudui Ngai. The Manipur government supports Rongmei weaving through the Handicrafts and Handlooms Department cluster programme. Kabui shawls are sold at the Ima Keithel (women's market) in Imphal and at northeast India handloom exhibitions.