The word Bhutia is derived from the words “Bhot” or “Bod” which means Tibet. The Bhutia tribe had emigrated southward from Tibet and settled across the Himalayan mountain range along the Indo-Tibetian border states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand (previously Uttar Pradesh) and Sikkim in the ninth century AD. Historically, the Bhutia tribe residing in different parts of India have depended on trade with Tibet. However, certain political events brought an end to the trade relations which have resulted in profound changes in their lives. They do not have the land to support themselves and so must purchase food grains. They have also seen a decline in the numbers of their livestock.The plight of the Bhutia was recognized by the government, which designated them to be a Scheduled Tribe in 1967.
The Bhutia women from Central Himalayas have a reputation as excellent weavers and embroiderers. Not only do they make their own clothes, but in the past they traded their blankets, rugs, and shawls to Tibet. Today, many women and men continue to produce these items for local markets as part of a thriving cottage industry hiding their years of struggle and resilience behind some of the finest works of woollen embroidery in the world.
Deep in the lap of the mountains, lies a village called Dunda
Lies the adobe of the Bhutia tribe from Uttarakhand
Their primary source of income is from the woollen products they make.There are two varieties of wool: White wool and Black wool
After extracting it from the sheep, it is soaked in boiling water
Washed in the cold river water
Beaten to loosen the fibre
And spread on the rocks for sun-drying
The raw wool contains a lot of bugs
Which is carefully cleaned after it gets dry
The clean lumps of wool
Are reeled into fine threads
And are made ready for the handloom
The bobbins of thread are then placed in the loom
Where the weaver puts in hours of work
To make some of the finest woollen garments in the world
Anand Singh Rana from Uttarakhand has opened a small shop in Dehradun where he sells these woollen products
Thus spreading the warmth of the Bhutias to people from different parts of India and beyond
Supported by: Tata Steel Foundation