All wrapped up: Cosying up with the khaddar of Charsadda

With a milder winter this year, shawls made of the fabric keep shopkeepers happy with booming business.

CHARSADDA:

The meaty glutinous rice of Charsadda may be considered a draw for some, but this year the innocuous-looking Rajar Bazaar has been a source of attraction for its loom-spun khaddar fabric and shawls.

With a relatively mild winter this year, shopkeepers say their khaddar stock has almost sold out. This is hardly surprising as the shawls make for perfect warmth for the current temperatures, offering a variety of thick covering in both soft and coarser weaves. The stock also includes cotton and wool mix shawls.

“This year our sales have increased 50%,” said Mohammad Saeed, a shopkeeper at the bazaar. Saeed and a majority of his fellow shopkeepers have been associated with the making and sale of khaddar fabrics in the city for decades.

Even with the wool and cotton mix shawls, khaddar is still the best seller, say shopkeepers.

“Our fabric and shawls are liked in Afghanistan, England, Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad and almost all big cities of the country,” he said.

Spinning wheels

Today Saeed has his own khaddi looms inside his home in Charsadda where he and his brothers make the fabric all year round. The woollen shawls come from Swat, Chitral and Kashmir.

“My grandfather started the cloth business from his house, then my father and his brothers also joined,” said Saeed.

His grandfather Namoos Khan would prepare a single shawl in a week and the buyer would have to reserve it in advance. Things have changed since; now Saeed and his brothers make shawls and fabric in bulk all year.

“A single shawl still takes a week but our workforce has increased and we concentrate on making and storing in the off season,” Saeed said. Khan, their grandfather, used to work on a wooden loom and his grandsons still use it.

The khaddar shawls are mostly made in black, brown, white and grey but people mostly prefer the brown ones; not only because of their toned down look but also because of their ability to look less dirty. The drey tara fabric—made with three threads—is very famous among men for its sober colours and warmth. Although it’s made in Charsadda, the cotton thread for khaddar comes from Lahore.

Affordable, durable fashion

A khaddar shawl can cost anywhere between Rs1,000 to Rs8,000, depending on the quality of the thread used and the design. The almost iconic brown khaddar shalwar and kameez for men costs Rs2,500 on average. The price can vary depending on the amount of fabric and its quality.

“We make Teen Gulla, Paanch Gulla and Saat Gulla—with three, five or seven coloured stripes woven along the shawls’ borders; different people prefer different styles,” said Roohullah, another shopkeeper in Rajar Bazaar.

Roohullah has sold 60 brown khaddar shawls this season but, he said, people have started preferring woollen shawls which are lighter in weight. “Khaddar shawls are heavy but they last for a long time in comparison with woollen ones which can shrink when they are washed and can get damaged when ironed,” he explained, “But nothing affects a khaddar shawl.”

Rajar Bazaar is also guilty of ignoring women shoppers; Charsadda does not make khaddar shawls for women. This prompts them to buy woollen ones, causing a spike in the sale of the latter.

“The khaddar fabric we sell is for both ladies and gents but the shawls are only for men because [we feel] women can’t use these heavy shawls,” said Roohullah.

Muhammad Idrees, a civil engineer who came to buy khaddar suits for his colleagues, said, “In winter, wearing khaddar has its own charm and it is the only gift we take from Charsadda for anyone.” He added as he handed over money to Saeed, “And believe me, they are always very happy to receive this as a present.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2015.