Ngotekherh

Ngotekherh is a popular traditional cloth of the Mizo people. It is a delicately sewn cloth or fabric woven out of a loin-loom. The original Ngotekherh was plain white, rectangular in shape with only two black stripes of 3 of 4 inches broad each running in traverse direction at a distance of about 1/3rd of the whole length from both edge of the puan. This stripping was originally called “Thaihruih” and along the perimeter was embedded a small black and white stripes called “kuthruih” also known as “kherh”. Ngotekherh has gone through changes with the passage of time to keep pace with modern styles and trends. In order to ensure the uniform design on puan, the weavers have to maintain proper precision and detailed measurement which shows the skills used in making of the cloth. Ngotekherh is woven in two pieces lengthwise and are sewn together (called “Zungthui”, meaning sewn together or stitched by hand) in the middle forming a complete puan. Weaving of the Ngotekherh requires great expertise since the quality of one is assessed mostly on the basis of the absence of white streaks on the black Hruih/ Kherh, black borders and black stripes and also the smoothness and fineness of the Hruih/ Kherh.