Continued from A Journey Through Bhutan's Traditional Crafts: Part 1
Bumthang - Lhuntse
From Bumthang to Lhuntse, we drove for over 6-7 hours, finally reaching Khoma Village, a region famous for producing some of the finest textiles in Bhutan. We stayed in the Lhuntse region for a few nights, allowing time to explore both the textiles and pottery with additional road trips from our base. As mentioned, it’s a lot of driving!
But for textile enthusiasts, this region is where you can find what are considered the most exquisite silk brocade textiles in the small village of Khoma. The village is extremely special and home to master-level artisans, many of whom take 1-2 months to make a single textile, sometimes longer depending on the complexity of the request. These textiles are often worn by locals for festivals and special ceremonies, and are adored by fellow tourists and textile collectors. When you arrive, you can find many small gatherings of artisans by following the sounds of shuttles against the back strap looms. Ladies of all ages are gathered, working together, often following custom order requests which they receive via WhatsApp messages on their phones. Many women from Thimphu place orders in this way. The work is incredible. If you make it, you can visit their shop and find some incredible pieces there.
As of now, this village is bustling with artisans, as many can earn quite a decent living, compared to other craft industries. I asked one artisan how she felt about the future of weaving in her village, and she said, “I don’t know what the future of weaving will be here in Bhutan, because the world is changing so quickly, but I know that I will teach my children.” These artisans are the real heritage keepers of Bhutan.