It is to hear this, sung by the Changthang nomads when they shear the goats, that we embarked on a Pashmina Trail in Ladakh. Our quest was to reach the origin of the pashmina or ‘soft gold’, world-renowned for its gossamer touch, sophisticated glaze and cocooning warmth.
This extraordinary journey to reach the nomadic pastoralists in Ladakh, the only place in India where Tibetan pashmina goats are raised, was, in a nutshell, to understand the quintessence of inner luxury —the path that connects makers and consumers. It was a quest to understand the real value of the ‘things’ we acquire. In a world where there is a deathly disconnection between what we buy and how it is made, this was a journey to understand and deeply honour the reciprocity between product, people, process and environment.
Pashmina is derived from the Persian word pashm, which means wool in its raw unprocessed form, and pashmina refers to the cloth woven from pashm. This ‘soft gold’ fibre has travelled for millennia from Ladakh to Kashmir, where it continues to be woven into exquisite shawls. Pashmina came to be known as cashmere in the West because Europeans first encountered the fine cloth in Kashmir.
Nestled between the primordial Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, every ascending turn and twist to Changthang was rapturous. Perched 18,000 feet above sea level, our meandering route set the tone for the magic that would unfold. Martian orange mountains sizzled in the sun, like a secret Game of Thrones location, the extra-terrestrial topography making Ladakh dizzyingly cinematic.
Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av VOGUE India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Breathe In, Breathe Out
A powerful tool to help you master your nervous system or another biohacking buzzword? SIMONE DHONDY explores the inhalations and exhalations of breathwork
Red Pill, Blue Pill
India's nutraceutical industry is booming thanks to advanced technology, distrust of the medical system and rising vanity. With multivitamins becoming purer and more effective, NIDHI GUPTA finds out if supplements have become the new serum
Sign of the times
No longer do you need to have an answer to, \"What is the significance of this?\" when people point to your new tattoo. ARMAN KHAN discovers that everything is on the table when you get inked temporarily
Return to form
Watching the world's most elite athletes deliver the best performances of their careers rekindled SONAKSHI SHARMA's own love for sports
Dimple, All Day
YOU MAY HAVE WATCHED HER ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR OVER FIVE DECADES, BUT DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF ASSUMING THAT YOU KNOW DIMPLE KAPADIA.
MUSIC, TAKE CONTROL
As someone who had always sought safety in numbers, ALIZA FATMA often wondered what her own company would feel like. The answer arrived unexpectedly when she attended her first-ever music festival, one of the largest in the world, all alone
Let it grow
When we think of hardworking farmers toiling in India's scorching heat, we often think of men, the sweat on their brow, the sinews in their arms. JYOTI KUMARI speaks to four women who are championing the invisible female labour that keeps these fields running
YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE
When armless archer Sheetal Devi set her sights on the Paralympic Games this year, she knew she had a tough journey ahead of her. Luckily, her mother was with her every step of the way.
Beauty and the feast
The appeal of Indian weddings has always been in a sprawling spread. For additional bragging rights, Aditi Dugar recommends going beyond designer tablecloths and monogrammed napkins.
Sweet serendipity
From a scavenger hunt-inspired proposal to a Moroccan-themed baraat, Malvika Raj and Armaan Rai's love story prioritised playfulness throughout their blended celebrations.
