The
Mech tribe, inhabiting parts of
Assam and
West Bengal, is well known for its silk rearing skills. The people of this tribe sell part of the silk for their livelihood and use the remaining for weaving their clothes. These clothes reflect the people’s manner of living, which is simple. They are hand spun and hand woven.
A Mech woman dresses in a ‘mekhela’ and ‘chaddar.’ The ‘mekhela’ is a long flowing skirt, which covers the body from the waist to the ankles. The ‘chaddar’ is shawl-like cloth covering the upper body.
A Mech man wears a ‘dhoti’ (loin cloth) and a turban. He covers his upper body with a shawl woven from ‘endi’ (mixture of cotton and silk) or pure cotton.
