February 15, 2012 - Tibetan carpets

“Tibetan rugs?” you may be asking. “But Libby, I thought you were spending your time in Nepal, not in Tibet.” If you are asking yourself this question, I don’t blame you. However, give me the next few minutes to explain.

The area of Patan in which we are living is known as Jawalakhel, which is also known as “the carpet-weaving center of the Kathmandu Valley.” Carpet weaving was originally a Tibetan craft; however, the skill was brought to Nepal by Tibetan refugees over the years. Nepal produces so many Tibetan rugs now, that many are exported to Tibet, where these skills have largely been lost. In fact, the carpet industry in Nepal accounts for around 50% of the country’s export of manufactured goods to countries other than India.

In 1960, the Nepal International Tibetan Refugee Relief Committee began encouraging Tibetan refugees in Patan to make and sell traditional Tibetan carpets. The “base camp” of this movement is now located at the site of the prior Tibetan Refugee Camp , the Jawalakhel Handicraft Centre, only a few minutes’ walk from the Shalom Guesthouse.

While here, you can see the artists, many of whom are women, hand-making the carpets in elaborate designs and colors. The work area is on the first floor, and the showroom with completed products is located on the second floor.

The final productions are beautiful, more like artwork for the floor than an actual carpet. I would almost feel guilty walking on the carpets, knowing how much time and effort went in to producing the gorgeous final product. The best part about the Refugee Camp and Handicraft Centre is knowing that the money spent on the beautiful carpets goes directly to the men and women working so diligently in the floor below.

The prices are incredibly reasonable and seem far too low for the amount of time that went in to creating the carpets (approximately one month for the smaller carpets, up to nine or more months for the full-room carpets); however, the amount spent on one carpet can provide livelihoods for an entire family of refugees for many months. So, the way I look at it, it’s a win-win situation for everyone!