Tibetan Carpets

Before going to India I did quite a bit of research about buying rugs. I was nervous because carpet sellers are notoriously misleading, and I wanted to be prepared. My plan was to buy one or two Tibetan-style carpets and perhaps one Kashmir carpet.

The Himalayan region we stayed in had lots of Kashmiri-owned shops because of its proximity to Kashmir. The Kashmiri make those beautiful wool or silk carpets that you see in fancy turn-of-the-century dining rooms. I did some shopping in a few non-Tibetan stores but, honestly, I felt like I was being fleeced. A Tibetan friend took me shopping one day in a Kashmiri-owned store and the shop owner tried to charge me way more than a reasonable price for a gorgeous blue silk rug; he said (in Hindi) to my friend that the shop would give him a 'cut'. I guess the shopkeeper presumed that my friend was a hired tour guide. We both left. A couple days later I returned to the shop one more time and offered a firm price for the gorgeous blue rug. I was determined not to be 'attached' to it; I was resigned to let it go if he wouldn't come down in price. He refused, wanting to haggle, and I left contented. I didn't want to bargain and then later wonder if I paid too much; I didn't want to spend time shopping when my purposes in India were spiritual. I was there to learn from the Tibetans about letting go!

So I did some searching of the carpet shops and was amazed by the Tibetan rugs! This store also had a workshop where we could watch the carpet makers work on the looms and then trim the carpets.

This carpet was being trimmed with big scissors. These rugs were made in the traditional Tibetan style with classical patterns. The backing was cotton, and the rug was pure wool.

This woman is using a brush to finish the fibers. Her young son sat beside her after school, doing homework.

I purchased this beautiful carpet from a store which gave all profits to the Tibetan Children's Village, a system of schools around India that raises orphaned Tibetan refugee children. We were able to visit the central campus of the TCV on our first day in Dharamsala.

I purchased this carpet from a store that gives the profits to the Tibetan Government in Exile.

I also got this resonant Tibetan singing bowl for Nick's birthday present.

I am so very happy with that which I brought back from the Tibetan artistans!