Samdo women transform sheep wool into art

By Guna Raj Roka,Sulikot, Nov. 21: Women of the Samdo community in Chumanuwri Rural Municipality -1 of northern Gorkha have been generating income by turning sheep wool into art.  

Despite the harsh Himalayan terrain, where cold dominates more than half of the year, women of the Samdo community have managed to establish a remarkable identity over the past few years.

Situated in one of the highest Himalayan settlements of the district, the villagers of Samdo raise sheep and yaks, and the wool obtained from them is used by local women to make hats, bags, coats, belts, decorative items, and bakkhu.

These products are sold to both foreign and domestic tourists, helping weave together community income and identity.

Alongside cultivating wheat and barley, the Samdo women begin their mornings by collecting wool from their sheds, washing it thoroughly in hot water, drying it under the sun, and then spinning it into thread using the traditional ‘katne bharyang.’ Their days are filled with skilled work.

Although the cold of the mountains makes their hands stiff and numb, their patience and resilience remain firm. Women have become increasingly active in generating income.

 According to Nima Lama, chairperson of Chumanuwri Rural Municipality, the hats, bags, and other items crafted by these women are not just products; they represent the history, culture, and harmony with nature of Samdo.

The warmth provided by sheep wool, the comfort of a woman’s craftsmanship, and the beauty created through community effort have made Samdo’s hand-made hats, bags, and other woollen goods highly sought after by both locals and visitors to northern Gorkha. The women are constantly busy fulfilling the rising demand.

Chairperson Nima Lama said, “The entrepreneurship of women is not limited to their households. As the items they produce began selling in large quantities to tourists visiting the Manaslu region, a new wave of economic transformation has begun among the women of Samdo.”

Tourists visiting Manaslu are increasingly fond of these handmade hats and bags, which are sold for prices ranging from at least Rs. 500 to Rs.  5,000. These items are also being taken abroad as Himalayan souvenirs.

As the income of Samdo’s women has grown, so has their confidence. 

Chhiring Dorje, a woman involved in wool and hat selling, said, “Earlier, it was very difficult to manage household expenses. Now, with my own earnings, I can manage family expenditure, invest in my children’s education, fulfil daily needs, and even save a little.”

Currently, community learning support and market linkages are helping to better organise the handicraft production in Samdo. 

The women have transformed the traditional use of sheep and yak wool, once limited to warmth and bedding, into a modern enterprise.

 The handmade art pieces created by these women, whether hats, bags, or decorative items, have now reached every corner of the world from this remote Himalayan region.