The sale of these beautiful hand loom shawls help to support a young Tibetan refugee family, Tsering Dorje, his wife Tsetan Lhamo & their young boys Tenzin Rabga & Tenzin Lhawang. As our shawl business expands, this young family reaches out to other refugee families, managing a small sponsorship program through our organization, Tara Dhatu.

These shawls have been dubbed "Tibetan Shawls" because the Tibetans buy them from the mills in the Punjab for sale in their local markets. The mills claim them to be 100% wool but this is unlikely. There is no "itch" to them...they are most likely cotton felt and viscose (a natural fiber).

They are very soft and fluffy and easy to wash by hand or in the washing machine. Because they do not shrink or fade after washing we suspect that there is a percentage of acrylic fiber in the mix.

The Indians insist that they are 100% Pure. Pure what? We cannot confirm.

We started the project by selling what we call "Original" Shawls, with Dickyi (above) who took us to meet the manufacturers. She had a chance to study in Japan so Tsering Dorje took over. TseDor as we affectionately call him then discovered another variety at the market called “Art” Shawls for their beautiful artistic patterns. These marvelous shawls are also soft, a little less fluffy.

These shawls are the size of a single bed and we don’t go anywhere with out at least one in our car or luggage.

We then expanded to include “Kashmiri” Shawls. These flowing, light weight wraps are all single colors, made from viscose (a natural fiber). Kashmir is very close to Dharamsala and many Kashmiri traders come to offer their wares. Tsering Dorji and Tsetan Lhamo have befriended a few shop keepers and can now offer us a steady supply of these soft, elegant shawls.

Colors and designs are ever changing. We often update the shawl pages that we have available for retail purchase. Check the links below to view the current shawls we have available.

If you are interested in our fantastic wholesale offer (minimum 12 shawls, any combination of Original, Art or Kashmiri shawls) contact Anahata@traveling-light.net.

These shawls are purchased for us by Pabitra who lives by the great Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu. She supports several Nepali children who need assistance from the villages or who have been abandoned at the Stupa. As our small cottage industry grows so does our friend Pabitra’s capacity to be effective in her role as caregiver to many.

Pashmina is the finest wool shorn from the soft undercoat (neck and belly) of Himalayan mountain goats. The feather light fiber is extraordinarily soft and light, yet exceptionally warm. Our “Water” shawls are 70 % Pashmina and 30% Silk, a blend that provides an amazing texture and beauty. They weigh just 2.7 oz and measure 78” X 28 “.

The shawls come in an array of colors. Most are two-tone, the warp and weft different shades. This gives rise to a play of color that shimmers in the light. These two-tone selections are reversible.

You can get a peek at this beautiful new range of shawls on our .MAC web page, but you have to feel them to experience their wonder.

“Water” Shawls retail at $27.00. Wholesale enquiries are welcome: anahata@traveling-light.net.