BHOPAL: Thigme Pabu - Shoe of Ladakhi Women from Udmaru Dengspa, Leh-Ladakh is the ‘Exhibit of the Month’ at Veethi Sankul, an indoor exhibition building of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.
Rakesh Kumar Bhatt (Assistant Curator, IGRMS) inaugurated the exhibition on Wednesday. Museum Associate Rajesh Goutam has collected and composed the exhibition.
Goutam, Sangrahalaya says that Ladakhi traditional footwear 'Pabu' holds special significance in their dressing. It is designed to be used in a manner that is uniquely adapted to the landscape and weather conditions of the region. The shape of the shoe rises towards the toes and in the length from the heel to the top, maintains the warmth of the feet in the cold environment.
He says the Thigme Pabu displayed here is a favourite shoe popular among the Ladakhi Women. In Pabu Thigma cloth/strip is used. The Thigma is embellished with motifs made by combination of black, white, blue and yellow colors on a maroon base on a woolen velvet surface. Women wear this shoe during weddings, fairs and other special occasions.
Pabu is traditionally made by skilled craftsmen. These artisans can be the elderly women or men of the village. The wool obtained from Sheep or Yak is woven on the traditional loom 'Thaksa' to prepare the necessary woolen cloth and it is stitched on the leather obtained from the local cobbler, Goutam adds.
