Moirang Phee Weaving
Nested triangles marching in from the border — Manipur's oldest woven signature.
A fine cotton textile from Manipur named for the town of Moirang, distinguished by its border and end-piece pattern of nested triangular 'temple' motifs — the 'moirang pheejin'. Woven as saris, wraps, phaneks (the Manipuri wrap skirt) and shawls, it is one of the state's signature handloom cloths.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Moirang, Manipur
Craft Type
Handloom cotton weaving
Materials
Fine mill or hand-spun cotton (silk in luxury versions); natural or chemical dyes; the Manipuri throw-shuttle loom or, traditionally, the loin loom.
Known For
The moirang pheejin temple-triangle border, phaneks and saris, fine cotton
Time to Create
Three to seven days for a sari or phanek
Process Steps
Spinning and dyeing
Cotton is prepared and dyed; the ground is usually left white or in a soft solid colour to set off the border.
Warping the loom
A fine warp is measured and mounted, with extra border warps arranged for the pheejin design.
Weaving the field
The body of the cloth is woven in plain weave at a fine, even sett.
Building the pheejin border
At the selvedges and end pieces the weaver works the stepped triangular motif with supplementary or interlocked weft, always pointing inward.
Technique Glossary
Moirang pheejin
The nested-triangle 'temple' border motif that defines Moirang Phee and ranks among Manipur's most prestigious designs.
Phanek
The Manipuri wrap skirt, one of the main garments woven in Moirang Phee.
Loin loom
The backstrap loom, tensioned by the weaver's body, on which much traditional Manipuri weaving is done.
A Craft Through Time
Ancient
The Moirang motif
The stepped-triangle border becomes associated with the Moirang principality and enters the Manipuri weaving canon.
Traditional
A household craft
Meitei women weave Moirang Phee for family use and local exchange on loin and throw-shuttle looms.
20th century
Commercial handloom
Cooperatives and the Manipuri handloom sector produce Moirang Phee saris and phaneks for wider sale.
2013
Geographical Indication
Moirang Phee is registered as a GI, one of several protected Manipuri handloom textiles.
Did You Know?
The stepped triangular 'pheejin' border is so identified with the town that the cloth simply takes its name — Moirang Phee means 'Moirang cloth'.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.