A luxurious hand feel isn’t the only reason that pashmina is one of the world’s most premium materials. The fabric is the epitome of exclusivity. It comes from one unique region, one rare breed of goat, and is cultivated by one small community of nomadic goat herders. The Changpa are the backbone of the pashmina industry. They expertly herd the chyangra goats and collect their precious pashm year after year, allowing us to enjoy some of the world’s most beautiful garments. Find out who the Changpa nomads are and follow their incredible journey below!
The Secluded Beauty Of The Changthang Plateau
The Changpa are native to the remote, high altitude Changthang Plateau in the Himalayas. Nestled between the valleys of the Ladakh region of India and Tibet, the Changthang Plateau is located roughly 4000 meters above sea level. The striking landscape is like no other, enclosed by dramatic mountain peaks, pristine glacier lakes, grassy steppes, and endless stretches of desert.
Changthang is a place where time stands still. The Changpa are largely isolated from the fast pace and technology of the outside world. They continue to follow the centuries-old traditions of their ancestors, migrating across the windswept desert and finding refuge in their yak-skin tents. The lands themselves have instilled this nomadic lifestyle among the people. A scarcity of resources on the plateau requires them to move their camps several times a year. Once a pasture is grazed, it must be left to replenish itself until the next year.
The Changpa hold close relationships with the animals they herd. Their yak, sheep, and goats are their companions and their livelihood. Bitterly cold winters and high altitude terrain make agriculture impossible, and the mostly untouched plateau has no infrastructure for industry. Changpa have herded these animals for centuries, and are extremely in tune with their cattle. However, there’s one animal in particular that the Changpa are associated with: the treasured chyangra, or pashmina goat.
Pashmina: The Gold Of The Changthang
“For the grass you just ate, oh goat
Give us good pashmina.
For the water you just drank, oh goat
Give us good pashmina.
Lie down in the grass and keep still, oh goat
So that we can take your pashmina.”
- Song sang by the Changpa while they comb out pashm
It comes as no surprise that pashmina is the primary source of income for the Changpa nomads. The luxurious wool is one of the most expensive fabrics in the world. It can only be found in the plateau that the Changpa call home. Changthang plateau’s extreme winter climate has caused the chyangra goats to develop an ultra fine undercoat, or pashm, that can be refined into pashmina.
Interestingly, the Changpa weren’t always at the forefront of the pashm industry. Historically they preferred herding sheep and yaks as they were easier to control. It was the global demand for pashmina that made chyangra goats the most important animals for the Changpa to herd. In fact, Tibet was actually the world’s main source of pashmina until the Chinese annexation of the 1950s. The Changpa have taken over as the world’s principal pashm suppliers ever since.
Tribes have developed a special system for pashm collection that has been refined over generations. It’s a delicate process that takes the goat’s comfort and wellbeing in mind. Chyangra goats naturally shed their undercoats every spring as the temperatures begin to rise, which is when collection begins. Changpa tradition states that herders should wait until the goats have had their first graze of fresh grass, as this is a sign of the first shedding. The pashm is then gently pulled away with a special comb.
Collection is done in intervals, so that the goats never begin to feel cold or are put at risk for illness. Young, healthy goats are combed first, while older goats are only combed towards the end of the summer. Once all the pashm is combed and collected, it is sold in raw form to traders in Ladakh and Kashmir to be turned into beautiful pashmina.
The Changthang region produces about 40,000kg of pashm a year. To put things into perspective, one goat only produces about 300g of usable pashm. Male goats tend to produce slightly more pashm than female goats. This means that the entire region’s pashm comes from about 12,000 goats!
The Uncertain Future Of The Changpa
The Changpa nomads are highly respected by everyone in the pashmina industry. But their traditional way of life is being challenged as the prevalence of technology spreads through the world.
Changpa tribes mostly live in isolation from the rest of the world, but they do get glimpses of city life when they transport their raw pashm into Leh, the capital city of Ladakh. Lately an increasing number of Changpa have been lured by the comfort and excitement of the city, and have left behind their nomadic lifestyles. Young Changpa have been tempted to give up their nomadic lifestyle more than ever since India introduced compulsory education in 2010. Many children are sent to boarding schools in Ladakh, where they are given the home comforts of a city life.
No one is certain what the future of the Changpa people will look like, but we are certain that the magnificence of pashmina will live on. One thing is definite; owning a genuine piece of pashmina is more special now than it ever has been.