Embodying Prosperity

This paper explores India’s agropastoral desi oon (wool) textile traditions and their significance in embodying prosperity, focusing on hand-spun and handwoven Pattu textiles. Pattu is a multifunctional textile—used as a shawl, skirt, blanket, mat, or rain cover—valued for its durability and warmth in desert climates. The word “Pattu” derives from patti, meaning narrow-width fabric, woven on pit treadle looms (Khaddi) (Rustagi, 2021). Two narrow strips (pattis) are stitched together to form a blanket or shawl (Munshi et al., 1992). Grounded in Indigenous and Local Ecological Knowledge (ILEK), Pattu’s making involves intergenerational hand-spinning, weaving, and embroidery practices. These textiles not only reflect the ecological rhythms of desert life but also sustain a meaningful relationship between communities and their environment. Crafted from locally sourced desi oon, Pattu embodies both ecological sustainability and cultural identity (Jaitly, 1990). By exploring embedded skills, seasonal rhythms, and collaborative production, this paper highlights how Pattu supports rural livelihoods, preserves intangible cultural heritage, and fosters community resilience. In an era of climate crisis and industrialized fashion, Pattu offers a culturally rooted, sustainable alternative that reconnects people, place, and practice.