On the border of Tibet and Nepal, tucked away at the base of the Panchachuli mountain range is located a growing cooperative of rural women weavers called the Panchachuli.
This is a product of Indian visionary Mukti Datta and her efforts to transform the lives of women living near the Binsar Forest at the base of the Panchachuli Mountains. Today over eight hundred women from a total of thirty-two villages in the region are involved in the processing of raw materials, and the production of high-quality woven and knitted products. The main weaving center is in Almoa, where around 300 women from surrounding villages come to work.
The Panchachuli women weavers use sheep and merino wool, in addition to pashmina and silk – all of the wool is woven and knitted by hand and only natural ingredients are used in the dyes.