हम्ब्रीलमाय का करघा (Hambreelmai’s Loom)
by Mamang Dai and illustrated by Kalyani Ganapathy
“हम्ब्रीलमाय का करघा” (Hambreelmai’s Loom) by Mamang Dai and illustrated by Kalyani Ganapathy. Translated to Hindi by Veena Shivpuri. Published by Tulika. A folk tale from the exotic land of Arunachal Pradesh about how the Mishmi people started weaving such beautiful clothes.
Sheipung, the porcupine, is woken up from his sleep by a sound that he has never heard before. He looks around curiously to find Hambreelmai, the first weaver, busy working on her loom. She is staring up at the sky and making all the patterns that she finds in nature on the cloth that she is weaving. She has been trained by the Goddess Matai herself.
Sheipung is so awestruck by the beauty of the cloth that he wants it for himself. He tries to go near Hambreelmai who is sitting in a cave on the banks of the Kamblang river. A rock blocks his way. A push moves the rock much more than he thought. What happened next? Did Sheipung get the cloth after all? What did Hambreelmai do? How did she pass on the art of weaving to the people of the Mishmi hills? Read the book to find out.
My seven year old has been reading this book for a year now and liked it. We loved the sounds “Tak tak sum, tak tak sum” used to describe the working of the loom. The bright illustrations showcasing the beautiful landscape and textiles of the region are a feast for the eyes. A perfect book for armchair travel to exotic Arunachal. Hambreel in Mishmi means a species of little fish with patterns found in the rivers there. This book happens to be the first ever book to be published in Mishmi language. Thank you Vidya Mani of Funky Rainbow for recommending this charming book! The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Where to buy from?
The publishers Tulika books here.
An independent indie bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.