As the name suggests, ‘Tangaliya’ is derived from the word ‘Tangalio’ meaning the lower part of the body. Traditionally, tangaliya was a 10 by 4 cloth which was draped around the waist. Later on, due to loom size constraints, the cloth was woven 20 by 2 in size and then cut into two parts and joined together to form a shawl for women. Originating from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Tangaliya shawl falls under one such craft which is very unique.
These shawls were woven in the Surendranagar district of Gujarat. This has been a very the indigenous craft which has a deep-rooted origin and history of about 700 years embedded in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. First of all, these shawls are woven in pit looms and then knot with a contrast color thread, which is then woven into the textile to create the effect of raised dots, which is the signature style of this fabric. Several geometrical patterns and dots are created as their designs.
Having its own traditional roots, these shawls are also used by the women of Bharwad shepherd community of the Wakaner, Amreli and other Kutch areas as a wrap-around skirt. Thereafter, Tangaliya shawls have also been provided the Geographical Indication tag to protect its tradition and to ooze its popularity.