Traditional Indigo Cultivation and Textile Dyeing in Bhutan

Natural plant dyeing is a complex process which starts at the cultivation of the plant and continues with the making of the dye solution and the dyeing of the yarns. In Bhutan (Himalayas), it is now an endangered knowledge due to mass produced synthetic dyes competition, lack of commercial outlets, and climate change that affects the cultivation of the plants. Organic dyes are of very good quality, renewable, hypoallergenic and support biodiversity, but today only a few persons in Bhutan know the entire process for several plants. The author seeks to revive this knowledge by supporting cultivation of indigo plants, buying farmers’ crops, producing dyed yarns and supplying them to weavers for high quality products. As an essential part of this preservation strategy, this article aims to record the cultivation and the complex dyeing process for indigo in written form for future knowledge transfer.