Chutka Blanket of Uttarakhand

The Chutka is a w woven blanket with a shaggy pile, woven and used by the Shauka tribes living in the frontier villages of the north. It is used to sit on and as bedding. It is extremely heavy and thick and weighs between 3 to 4 kilograms. making it a wonderfully effective to withstand the cold and feel cozy and warm. The Chutka is woven differently in Garhwal and Kumaon.

In Garhwal, the weavers use a verticle loom on which they also weave carpets called dan. Traditionally, the chutka was woven in backstrap looms and the practice continues in some villages in Kumaon. In Kumaon, the chutka is very often woven on a floor and horizontal loom operated on treadle.