Community drapes
The Meitei phanek
The Meitei woman's wraparound cloth, the phanek, with a shawl called the inaphi.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for wearers, makers and the curious.
The phanek is a woven wrap, worn round the waist, of the Meitei women of Manipur. It is tied or tucked without any stitching, and is worn with a blouse and a thin shawl, the inaphi, over the shoulders. Its stripes are one of the best known weaves of the state.
Wrapped step by step
Each drawing shows the cloth so far, with the newest step outlined in gold. The figure is a front view; the wearer's left is on your right.
Step 1 Hold the phanek cloth behind you and wrap it round the waist. Step 2 Bring the two ends together at the front, fold the top edge over and tuck it in at the waist. Step 3 Smooth the cloth so the woven stripes hang level, and the pattern at the hem shows. Step 4 Lay the inaphi, the thin shawl, over the shoulders. Step 5 Let the ends fall in front. Finished The Meitei phanek, seen from the front.
Where it comes from
Weaving is a women's craft among the Meitei, done on a loin loom in the home. The phanek is the daily skirt, and its patterns, such as the mayek naibi, a pattern in stripes, are part of the community's identity. Each style has a name, and some are linked with a social role, an age or a festival.
How it looks
A rectangular cloth is wrapped round the body, with the ends brought together at the front, folded and tucked at the waist. It falls to the ankle. Horizontal bands of woven colour run along the cloth, and the pattern at the hem matters. The inaphi is a fine cloth laid over one or both shoulders.
Who wears it and when
The phanek is worn daily, to the market, to the temple and at Meitei festivals. Dancers in the Manipuri classical dance wear a stiffened skirt called the kumin, a different garment. The ordinary phanek is an everyday dress for women, in cotton, and silk for celebrations.
Sarees worn this way
Sources and further reading
Original text and drawings by the EveryPallu desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The drawings are simplified diagrams of the order of wrapping, not a lesson: how a drape is worn differs from family to family. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Phanek: অজয় দাস, CC BY-SA 4.0, source