Kinnauri Cap (Thepang): A people's crown

What can everyday attire reveal about a people, their festivals, beliefs, and shared traditions? In Kinnaur, the answer rests gently atop people’s heads and is called the Thepang. At first, it seems no more than a woolen cap; worn by young and old, men and women, rich and poor alike. But look closer, and it begins to reveal more.

When Captain Alexander Gerard passed through Kinnaur in 1817, he noted of the people, “They like to ornament themselves with wreaths of flowers, and you seldom see a person without some about his cap. In crossing the high passes, or after we had been encamped for some days on spots without vegetation, our guides seemed to hail with rapture the first flower they saw; they pulled and stuck them into the rims of their caps, and further down exchanged them for rhododendron, or some other sweet smelling flower.”  

What once caught the East India Company surveyor’s eye still holds true. Even today the Thepang blooms with flowers, ornaments, and symbols, especially during festivals. And each embellishment carries a special meaning. 

During the revered Fulaich (Ukhyang) festival, celebrated throughout Kinnaur from August to October to honour the departed and welcome new life, villagers gather sacred high-altitude wildflowers such as Saussurea obvallata, Aconitum violaceum and others. These blossoms are offered to village deities then distributed among the community. Saussurea obvallata is specially bestowed upon every household to be cherished until the following year, believed to ward off evil and usher in health, wealth, and prosperity. With deep faith, the sacred flowers are placed upon the Thepang, an offering carried close to the self.

Each village has its own age-old customs for gathering high-altitude flowers, but one rule is shared: these flowers can be picked only during the festival, after they have set seed. This practice keeps tradition alive while also safeguarding the fragile biodiversity of the high mountains.

People thus gather to celebrate Ukhyang in the deity’s compound, where wearing the Kinnauri cap is customary, and, crowned with fresh blooms, they perform the Kayang dance. Moving in a circle with every head adorned alike, their caps blossom with unity, pride, and the ancestral spirit.

On other occasions, the caps are adorned with Tekma, an ornament crafted from barley grass, reflecting the Kinnaura people’s agricultural roots and connection to the land. Notably, many self-help groups actively create these Tekma, supporting local craftsmanship and community livelihoods.

Another cherished decorative element is Chamkha, intricate flower-like ornaments woven from the seed pods of the Indian Trumpet Tree (Oroxylum indicum). Although this tree grows in warmer foothills away from Kinnaur, its seed pods are brought to the region by migrating shepherds, whose annual journeys weave a quiet thread of connection between quite distinct places.

The pods are carefully split open, and the delicate-looking seeds are woven together through an intricate process. Though they appear fragile, the finished decoration lasts for many years, making it perfect for adorning Kinnauri caps.

It’s a cherished tradition that when the groom and his guests go to bring home the bride, each guest receives a cap decorated with Chamkha flowers. Making so many flowers for everyone would be impossible without the help of others. Relatives, neighbours, and villagers all come together to help the groom’s family, before the wedding, working side by side to turn each pod into beautiful flowers.

And even its name holds stories. In Hamskad, Cham means wool, for the soft strip of combed wool it resembles. And in Nava skad, Kha means snow, for the light and translucent white flakes from the winter sky. The two words came together to form Chamkha, weaving the warmth of Cham with the cold beauty of winter’s Kha; a union of the languages and diverse perspectives of lower and upper Kinnaur. 

Thus, while the Kinnauri cap is an everyday essential grounded in warmth and tradition, its true cultural vibrancy shines during special occasions and festivals, where it becomes richly adorned to mark the significance of the event. During these moments, the cap transforms into a majestic canvas showcasing the community’s artistic expression, spiritual beliefs, and community living.

All photos and Video by Tanisha Negi.