Maati Collective

Behind each garment is a sequence of quiet, skilled gestures. Wool travels from the shepherd’s flock to Maati’s workspaces in the Gori river basin, where it is washed, sorted, carded, spun, and finally woven on handlooms – bound by a shared rhythm of care..

This process is slow by design. The pace of handwork preserves texture, nuance, and a certain intimacy with the material. The loom becomes a meeting point of memory, livelihood, and design.

Located in Munsiari in the Gori Valley of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand—across from the west face of the Panchachuli mountain range in the Greater Himalaya—lies Maati Sangathan. Maati (a Hindi term for ‘earth’) is an autonomous women’s collective of mountain farmers, weavers, and self-employed entrepreneurs based in the Gori river valley of Kumaon.

The women of Maati weave, organize, and anchor multiple forms of local work, from wool and craft to community processes. In the Snow Leopard Line, their hands shape Gharia wool into garments that hold warmth, resilience, and the identity of each maker—offering income, independence, and the quiet artistry of women reclaiming both skill and livelihood.