Namda meditation mat - hand felted and embroidered floor seat pad - Hippie style home decor gift

Round rug floor seating pad Mandala rug "Namda" meditation mat - made of pure wool- hand embroidered
for bohemian home decor - Indian floor seating

from the mystique state of Kashmir in the Northindian Himalayan region

The word "Namda" comes from the 11th century, when the Mughal King Akbar searched for a suitable cover for his cold bitten horse. An old man named "Nubi" offered his felt covering, which he had made himself. It was beautifully embroidered and Akbar was so impressed by the workmanship, that he bestowed great honors to "Nubi" and his village and the craft of making "Namda"s became famous. Originally the sufi saint Sha-e-Hamadan brought this and other crafts from Persia to Kashmir: "give a poor m
an a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him how to fish and he will have food his whole life"

In Kashmir, no matter poor or rich, it is traditional to sit on the floor and the floor can get really cold in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Namdas, made of pure wool, are not only decorative rugs and magical, unique pieces of textile art but also the best answer to cold floors and perfect for beautiful floor sitting arrangements. They are also used as bed or mattress covers or to adorn any corner of the home with its beautiful embroidery as floor seating cushion, bohemian tapestry or decorative floor mat, meditation pad or chair pad. Surely this unique small felt rug will not only bring warmth to your floor but any interior as decoration

The traditional making of a "Namda" :

Pure sheepwool , from the mountain area of Kashmir, is collected, cleaned and dyed. Then woolen flakes are spread evenly on a jute mat (minimum 3 layers of dyed and un-dyed - like a sandwich), then sprinkled with soap water. The mat is then rolled tightly , tied up and compressed by rolling it on the floor with the help of hands and feet for a long time. The ready plain Namda is then dry washed by the local women and finally embroidered by hand with the Aari (needle hook), traditionally floral designs are used but als geometric and more modern designs are possible.

Size is approximately 22" - 55 cm (please note: the Namdas are never perfectly round or straight)
it can be used as a seat pad - meditation mat, table decor, floor seating pad or yoga cushion
Material: pure sheep wool embroidered with veg. dyed woolen threats