Pashmina goats: The Changra goats:

Sham S. Misri

On the high altitudes of  vast flat land  surrounded by mountains, and  valleys, live the Tibetians,  and the Ladakhi nomadic people, known as 'Changpa'.

The Changpa nomads, have been living here for centuries in this high altitude landscape. Their live stock consists of yak, horses,  sheep, and pashmina goats locally known as Changra goats. To rear these ,the Changpa camps at altitudes ranging 3600-4500 meters. In this extreme environment the winter temperatures can drop as low as minus 50 ⁰ centigrade .

The Changpa believe that their livestock are sacred animals bestowed upon them by the gods. They gently comb the Pashm from their goats, taking care not to hurt the animals. Among the Changpa the wealth is defined in terms of sheep, goats, yak, and horses. Those who have more than 1000 animals are considered rich.  Among the Changpa, yak used to have the highest status of any livestock, but with their decreasing number, the sheep are considered animals of high status.

Sheep, along with yak , have always held a positive ritual value among the Changpa, but goats, which were regarded as inferior, even inauspicious, were not so favored. It was rare for goats to be dedicated to gods, demons, and spirits. Further, it is said that shepherds preferred sheep to goats. Sheep move slowly and so the shepherds are able to keep pace with them, but goats tread quickly and are therefore, difficult to tend. It is claimed that while the shepherds talk gently to the sheep, they are always seen swearing  at their goats, because they have to run to keep up with them. Goats also feature in verbal insults and when the Changpa abuse each other, they say, ”may your goat fall sick”, or “may all your goats die.”  Changpa groups move camp about eight to ten times in a year. There are no hard and fast rules as to how long they should stay at one place; each move, the Changpa say, takes place when the resources of a particular area are exhausted. The journey to a  new campsite starts early in the morning, before sunrise. Personal belongings, household utensils, are packed in saddle bags or steel trunks the day before.

The livestock usually sleep in a circle, with the goats in the center and sheep on the outside. The Changpa claim that in this way the sheep keep the goats warm.

The Changpa’s day starts early. The women are the first to rise. They prepare the fire, make the tea, and recite their prayers as they rhythmically shake the goatskin bag to churn the butter inside. Then, the shepherds take the sheep and goats to graze in the valleys and mountains. They return a short while before the sunset. The shepherds are usually young boys and girls  who start herding from the age of eight or nine. While herding they spend most of their time in prayers and spinning wool, or making rope. One shepherd accompanied by a dog, herds a flock of 200 animals, often walking 8-10 kilometers a day. Changpa’s have specific areas demarcated for grazing, and the herders are forbidden to take their livestock beyond the boundaries. Sometimes, the boundary of each grazing area is marked by stones piled up to height of two to three feet. The chief makes periodic visits to check or restack them. Other boundaries follow natural landmarks such as streams, rivers, and ridges. Most Changpa communities have a system of penalties and fines in case grazing rules are violated.

Besides Pashm (wool), the livestock produce dung- used as fuel in the absence of firewood. The livestock are milked twice a day- in the morning before they go for grazing, and as soon as they return in the evening. Women milk the animals, first separating the young from their mothers and then tying the ewes and the goats in two tows facing each other. The goats yield more milk, because the kids are stronger. The milk is processed into butter, cheese, and yoghurt.

The peak period  of kidding and lambing is between February and April. The young are suckled in the morning , then left behind in an enclosure of stones or brought into tent if it is very cold. Early weaning is achieved by preventing kids from grazing with their mothers or by temporarily placing them in a different flock. Soon after they are born, the young male goats are castrated, except those selected as breeding stock, selection being based on quality of animals’ Pashm, with preference given to white. The Changpa prefer not to purchase livestock but to breed their own, because it is in their interest to retain the purity of their stock. Livestock from outside may contaminate their fine breed, or spread disease among their animals. The traders claim that the excellence of fibers reflects the quality of the grazing fields and the manner in which the livestock are cared for.

The harvesting of the fibers starts in the beginning of June. Pashm is the first to be ready and so is harvested first, followed by yak hair and then sheep’s wool. The removal of fibers is mostly done by men, but women help if necessary. The whole process is over by the first week of August; it concludes with a prayer ceremony. For all the Changpa it is mandatory that the removal of fibers be done before this. It is also stipulated that no Pashm or wool be sold until after the prayer ceremony. In practice, deals are done with traders earlier, but the stocks remain with the herders until the prayers are over.

The Pashm is removed  by combing. During winter it lies close against the goat’s body, providing insulation against the bitter cold. The Changpa say that it is only when winter is over and the goat eats the  first new grass that the Pashm rises above the surface of the animal’s body and can be combed out easily. A few goats are combed at a time usually in the morning, before they leave for the pastures. The Pashm is removed in stages; the Changpa say it keeps the animal warm, and if it were removed all at a time the goat might fall ill. For goats that are old and frail, the removal of their Pashm is delayed. 

The Changpa claim that while the shearing of their wool does not hurt the sheep, which remain quiet when they are being shorn, the combing out of Pashm does cause the goats’ pain.  They know this because when being combed the animals bleat and yelp a lot, as if in distress. Any drop in the number of pashmina goats herded in Ladakhi Changthang could have a devastating impact on the Kashmiri shawl industry.