Construction and Appearance

The monastic hood is normally sewn together by the monks themselves. It is made up of a large rectangular piece of black cloth, which is folded in half and rounded at the top. It is sewn together along the top section. There are short, black ribbons about half way down the front. These are normally tied under the chin to keep the hood in place. Traditionally it was the monks who hand embroidered the hood. Nowadays they are made in the workshops of convents and some are made by female relatives of monks. Some modern versions are decorated using machine embroidery.

The qalansuwa worn by nuns is slightly different from those worn by monks. It is normally much longer than the male version, and the ties at the front are considerably longer as well. In the example now in the TRC collection the decoration is also slightly different than the male version - the frame surrounding the twelve crosses extends around the back. This, however, may reflect the personal choice of the person who embroidered the design, rather than being a standard feature of a nun's qalansuwa.

Such hoods are presented as gifts by the monks to friends and visitors. In addition, as the monasteries are growing as a place of pilgrimage, they are being made for sale as mementos.