A shawl (from Persian: lang-Urdu شال shāl, which may be from Hindi: दुशाला duśālā, ultimately from Sanskrit: शाटी śāṭī) is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folded to make a triangle but can also be triangular in shape. Other shapes include oblong shawls.
Shawl and pashmina name comes from Kashmir, but it originates from Hamedan Persia. Sources consider Cashmere crafts were introduced by Sayeed Ali Hamadani In the 14th century Mir Ali Hamadani came to Ladakh, home land of pashmina goats where, for the first time in history he found that the Ladakhi kashmiri goats produced soft wool. He took someof this goat wool and made socks which he gave as a gift to king of Kashmir, Sultan Qutabdin. Afterwards Hamadani suggested to the king that they start a shawl weaving industry in Kashmir using this wool. That is how pashmina shawls began. The United national specialized agency UNESCO reported in 2014 that Ali Hamadani was one of the principal historical figures who shaped the culture of Kashmir, both architecturally and also through the flourishing of arts and crafts and hence economy in Kashmir. The skills and knowledge that he brought to Kashmir gave rise to an entire industry.
Kashmir was a pivotal point through which the wealth, knowledge, and products of ancient India passed to the world. Perhaps the most widely known woven textiles are the famed Kashmir shawls. The Kanikar, for instance, has intricately woven designs that are formalized imitations of Nature. The Chenar leaf (plane tree leaf), apple and cherry blossoms, the rose and tulip, the almond and pear, the nightingale—these are done in deep mellow tones of maroon, dark red, gold yellow and browns. Yet another type of Kashmir shawl is the Jamiavr, which is a brocaded woolen fabric sometimes in pure wool and sometimes with a little cotton added.