This red kathag XL greeting shawl is a long, 240 cm piece with Tibetan motifs and prayer-text lines woven into it. The fine, silky surface and the XL length suit festive welcoming, altar decoration, and the covering of a Buddha statue or thangka. The red shade gives it a distinctive character — in many traditional rites, red is the elevated festive sign.
The role of the kathag and the advantage of the XL size
In Tibetan Buddhist custom the kathag is a greeting scarf: offered to an arriving guest or a respected visitor as a pictorial sign of esteem. The 240 cm XL length is significantly longer than the classic size, so you may wrap it around a larger Buddha statue, span the full height of an altar, or use it as a decorative runner on a long table. The large size allows broader gestures.
The woven motifs and the prayer-text lines
Tibetan motifs are woven into the kathag: the double dorje, the Kalachakra sign, the endless knot, the lotus and other distinctive traditional images. Alongside these, lines of prayer-text may appear in the weaving as well. These signs are well-known pictorial elements of traditional Tibetan art, and they repeat over each turn of the scarf. The weaving woven into the shade gives a fine, calm pattern.
How to use it at home or on a festive occasion
For festive welcoming, hold the kathag folded in both hands and offer it to the guest. On a home altar drape it next to a Buddha statue, or wrap it around a thangka scroll for decoration. It also suits a large table as a runner, and the 240 cm length can dress the whole dinner table of a gathered family. On an evening garden event, draped over a wooden post, it becomes a calm background element.
Material: 100% polyester with a silky surface
The kathag is 100% polyester-woven, which is silky, light and durable. At 87 grams of own weight, folded it fits in the palm, and slips comfortably into a gift package. Polyester fabric does not crease too easily, and the red colour holds well on polyester — the woven motifs stand out clearly, and the play of light on the silky surface looks especially fine.
Country of origin and care
The kathag is woven in Nepal, where old workshops for Tibetan ritual textiles still work. For care we recommend cool-water, gentle hand-washing with a small amount of mild detergent. Avoid spinning, as the woven pattern may distort. For ironing, choose a low temperature, and cover the scarf with a soft cotton kitchen cloth before placing the iron on it.