Pakul

A Chitrali Pakol hung on a wall.

The Pakol also spelled Pakul or Khapol, Kapol , Kapor, chitrali topi and sometimes called a Mujahideen Cap from Chitral , is a soft, round-topped men's hat, typically of wool and found in any of a variety of earthy colors: brown, black, gray, or ivory. Before it is fitted, it resembles a bag with a round, flat bottom. The wearer rolls up the sides nearly to the top, forming a thick band, which then rests on the head like a beret or cap. It is seen as a hat of the Pashtun people.

Pakul With peacock plume stuck in the folds

The Pakul is part of the Chitrali or khow culture , and got its popularity during Afghan war when mujahideen members started using it, as it was an excellent alternative to the pushtoon turban. Today it has become an integral part of the pashtoon culture all over the world , and that is one of the reasons it became one of the major items sold by Chitrali business men outside outside Chitral. In Peshawar there is a market called Chitrali bazaar, and one of the major products is the the pakul. Orignally the pakul was made from Chitrali patti, but due to high prices and scarcity of Chitrali patti, business men started making it from other sources also.

The hat may have originated in Chitral and Gilgit. However, its ancestor is perhaps the remarkably similar ancient Macedonian kausia. It gained popularity amongst the northeastern Pashtun tribes and the Tajiks of Panjsher and Badakhshan. It is also worn by many in Pakistan.

There are two basic types of Khapol. The Chitrali style has a sewn brim. The Gilgiti style is worn much like a knit cap.

The pakol is made out of coarse woolen cloth, locally known as pattoo. The pattoo is first sewn into the shape of a cylinder, about a foot or more long. One end of the cylinder is capped with a round piece of the same material, slightly wider than the cylinder itself. The woolen cylinder is then inverted and fitted onto a round wooden block. The rim of the woolen cylinder is then rolled up to the top. The flat top protrudes a little over the rolled-up edge to give the cap a tiny brim. Otherwise, all Pakistani headwear, unlike Western hats, is brimless. This is because Muslims pray with their heads covered. A brimmed hat would interfere with the sajdah (act of prostration during prayers). The little brim of the pakol, however, presents no such problem. The cap comes in white, gray, and different shades of brown.

The hat is worn in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It gained popuarity amongst the northeastern Pashtun tribes in the early twentieth century largely as a substitute for their large and cumbersome turbans. It also gained popularity amongst the Nuristanis and the Tajiks of Panjsher and Badakhshan. It is also worn by some Pashtun tribes who live in Kunar and Laghman. It is particularly popular in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and Northern Areas such as Gilgit and Hunza and Chitral. It is also worn in some northern regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

In Chitral, and Gilgit-Baltistan, the white color pakol is more popular and is sometimes worn with a peacock plume stuck in the folds, like a badge, on the front or the side of the cap. The deep blue and green of the peacock feather, set against the white of the cap, is quite eye catching.

Because of the woolen material, the pakol is basically a cold weather cap. In particularly chilly weather of Nurestan, the cap can be unrolled and pulled down over the ears, like a ski cap. Worn this way, it may look sloppy but is effective against the cold. However, when worn properly, the edges rolled up and the cap sitting lightly on the head at a slight angle, it is a smart looking cap.

The Afghan military leader Ahmad Shah Massoud is often shown in photographs wearing a pakul.

External links

• Willem Vogelsang, 'The Pakol: A distinctive, but apparently not so very old headgear from the Indo-Iranian borderlands'. Khil`a. Journal for Dress and Textiles of the Islamic World, Vol. 2, 2006, pp. 149–155.
• Pakol Hat