The curious case of Kuthampully: When you visit Kuthampully, a quaint village on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river in Kerala, you get used to listening to the rhythmic clickety clack of the throw-shuttle pit loom which are installed in every home. In September 2011, the prestigious Kuthampully sari received its GI tag. Weaving here is a way of life with almost every house having a loom. The full family pitches in the weaving task with each playing their part in the process, with the head of the family (interestingly a woman) manning the actual loom. Each household is affiliated to the cooperative society which provides raw material for weaving in return of wages. Most of Kuthampully’s weavers actually have their roots in Mysore, Karnataka. The 500-year-old story narrates about the rulers of Kollengode and Cochin inviting Mysore’s famous weavers of the Devanga community, to become the official weavers of the royal family. Along with being handsomely paid, the weavers were given homes in Kuthampully, on the picturesque banks of the river. Interestingly the customs of the inhabitants here are like Tamilians, but they worship Chamundeshwari of Mysore and weave the inimitable Kerala Kasavu with so much pride and passion. The uniqueness of the Kuthampully weave is its fine cotton (pavu) and authentic gold thread (kasavu) and intricate, artisanal jacquard motifs, finished to perfection. The sheen of authentic zari is breath taking and will stay with you for quite some time. The highly skilled weavers here earn about Rs. 200/- a day and it is a very moving experience to know that if they stop and take rest, it is going to affect their earnings and livelihood. Because of the low wage and high effort, the younger generation has gone away from this traditional work and only about 131 looms are active with the Cooperative Society. Collaborating and working on design development with the weaving cluster team here has been a wonderful experience. The team is always open to new ideas, extremely responsive, diligent and most hospitable. There are several power loom products flooding the market under the guise of handloom using synthetic Chinese yarns. Please be aware of what you are buying. Ask your seller #whatisinmyclothes. Your purchases this Onam season can help support a handmade craft of India and impact a livelihood. Be Elegant, Buy Sustainable, Stay Rooted! #indianhandlooms #ilovehandlooms #kasavu #kuthampully #onam2020 #keralafashion
Comentarios