A village that thrives on handloom weaving

It almost looks like the village is made out of Lego bricks, and nestled in these tiny homes are some of Tamil Nadu’s most talented handloom weavers. In Periya Negamam, one can find the hospitable, ever-smiling people who are world-renowned for the cotton saris they make. Priced at an average of Rs. 1,000 and upwards, the six-yards are a feast for the eyes. Each one has a team of skilled craftsmen working on them and along with the threads are woven the history and culture of this place.

It was not very long ago that a group of youngsters identified this village and decided to tell its story — their aim was to promote the weavers and their art form among the public. Lingesh Kalingarayar, one such individual, tells us about his introduction to Periya Negamam. He says, “When I was in school, an extra-curricular activity I had taken up was handloom weaving. We would make serviettes, bedsheets and other such things. Yet I never knew such a place existed where the entire community gets together to perform one task each, to bring out a sari.” To make such unique places and experiences known to a larger section, along with a few friends, he co-founded Thadam Experiences. Their tours enable travellers to explore the less-treaded paths in Pollachi and the Anamalai region. 

Each family or street takes up one component that goes into weaving and they’re more than willing to host guests to watch the process. 

Hand-dyeing: It all starts with unprocessed yarn being sent to the village, explains Manoj Muthukumar, who runs a sari shop in Negamam. “The yarn is then measured and tied into a paavu (unit of measurement). At this point, the threads have no colour, so the first set of families immerse the bundles into hot water and then dye them,” he says. 

Warping: A massive wheel takes the centre in one home and a smiling, old man operates it. The colourful yarn is spun on this wheel in order to get the desired length and finesse before the actual weaving begins. Lingesh says he’s been invited into this home on multiple occasions and once, while sipping on a cup of tea, the weaver mentioned how his wife and he have been weavers for over 30 years. “Sadly, only such elders are left in Negamam and once they’re gone, this art may disappear because the kids aren’t interested in taking it up. They’re all working elsewhere and have other occupations,” he adds.

Weaving: The designs into which warped thread will be woven are given to the weavers in advance by shops such as Manoj’s. “My uncle along with a couple of designers decide the colour combination of each sari. The pattern which is woven onto the pallu subsequently, should match the colours. For example, if a sari has a yellow body with a green border and pallu, it can have mango designs incorporated,” he elucidates. If done efficiently, a sari can be woven in one day but it’s a mean task — it puts immense strain on the back and arms of the weavers. 

“What’s even more troubling is that despite all our hard work, handloom saris aren’t appreciated, so it’s a dying business,” laments one of them.

“People in cities don’t know what it is to make a sari so they don’t appreciate its value,” Lingesh says. “In our mechanised lives and our limited world of the web, many often fail to inculcate values like patience. Everyone wants everything to be fast, but a visit to a handloom weaver’s home will show them the other side of life.” 

While this is one reason why he wishes to keep this art alive, another reason is, “When a foreigner or outsider comes to these villages, the children feel proud of their parents or grandparents doing something extraordinary. This may even motivate them to take up weaving as a profession in the future and preserve their family’s heritage.”

As of now, there are around 500 families in and around Negamam who create saris. “They either bring them to stores like mine or sell them to collection agents,” says Manoj. 

There has been a dip in the sale of cotton saris with powerlooms replacing handlooms, yet, he buys all the products at the same price from the communities in Negamam. 

For both Manoj and Lingesh, keeping such villages’ art, heritage and tradition alive is what keeps them going.