Handloom industry in Tamil Nadu is weaving a bright future, say experts

India has a long tradition in making high-quality handloom products with exceptional skills and craftsmanship, which are unparalleled in the world. The intricate craftsmanship of the handlooms provides a unique identity of its own. As we celebrate National Handloom Day on August 7, we take a look at the major developments that have happened in the handloom industry in the state.

Gandhigram Khadi Trust in Dindigul has been working with weavers from the region to promote the design style. “We are constantly looking at ways to help our weavers and have been in conversation with the weavers of Idaikal in Tirunelveli. Gandhigram has nine weavers weaving kora, towels and kerchiefs. Along with textile manager A Prasath, and cluster manager Subbiah, I have been visiting the village clusters and encouraging the weavers to explore different products to help them fetch better wages. We had our first break in January 2019, when weaver Senthivel attempted the first saree warp. Ever since then, there was no looking back. He saw an increase in wages by 70 percent. Seeing Senthivel anna’s efforts pay off, three more weavers joined in to weave saris,” says textile designerAditi Jain.

The youngest weaver in Idaikal is50 years old and their advanced age makes it difficult for them to weave dark colours! “We plan warps in light colours and the weft patterns are left to their imagination to make it a truly collaborative process. The saris are woven using 72 khadi count and have a very comfortable soft drape. We are coming up with various things to encourage weavers. A brother-sister weaver duo from Idaikal made only towels before and our team introduced them to make dupattas. They now take turns and weave stoles throughout the day,” she smiles.

There is a wrong perception that the future of weavers is bleak, “Handloom is not a dying industry as projected and it is the fabric of the future with a lot of innovative developments,” Aditi adds.

Gandhigram Khadi and VIPC Trust will be exhibiting Idaikal saris, Idaikal stoles, indigo stripe handkerchiefs, muslin saris, etc, at CP Arts Centre from August 9 onwards.

A traditional master weaver-designer from Kancheepuram, B. Krishnamoorthy, has been witnessing various developments in the handloom industry for more than three decades. “A couple of years ago, weavers in Kancheepuram used to weave blankets. But now nobody is making it and they are focussed on weaving saris. Unlike before, we don’t use traditional motifs life cheepu reku (comb like temple), pillaiyar moggu (looks like a turmeric ganesha), annapakshi (mythical bird), kamalam (lotus flower), lavanga poo (clover), etc, anymore,” he says.

Today’s weavers are not following Kuppadam — a weaving technique using three shuttles to create solid borders. “We can hardly see any weavers following this method. They are now using jacquard weaving and punch cards. The best way to revive weaving is by introducing it in school as a soft skill training. Handloom sector has a lot of potential and its future is bright,” Krishnamoorthy says.

The Crafts Council of India (CCI) is celebrating Handloom Day with an exclusive 10-day exhibition of handloom textiles starting from August 7 at Kamala CraftsShop, Egmore.