A group of 15 weavers from Kancheepuram recently visited weaver clusters in another ancient town Nuapatna in Odisha to learn the ikkat designs. And they returned with a fund of knowledge.
The five-day trip was organised by the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society, better known as Co-optex.
Co-optex officials say though in some parts of Dindigul and Palani weavers use the technique, weavers depend on design cards that make weaving an expensive and laborious process. “Odisha weavers use a simple tie-and-dye method at the yarn stage which they then fix on the loom and weave. The dexterity of their fingers is amazing,” says N. Nagarajan, a weaver from Pallavar Silk Weavers’ Cooperative.
Among the towns the weavers visited was Nuapatna, which with around 7,000 weavers and 2,083 looms, has an 800-year-old history of weaving. Nuapatna weavers design fabric for the Puri temple festivals.
“We have followed our family profession but our children have taken up other jobs and will not follow in our footsteps. We are the last generation to carry forward the tradition of handloom weaving. By bringing in new designs we hope that the tradition does not die,” says R. Thiruvengadam of the Pallavar Handloom Cluster.
Co-optex’s managing director T.N. Venkatesh says the organisation had launched a set of ikkat designs in silk sarees during Pongal but was aiming to introduce newer varieties and revamping their collection of bedspreads and linen. During the recent exhibition at Bubhaneshwar the organisation earned Rs. 5 lakh from sales but most of the products sold were bedspreads and linen.
“By sending groups of weavers to Odisha the organisation is hoping to build a customer base in that State. It is a good way for weavers to learn what customers want. The weavers now know why we are trying to promote products from other states,” he adds.
Co-optex plans to send such weaver groups to places such as Mangalagiri and Chirala in Andhra Pradesh and Ilkal in Karnataka.
