Experimenting with natural fabric in making sarees and denim, the small weavers’ community in Anakaputhur has come up with yet another innovation: sarees made from dyes with medicinal herbs.
Their traditional knowledge in natural dyes and their tireless work made the project successful and the sarees were launched on the International Women’s Day on Thursday.
‘A strenuous task’
D. Hema, member of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association said that preparing natural dyes was a strenuous task. “Different kinds of herbs such as turmeric, aloe vera, neem, tulsi (basil), saffron, henna, etc., are used in the production of dyes,” she said.
The women were trained to dry the herbs and apply the colours on the fabric to create colourful designs.
The herbs are collected from local markets in the region.
“These are completely organic textiles with no application of chemical dyes or toxic irritants, and are totally biodegradable. Specific dyes and herbs are used to prepare the dye materials and the sarees are woven with love for our fellow women,” says K. Vijaya, another weaver.
The sarees are priced at ₹2500 and the price goes up depending on the designs, which involves technical skill of women weavers.
Association president C. Sekar said that the weavers were experimenting with other clothing items such as shirts, shawls, and dress materials.
