Tribute in threads

KOCHI: With Onam season here, the rhythmic hustle of many looms will once again resonate at the Kuthampully Village in Thrissur district. Traditional handloom weavers of the Devanga sect at the village hurry day and night to bring out the Kerala kasavu and handlooms that form the grace of Kerala’s annual Onam celebration. Devangas came to Kerala from modern-day Karnataka, accepting an invitation from the King of Kochi. Back then, they wove grand clothes for members of the royal family and palace. When governments took over the thrones, Kuthampully weavers started making traditional Kerala ware for the state’s special celebrations. 

But the last two years have been hard for them too, much like other traditional weavers in Kerala. Floods and the market collapse owing to the pandemic has pushed them to the edge. Anjali Varma, a passionate handloom lover and fashion designer has come up with the ‘Vocal for tradition, Vocal for Culture’ campaign that aims to revive the handloom sector and create awareness about their heritage.

“As a designer, I have always wanted to give back to society. I used to conduct campaigns exploring various social issues. Currently, there are three clusters of traditional handloom weavers in the state such as - Kuthampally, Balaramapuram and Chendamangalam. All three have Geographical Index (GI) tags and have been keeping up Kerala’s traditional fashion while also enriching it. However, the floods and Covid pandemic has left the industry struggling. Since Kuthampally was one of the worst-hit, I thought of starting a revival campaign from this village,” shares Anjali. 

Tradition and talent
For the weavers of Kuthampully, the looms are not just a means of livelihood, it is more like a lifestyle. The beautiful kasavu sarees they weave have intricate motifs, pallus and borders. To uphold their tradition, as part of the campaign, ‘Mudra - The Royal Handloom Edition’ will be launched soon by members of the Travancore Royal family. The month-long campaign will also be launched at the function at Kowdiar Palace on August 14 and about 1,000 dhotis woven by the Kuthampully weavers will be presented to frontline Covid warriors in Thrissur as an Onam offering. The campaign will ensure the weavers’ recognition and better exposure to get through these troubling times.