Textiles of Kerala

According to popular stories, around five centuries ago, the Devanga community of weavers was brought into Kuthampully from present-day Karnataka by the royal family of Kochi to enhance trade and production. Today, Kuthampully, located in the district of Thrissur, is a centre of exquisite textile production, particularly the Kasavu fabric. Kasavu is the traditional, Keralite off-white fabric decorated with golden zari borders. The men wear the Kasavu both as a mundu, a lower garment draped around the waist, and a veshti, a fabric put on the shoulder. The women, on the other hand, wear Kasavu sarees and as the two-piece Kasavu settu mundu, also known as mundu neriyathu. Here, the mundu is the lower garment and the neriyathu is the fabric covering the upper body.

For making the Kasavu fabric, zari is usually sourced from Surat and cotton yarn is obtained from Tamil Nadu. The required zari threads are carefully coated with wax to add stiffness and strength. The weaving is done on Jacquard looms using different techniques, for instance, alternate weaving of cotton and zari threads, or using cotton for the centre of the fabric and zari only for the borders. When cotton and zari are woven alternately, the resultant fabric is stiffer. Yarn of different, contrasting colours is used to create further designs on the fabric. Once the fabric is woven, it is spread on large tables and a variety of patterns are either printed using natural dyes or embroidered on it.                                                                                                                                         

The final Kasavu fabric is a gorgeous work of art, adorned by the people of Kerala specifically to mark important occasions. 

Kuthampully handloom products have been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Chendamangalam, located in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, is an important handloom centre of the state. It is said that around the 17th and 18th centuries, the weavers of Chendamangalam primarily produced clothes for the influential Paliam family. The eldest males from the Paliam family were the hereditary Chief Ministers to the Rajas of Kochi. Today, Chendamangalam is especially famous for its cotton mundus. A mundu is a fabric used as a lower garment tied at the waist. The men wear it with shirts or a veshti (a fabric worn on the shoulder), while the women wear the mundu with a neriyathu draped on the upper body. The mundu neriyathu is a two-piece dress resembling a saree. 

The main material used by the Chendamangalam weavers is cotton. The cotton yarns are carefully sized before the weaving begins in order to make them uniform and round. This gives the resultant fabric a fine feel. The borders of the mundus produced here are coloured, and while a little kasavu or zari work is often included, it is usually not the primary focus unlike the fabrics produced in Kuthampully. Chendamangalam fabrics are produced in handlooms and are known for their smooth surfaces.   

The chequered and plain cotton sarees of Kerala get their name from the place where they are exclusively woven - Kasaragod, situated in northern Kerala. It is the Saliya community of weavers that are involved in the production of Kasaragod sarees. These sarees are made mostly at the homes of the weavers using simple looms. Before the weaving of Kasaragod sarees actually begins, the cotton yarns are immersed in a soap solution, boiled for hours, washed and dried to prepare for dyeing. These processes ensure that the threads are able to absorb dyes better. Thereafter, the yarns are dyed and dried for a day or two. Next, the dyed yarns are spun and arranged into spindles of different colours as per the required designs to be woven on the saree.

Once the weft threads are arranged on the loom, they are strengthened through the application of starch, commonly made of rice flour. This is carried out at regular intervals throughout the process of weaving. The weaving is carefully done on a fly shuttle loom, using threads of various colours. The bright and colourful Kasaragod sarees are suitable for any occasion and comfortable to wear. Kasargod sarees are recognized under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Kannur, earlier known as Cannanore is a city in the state of Kerala. It is home to the Saliya weaving community, famous for making pure cotton finished goods. Kannur is known as the city of looms and for creating the finest quality handloom fabrics. Cotton cultivation and weaving have been a way of life for the people of Kannur for a long time. The region also specializes in dyeing and stitching. 

It is believed that King Chirakkal Raja of Kannur brought the Saliya community and settled them here. Some also say that the history of weaving in the Kannur region can be traced back to the Basel Mission, a Christian Missionary Society active from 1815 to 2001 in Kerala. The missionaries are said to have set up various factories and introduced weaving, spinning mills and printing units. They also trained the local people and it is during this period that the handloom industry in Kerala gained considerable growth. 

For generations, both men and women have been involved in weaving. After acquiring the raw materials, the first step is to boil the yarn for 24 hours. After this, various colours are mixed in specific quantities for dyeing. The desired colour of the yarn is obtained by using the right amount of dyes at the appropriate temperature. After dyeing, the yarns are spun and placed into bobbins. Thereafter, yarns are loaded on the loom and the process of weaving begins.       

After the product is prepared, it is taken to the finishing process unit where the fabrics are given final finishing and brought back to the weaving unit for sale. 

Balaramapuram is a small village that lies in the Thiruvananthapuram district. It is famous for its fine cotton handloom products. The popular Balaramapuram products are Kasavu sarees, Mundu, set Mundu or Mundu Neriyathum and other dress materials. Kasavu is the Malayalam term for zari thread. Kasavu sarees are the trademark white cotton sarees of Kerala with a golden border. Balaramapuram sarees are the most famous products of Balaramapuram, known for their authentic work and simplicity. These sarees are worn as traditional costumes by the women of Kerala.

The weavers of Balaramapuram belong to the Saliya community who migrated here from Nagercoil and Tirunelveli (districts of Tamil Nadu) and are famously known to have worked for the Travancore royal family. Gradually, the weaving techniques used by the Saliya community spread to other local weaving communities of Balaramapuram too. The royal family of Travancore patronised handicrafts. Upon the advice of the Dewan, Shri Ummini Thampi, Maharaja Balarama Varma introduced various industries in Balaramapuram such as handicrafts, handloom weaving, oil extraction, etc.

Balaramapuram handloom products are mostly woven on pit looms of two types, throw shuttle pit looms and fly shuttle pit looms. The weaving process begins with the preparation of yarns. The warp yarns are first boiled, then washed and then dried. The weft yarns are just washed and dried, without being boiled. After this, the yarns are spun and placed into bobbins and pirns. The next process is called sizing, in which warp yarns are coated in rice starch to impart strength so that they do not break during the process of weaving.                                                                                                                               

After this, the warp yarns are loaded on the loom as per the desired design and then the process of weaving begins. Once completed, the products are checked and packed for dispatch. Balaramapuram handloom products are registered under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.