Coimbatore: Proverbially, a farmer holds a plough and a weaver holds a loom. However, practically a farmer has no land and a weaver has no clothes! Farmers and weavers of the present day survive with the bare minimum!
Coimbatore: Proverbially, a farmer holds a plough and a weaver holds a loom. However, practically a farmer has no land and a weaver has no clothes! Farmers and weavers of the present day survive with the bare minimum!
India is a land renowned for its handlooms. The weavers don't weave just for profit, they carry the responsibility of passing down the heritage to the next generation. Just like agriculture, weaving is ancient and intricate. Proverbs such as, 'a farmer's legs and a weaver's hands know no rest', suggest how old both the occupations are.
In the ancient times, cradles for newborns were made of handloom materials which were airy and good for health. As technology improved, this habit has been bidden adieu.
It is quite common to see actresses draped beautifully in sarees for silk saree advertisements. However, not many are aware of the sad story behind the dazzling silk saree. The story of silk cannot be narrated briefly. It is a long story starting from a silkworm and goes on until it becomes a silk saree. It involves the participation and hard work of an entire family. The intricate work which is done cleverly with dexterity takes a lot of time and is intertwined with the lives of the farmers and weavers.
Handloom Day
The Swadeshi movement began on August 7, 1907 during the Indian Freedom Struggle when foreign clothes were rejected. To impart the importance of handloom upon the people and raise awareness amid them, the Handloom Day began to be observed. The Central Government has been motivating this industry through the Handloom Day.
Job at a big company, a handsome salary and branded clothes everyday did not give Sivagurunathan happiness. A resident of Chennimalai, Erode Sivagurunathan resigned from his lucrative job and took to weaving handloom garments. After working for 11 years in the IT industry along with a few changes of places. He found his calling after he met Nammalvar, he shared with us.
"I met Nammalvar at Thiruvannamalai. Following that I have taken up Gandhian values as a guidance for my life and have been living accordingly", he recalled. "Everyone told me that it was going to be extremely difficult. However, Sivaraj from Cuckoo Movement for Children encouraged me saying that it might be difficult initially but will lift me in the future.
Even when I was a child, I was interested in handloom and handloom tape. Knowing my interest in this, my friend took me to meet Surendra Kowlagi, who has worked with Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and Jayaprakash Narayanan. He has been a weaver for three generations. When I expressed my interest, he said that many people these days give up their jobs and take up agriculture, weaving and other community based industries. Like agriculture, Khadar handloom is a way of life. It cannot be about profit and loss."
He continued, "I quit my job and spoke to people who do traditional weaving. Following that, on October 2, 2016 I began weaving. For the first two years, I just gained experience. There is plenty to learn in this. Coming from a weaving family, this was not entirely new. There are 1,010 weaver families in Chennimalai. All the residents undertake weaving, but the number of handloom weavers are very less in the current times."
"Even during this pandemic. our work still continues. An infant spends an equal amount of time on its mother's hand and a cradle. Hence we decided to provide cradle cloths to the children being born at government hospitals. Mothers who cannot buy anything during these critical times will be provided by us. Just like a mother's touch, a cradle cloth is also important. The care that we take in providing food to an infant must also be provided to the cloth we wear. Its recyclability and health factor must be taken into account. We truly believe that a cradle made of cotton will interact with children", he said.
"We tend to use clothes made in powerloom all through the week. Hence we should attempt to use handloom clothes at least once a week as a mark of the respect pay to the weavers. Though it is costly, it is the price for the labour. In the 90's, handicrafts were a part of the curriculum. Now there is no one to teach that! With this in mind we are planning to start a handloom spinning school. Weaving is also like agriculture. On this day as a mark of respect to handloom and handloom weavers, wear handloom clothes!", he concluded.
Those interested in buying handloom products can visit http://www.nurpu.in/