Kerala handloom weavers to gift shawls, sarees to top leaders this Onam

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (PTI) For the fourth consecutive year, handloom weavers from Kerala will see their creations draped on some of India’s most prominent leaders this Onam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and senior ministers, including Amit Shah, will receive traditional shawls and sarees woven in Peringamala, a village near Balaramapuram known for its centuries-old handloom craft.

The order was placed through Hantex, the state-run handloom agency. About 28 members of the Jaikish Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society spent 24 days completing the pieces.

The Kerala government will present the items during the Onam celebrations to the president, the prime minister, and other ministers.

The cooperative has been preparing such handloom gifts for national leaders over the past four years.

“We have crafted 15 royal shawls, 15 royal sarees, and 110 other shawls for the president, prime minister, and other ministers. These are woven with golden threads and intricate designs,” V Santhosh, secretary of the Jaikish Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society, told PTI Videos.

The royal shawl for the prime minister, completed in six days, features a golden border with checks on a tissue cloth base, while the president’s royal saree has a golden border and a tissue base adorned with a red leaf design.

Raveendran, a weaver with over 40 years of experience, said, “I have been crafting these special products for the president for the past three years. I feel very happy to have woven this saree, which took 15 days to complete.” Vijayan, who designed and wove the PM's golden shawl, said, “It is a special honour for poor people like me to weave a shawl for the prime minister. It took six days to complete, featuring traditional Kerala design elements with a golden check pattern and wide gold borders.” Stella, a woman weaver with the Society, created her first design saree for a VVIP, weaving one for Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “I have woven design sarees before, but this is my first for a union minister in my 30 years of weaving. I feel privileged and happy,” she said.

The Society handed over the finished gifts to Hantex on Thursday, and the government will present them to the leaders soon.

Handloom apparel from Balaramapuram has a long history. The area’s expert weavers once produced special clothing for the Travancore royal family. Their distinctive dry weaving technique and use of natural gum to stiffen yarn make the fabric durable.

Only a handful of weavers remain active today, as many traditional handloom units have shut down.

Santhosh said the Kerala government’s decision to source handloom fabric for school uniforms has provided a lifeline to the state’s weaving sector. PTI KPK TGB SSK