Chettinad sari gets the Indian Handloom Brand tag

Union Textile Ministry has bestowed the Indian Handloom Brand tag on Chettinad cotton saris. This comes as a huge boost to a group of 650 weavers from Koviloor and Karaikudi Sivaganga district which falls under the Rajiv Gandhi Weavers’ Cooperative Society. This move will help the weavers to market the product in the international market.

Last August, the society members had attended the textile conference in Chennai and shown their product to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had been impressed with their products. They were asked to apply for the Indian Handloom Brand tag, which was done on September 28. The product was subject to a series of testing and after that it received an official communication from the textile ministry on January 6 about the tag.

The society provides yarn to the weavers who then spin the beautiful intricately designed saris in a hue of colours. The Chettinad sari is characterised by its silk-like texture, contrasting border and bodies colour and has intricate designs adorning the border. It is the traditional sari of the region.

S Palaniappan, president of the society says that the colours of these saris never fade and also they retain their 48-inch width even after umpteen number of washes. Women in the Karaikudi region, especially the elderly ones, take pride in owning these saris. Many of these saris are passed on from one generation to another. The society has mostly women weavers who are paid for their weaving done mostly at their homes. Permitted dyes are used.

The India Handloom Board is an endorsement to quality of the handloom products right from its inception - raw material, processing, embellishments, design besides compliances of social and environment.