Kasaragod sarees shine brighter after each wash, while its weavers are in doldrums

The Kasaragod handloom sarees were included in the World Heritage list in 2011, giving the industry a shot in the arm. The sales and production had gone up after it. But the pandemic came in as a spoiler, stalling the sales completely.

Kasaragod (Kerala): Sarees that become shinier after each wash, the mastery of craftsmanship that was recognized and included in the World Heritage List, the handloom sarees from Kasaragod are world-renowned for their absolute quality and beauty. However, while the sarees shine more wash after wash, the lives of the handloom artists are still under the shadows of neglect and poverty. They are yet to come out of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The craftsmen who work behind this have been involved in weaving sarees for ages at Udayagiri in Kasaragod. Ramachandran, one of the laborers, said "We do not get the remuneration equivalent to the work we put in to weave the sarees". "We have demanded government intervention to save this ailing industry. Our weavers are going through troubled times. We have pinned a lot of hopes on the revival of the business in the Onam season," said Lokanathan, member of Saree Weaving Co-Operative Society, Kasaragod.

Now, the workers are once again busy weaving these absolute beauties, picking contemporary designs to suit the taste of the customers. The price of Kasaragod handloom sarees starts at Rs. 1200.

The specialty of the Kasaragod handloom saree is that each cloth string is first dipped in starch before weaving, which helps the sarees to retain the original color and shine. The Kasaragod handloom sarees were included in the World Heritage list in 2011, giving the industry a shot in the arm. The sales and production had gone up after it. But the pandemic came in as a spoiler, stalling the sales completely.