Picking Up The Threads!

Kerala has been in the news over the last month for braving the worst natural calamity it has tackled in a century! But it is a matter of great pride that in the face of adversity, Gods own country stood united and chose to fight back. Even as the waters receded and people started to get back to their lives, one of the worst affected were the handloom weavers of Chendamangalam! Their condition was disastrous, but was it a fatal blow to the already dying traditional craft? It would have been, if it were not for a group of like-minded designers like Shalini James, Sreejith Jeevan, Tracy Thomas, Indu Menon and Lakshmi Menon, who decided that they were not giving up just yet! They lent a helping hand to the handloom societies and gave a shout out to designers, handloom enthusiasts and every soul who wanted to help! And the result was just beyond remarkable! This is a beautiful story of survival, woven with compassion, generosity, unity and integrity!

- Riya Sonny Datson

Chendamangalam, a small town in Ernakulam, has a vibrant history and tradition of handloom weaving that dates back centuries. The handloom cluster here recently acquired the GI certification (which means that the certified products have distinct qualities and are made using fine traditional techniques, for which the rights are reserved to a particular geographical area). But of late, the advent of power looms and global brands have led to a dangerous dip in handloom sales; to a point where sales had become festival centric. To add to their woes, the floods arrived just before the annual Onam sale, destroying precious stock and more importantly, the looms – their only source of livelihood!