Nila Dupatta

Our weavers from Kuthampully, a small village along river Nila, wove this piece of Dupatta. River Nila is the lifeline of this village. Weavers get a lot of inspiration from the river to decide on the designs they weave. Elephants are a common sight in and around the village, brought for the temple festivals. Saravanan, our weaver, has decided on the colour and the majestic design of jumbo woven into the Dupatta. He would like to name it "Nila" as a dedication to the mighty river that flows through their village.   Story of Weaving: The handloom fabric is a type of fabric that is woven using hand operated looms. Two sets of interlacing yarns, the warp (length) and weft (width), are woven on a loom hand-operated by weavers. These looms do not use electricity. Human handling lends the fabrics a unique feel and renders the fabrics more value. The resultant fabric is softer, more durable and much more comfortable than machine-made fabrics. Handloom cotton is more breathable and thus feels lighter in summers and provides more insulation in winters. The dyeing process also becomes easier for handloom cotton as the colour penetration is substantially more. Hues are absorbed better thus look resplendent on handloom cotton. The art of hand weaving is labour intensive and takes a longer time. But, the beauty it adds to the fabric is priceless. Choosing handloom cotton supports the rich weaving heritage of India and lets the weavers carry on the precious art-form to the future generations as well.

Kumbham Vase

A "Kumbham" is a type of pottery with a wide bottom and narrow neck. Pottery work is traditionally done by "Kumbharan" communities. They live along river banks or paddy fields where they could get regular supply of good quality clay. The skilful hands of Aruvacode potters crafted this  "Kumbham".  Produced from pure clay, this vase is not just going to enhance your home decor, but also ensures no harm is made to nature. Yes, this Kumbham vase is eco friendly and sustainable.

Neelam Runner

Adorn your dining table with this Elevating Blue Table Runner, made of cora grass starnds. Apart from serving as a decor, it protects your table from spills and damage that can be caused by food, liquids or even dripping candle wax. You may pair it with other crafts from Graamyam to complement all things nice, sweet and spicy, served on your dinner table.   Story of Cora Grass and Mat weaving: Cora Grass is found along river banks and in marshy lands. It can grow up to a height of two meters. Family members of mat weavers collect these cora grass and bring it for processing. They cut each grass stem into four strands and remove the soft material at the centre. Before further processing, the grass is dried under the sun, till it develops a beige colour naturally. The grass is then dyed using different colouring materials and processes to match artists imagination. Sometimes, the colouring process takes days, depending on the shade of colour desired. The handcrafted mats are woven using hand operated looms. A set of  white yarns as the warp (length) and thin strands of cora grass as weft (width), are woven on a loom hand-operated by weavers. These looms do not use electricity. Human handling lends the mat a unique feel and more value. The resultant mat is softer, more durable and much more comfortable than machine-made mats. The cora grass strands are compacted by hand by the weavers, ensuring sturdiness to the mat. The art of hand weaving is labour intensive and takes a longer time. But, the beauty and quality it adds to the mat is priceless. Choosing handwoven mats  supports the rich weaving heritage of Killimangalam and lets the weavers carry on the precious art-form to the future generations as well.