Saantham Picnic Mat

A comfortable mat handcrafted by Bindu, Sindhu, Beena and Sheeja, the weavers of Killimangalam. A dash of turmeric sprinkled with beetle nut leaves and bordered with blue. Here is a mat you can have for a relaxing outing.   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.

Kutta Planter/Bin Basket

In Kerala, the land of coconut trees, we find a way to create utility from every part of that tree. For decades, making coir by processing coconut fibre has been a source of livelihood for a significant share of the population in this region. Coconut fibre is processed into strands and these strands are twisted together to form coir. Later coir is dyed with beautiful colours. Our artisans in Alleppey district of Kerala use this coir to make baskets. A basket completely made of natural materials, symbolising the spirit of Kerala.

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.