Kuthampully’s handwoven legacy struggles to survive powerloom onslaught
On the banks of the Bharathaappuzha River, the rhythmic Handlooms Clatter, which was once echoed from almost every house in Kuthampully. This small village in the Thrissur region was a moving center where buyers once came across the state and even in the search for authentic weaves, famous for its soft cascading cotton and geographical indication (GI) label.
Today, this music was almost silent. In a modest way, once sheltered benches, large concrete buildings and glittering textile showrooms are the reeds that dominate the view. However, most of these shops sell Powerloom products masked as hand -woven, while small weaving units with fading signs are struggling to be noticed.
“When I started weaving with my father, I was only 13 years old. It was 56 years ago,” he remembers a 70 -year -old Devanga Brahmin community, traditionally weavers, generations who migrated from Karnataka before. “At that time, about 100 families of our community were weaving here. Later, local communities and people from Tamil Nadu woven. At the summit, there were more than 1,500 stalls. There were hundreds of nearby villages such as Thiruvilwamala and Eravathody.”
A weaving unit with a hand in Kuthampully. | Photo Loan: KK Najeeb
Now, only about 150 stalls survive. The decline reflects the story of the traditional hand -woven in Kerala, the reduction of gains, lack of government support, and the excessive rise of mechanized stalls.
Inadequate income
The struggle for aging weavers is two -way – craft disappears, and so is the interest of the young generation. Mahandran, a 58-year-old weaver with four and a half years of experience, accepts the dilemma: “My two son is printing blocks for Powerlooms. They don’t want to join me. How can I force them?
The biggest challenge comes from Powerloom, which produces cheaper products with more diversity. “A hand -woven yellow takes 22,000 coordinated hand and foot movements. If the design is complex, it means even more strokes. Each piece carries attentive labor. However, the Powerlooms market fills with cheaper, various designs. Buyers are less involved when they see less price.
Authenticity
Nevertheless, it continues to create hand -woven craftsmen for those who still value originality. “We customize the designs for those who really appreciate hand -woven fabric. But it is a difficulty in itself to keep up with fast changing trends,” Chandrasekhar adds.
If market competition is not sufficient, the sector of financial bottlenecks is further up. Delays in the state funds and unpaid dues from the sales points operated by the state, such as Handex, pushed the cooperative societies to the debt. A. Kutampully Cooperative Handloom Association Secretary Saravanan summarizes the crisis: “Approximately 80 Lakh of the government funds. Handex owes us La 1 Crore and another Crore worthy weaving. Refund payment.”
A weaving unit with a hand in Kuthampully. | Photo Loan: KK Najeeb
Kutampully Cooperative Association, which was once one of Kerala’s most lively cooperatives with more than 1,000 members, currently has almost 50 active weavers. Societies in Thiruvilwamala and Eravathody welcomed the same fate.
Covid-19 pande was worsening. Saravanan, “there was a blow under the belt,” he says. “It was difficult to welded raw materials, the outlets were closed and the weavers stopped working. Many units were closed permanently.”
The need for support, awareness
What remains today is a breathless heritage. Weavers and experts acknowledge that the government’s stronger intervention and public awareness are the key to revival. “Tamil gives heartfelt support to Nadu weavers. Kerala should do the same thing if she will survive here,” Chandrasekhar says.
He insists that responsibility is not only about the state. “People should realize that this is not only a fabric, but a tradition and identity. Unless buyers make conscious choices, this craft will disappear. But then we can protect the dying industry.”
Once upon a time, Kuthampully’s journey tells the story of a cultural loss story from a living village to the deserted woven rooms from a living village. Whether his legacy is alive during the Powerloom period depends on both policy makers and people and depends on whether they choose protection on comfort.
Published – 02 September 2025 04:30 IST
