In God's Own Country, Kerala, 35 km from Kochi, in Ernakulum district, is rooted the ancient handloom town of Chendamangalam famed for its saris, dhoti, and set-mundu, now GI-tagged since 2011. The area has been flourishing as the handloom headquarters of the Devang Chettiar community since the 17th century, when Paliya Achan or Paliyathachan (the oldest male member of a family) began his patronage. Hailing from the Paliam Nair family, who were hereditary chief ministers of the Rajas of Cochin, Paliyathachan has a significant role in the rise of the Chendamangalam, and therefore its weaver community.
The weavers' community, the Devanga Chettiar, started out with specialisation in weaving pure cotton saris with a silk border. From the set-mundu or mundu neriyathum, a two-piece garment, which has been favoured by Kerala women for ages now, and thorthu, the ubiquitous bath towel, and the resplendent kasavu sari for brides, the Chendamangalam weavers, are masters at all. They pick, choose and codify a range of yarns, in varying thicknesses, to create textile has continues to find huge favour amongst the consumers of handloom. Export of yarn from Chendamangalam is de rigueur for surrounding regions, such as Balaramapuram, which has its own vast and age-old handloom industry.
Spread across several of the south Indian states, such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and even as distant as Odisha, the Devanga weaver community, is almost as old as the advent of textile. The community has accepted various names through the many hundred years of its existence. They are called jadaru or great men, and dendra, and dera, both colloquialisms for the Devanga. It also has been listed that this community is called settukkaran, or economic or economical people.
Creators of the world-renowned kasavu saris and mundu, which take their name from the gold zari borders woven with unbleached or white cotton yarn, these ancient architects and inventors have braced well for modern day too. They revved up and innovated their trademark Chendamangalam saris. Long recognised by its puliyilakara edge, or a slim black stripe that lines up with the selvage, along with its technique of the extra-weft chuttikara, and stripes and checks of differing widths, these Chendamangalam saris are now also woven to embrace the new age. The weave now engages old patterns and traditions, while incorporating trends in colours and designs. The dexterous weavers have also taken into their oeuvre the technological advancements in production, distribution, retail, and communications. While the extensive and widespread community had their hands full with orders coming in by the dozen, mainly via traditionally set avenues of wholesale, etc, they are a bit reluctant to join the online delivery bandwagon due to pricing disadvantages, and taxes on digital payments.
In the recent years more disadvantages and misfortune have been pushed towards Chendamangalam's tireless and brilliant weavers. Due to its positioning at the crossroads of three rivers, Chendamangalam was devastated by floods in 2018. The waters submerged and damaged goods worth crores, and misery went viral in the community. It also suffered immensely more during the COVID 19 lockdowns, as well as from the virus's fatal consequences on the weavers themselves.
A dazzling ray of hope for the despondent community came in the form of the Chekutty (kid of Chendamangalam) dolls. Created from the saris damaged in the floods of 2018, Chekutty doll sales in the national and international markets bring in not only much-needed financial aid but also a measure of relief from despair.
Best time to visit: The winter months of October to March.
By Rail: Ernakulam is about 29 km out.
By Air: Cochin International Airport, is approximately 23 km away.