Balaramapuram Sarees and Fine Cotton Fabrics are traditional handloom products woven with kora white cotton yarn (grey or unbleached or non-dyed yarn) of finer counts from Kerala. The major items manufactured from Balaramapuram are Grey Saree, Dhoti (also known as Veshti or Mundu), Set Mundu (Pudava & Kavani or Mundum Neriyathum) and Ladies Dress Material (Punjabi Dress).
The combination of Dhoti and shirt is the traditional outerwear of the adult male in Kerala. The traditional outerwear of the women folk is called Set mundu, a combination of Dhoti for covering the lower part of the body and Kavani (or Neriyathu) to wrap around the upper portion of the body like dupatta. Pudava and Kavani is the traditional wedding dress of the brides in the southern part of the state. The Set Mundu has been replaced with Grey Saree and Ladies Dress Material.
Image credit: keraloom.in
The handloom weaving in Balaramapuram dates back to this era of the Travancore history (about 200 years ago) and is associated with the royal family of Travancore. Shri. Ummini Thampi, the Dewan of the then Maharaja, His Highness Maharaja Balarama Varma (from 1798 to 1810), brought weaving families from Valliyoor, in Tirunelveli District of the present Tamilnadu state.
They were brought to weave and supply cloths to the members of the royal family. The King allotted separate streets to them and gave financial assistance initially to start the business. It is due to the earnest and sincere efforts made by His Highness Maharaja Balarama Varma by whose name the place Balaramapuram is presently known; the handloom weaving has become popular and developed into an important industry.
The materials used for the weaving are cotton and Zari (Kasavu) or dyed yarn. The quality of the cotton and the comfort one enjoys by wearing these products are the major attractions of “Balaramapuram” products.
The weavers use primitive type throw-shuttle pit-looms for the production of exclusive traditional products with pure zari. In those cases where there is no usage of pure zari, the weavers are opting for fly-shuttle pit looms for weaving. The usage of frame looms for the production of traditional products with counts 80s and above are rare due to technical difficulties.
Another specialty in the technology used in Balaramapuram is the “Reeds” used in the weaving looms which are made out of bamboo pieces. This, according to the traditional weavers, helps them to adjust the gap between yarns, which is very narrow when compared to the clothes manufactured using metal reeds.
In this cluster, the traditional method of ‘street warping’ and ‘brush sizing’ is practiced for Sizing. Natural materials such as rice starch, coconut oil and rice gruel form the important ingredients for the sizing material. The street warping and sizing is carried out in separate streets designated for this purpose.
The Weavers normally avoid any type of improved appliances such as Dobby, Jacquard, Jala, etc. for making designs in the cloth. The weavers use a unique technique by which each end is separately controlled by hand to interlace with the weft wound in small pirns known as lace weaving.
The technique of weaving the superfine fabrics has spread from Balaramapuram to the surrounding areas and now the Balaramapuram traditional products are manufactured in many villages/panchayaths of the district. The traditional handloom products of Balaramapuram are well known for its simplicity, use of natural materials and exquisite designs with unrivalled craftsmanship.
GI Tag Registration Date : 19 March 2009
GI Tag Number : 152
Certificate Number : 120
Geographical Area : Kerala
Special Cover Release Date : 29 December 2021
Cancellation : Thiruvananthapuram GPO 695 001
Type : GI Tag Cover
Cover Identification Number : KL-21/2021
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It would be great if the story of how the golden zari got embedded in balaramapuram handloom products had been explored.
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