ARIYALUR: Amid uncertainty in the handloom weaving community, a web portal put in place by Collector P Ramana Saraswathi’s efforts in August 2021 rekindled hopes among weavers in the district as their sarees have since netted Rs 2.50 lakh in online sales. In April, the initiative took another stride with the launch of a mobile application, ‘Asathal Ariyalur Mathi’, which alone accounted for 80 of the total 146 sarees sold so far.
Over 7,000 members of self-help groups (SHG) from Jayankondam, Andimadam, Sendurai and T Palur blocks in the district weave silk and cotton sarees. In an effort to uplift the livelihood of the weavers, Collector Saraswathi made the portal go live. With a host of photos exhibiting the artisans’ handiwork, the section of the official website of the district administration (ariyalur.nic.in) now attracts customers from across the globe.
In addition to the online portal and the mobile application, the collector also launched the panchayat level federation (PLF), which comprises weaver members who raise awareness for the products online.
Collector Saraswathi told TNIE, “Sarees weaved in Ariyalur are supplied to outlets in Kancheepuram, Arani, Kumbakonam and Thirubhuvanam, depriving weavers of credit.
The weavers literally work as labourers for these big stores. Ariyalur is yet to receive a GI tag, too. Middlemen pose another hindrance to these weavers. This is when we decided to provide an exclusive platform for these weavers. PLF members, too, can use the application to sell and receive orders.”
Thilagavathi, a weaver from Karaipakkam, said, “The profit we earn has gone up, courtesy the online portal. We used to weave sarees for Rs 300.”
Ravichandran, another weaver, said, “Online sales have boosted our income, thanks to the collector who even bought a saree from us.”
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