Manimekalai Manickam, an expert in the art of kottan (palm leaf basket) weaving is an epitome of empowerment.
Part of MRMRM, an organisation founded by Visalakshi Ramaswamy to revive the dormant art of kottan, Manickam is now one of the few pioneers in the field.
Weaving a basket effortlessly at the recently held World Crafts Council summit in the city, she chats up with this reporter. Manickam traces the rise of the crafts in the last decade.
Before the organisation was set up, kottan was a craft form of the past. Originally native to the region of Chettinad, Visalakshi Ramaswamy started MRMRM in 2002 with about just 10 persons from the village of Kilappati in Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu. She trained the members in an attempt to give a new lease of life to the craft.
“Today, we are financially empowered and our families too are involved in the craft,” says Manickam, whose colourful palmyra baskets are very popular among her regular customers.
Divulging a secret, she adds that natural dyes used in the baskets, bring the attractive appeal to the creations she weaves.
The organisation takes orders from across the globe and India for making palm leaf baskets on occasions such as weddings, functions and are presented as souvenirs.
The organisation also has an outlet in MRC Nagar that sells the products of the craftsmen.
The success story of the revival can be illustrated with the economic independence that the craft has led to. Weavers from five villages in the district are now part of the organisation.
“It has enabled us to realise our dreams and provide a comfortable life to our children and families. A few children of the weavers are doing well for themselves with well-established careers and some are pursuing higher education. Above all this, we are passing on the craft form to the next generation,” she says.
