PALAKKAD: It’s all about making a political “style” statement!
Every election in Kerala comes with its own share of colour, creativity, and conversation. From catchy slogans to quirky campaigns, the state’s political theatre has always had room for idiosyncracies. And with this season’s poll fever catching on, a 40-year-old handloom entrepreneur from Palakkad has pieced together a stitch for democracy.
Meet Gireesh Ayyathodi, a resident of Marayamangalam, whose latest creation — handloom mundu (traditional Kerala dhoti) bordered with the emblems of political parties — has taken both the online and offline worlds by storm. What began as a playful experiment has turned into a viral sensation, with his videos garnering over 1.4 million views across Facebook and Instagram over just a couple of days and orders pouring in from across the country.
“I never imagined it would become such a hit,” says Gireesh, his voice still carrying the excitement of unexpected success. “There are people who wear dhotis with borders featuring religious deities. I thought — why not bring politics into it this time? Elections are like festivals here, and I wanted to weave that spirit into our attire.”
Gireesh’s journey from a Gulf expatriate in Kuwait to a trend-setting handloom innovator is the kind of story that resonates deeply on Kerala’s socio-economic fabric. Having returned home during the pandemic with no job in hand, he opened a small handloom shop near his home — a venture powered by family support, local goodwill, and quiet determination. The business did not extinguish the dairy farmer in Gireesh, a reminder that resilience often finds its roots in rural enterprise.
The idea for the mundu hit as the state set the stage of the upcoming election season. The first batch, featuring CPM, Congress, BJP, and IUML emblems, flew off the shelves within days.
“Now, people are calling from different parts of the country. I have received orders from CPI supporters and even a few independent candidates. These are single mundu priced at Rs 200 apiece. I sell my normal single mundu for Rs 150. The printing is done at a unit in Coimbatore, ensuring that each piece maintains both the quality of traditional handloom and modern flair,” Gireesh added.
As political fervour gathers momentum, Gireesh’s creation has already turned into a fashionable form of political expression — a fusion of identity, ideology, and style. In a state that takes both its politics and its aesthetics seriously, his colourful pieces of mundu have become much more than mere clothing.