COIMBATORE: Weavers from 15 cooperative societies, including Negamam, Vadambachery, Sulur Kinathukadavu, and Pollachi areas, have applied for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Negamam Cotton Saree.
The application has been facilitated through the Director of Handlooms and Textiles from the State government to the registry of GI on July 2.
Unique features
Also known as village cot saree, the handloom saree is woven by the master weavers hailing Negamam, a rural area in the district. The saree is famous for its thickness, which is on an average of 86 to 90 picks per inch (PPI), its length, durability, contrasting colours and multicolour thread work of motifs, checks, designs, etc. The border is woven with a rich thread work design as an extra weft.
A traditional Negamam Cotton Saree measures 7.3 metres to 8.2 metres and is woven using 80s count cotton yarn, both in warp and weft, a weaver explained. Moisture-laden wind from the Western Ghats also adds up to the unique feature of the Negamam Cotton Saree as the peak time for manufacturing this saree is from June to November. The main raw material used is the 80s combed cotton to make the fabric thick making it perfect for any climate, the weaver added.
Process for GI approval
Speaking to TNIE, P Sanjai Gandhi, Nodal Officer for Geographical Indication Registration of Products, Tamil Nadu Government, who represented the application, said, “The process will take up to eight months for following up the five-stage procedures to get approval from the registry of GI panel. We have to prove the historical origin, uniqueness of the product.
So far, Tamil Nadu has registered around 35 products in GI. If the product gets approved, it will be the second cotton product in Coimbatore after Kovai Cora Cotton which got approval in 2014.” Collector GS Sameeran expressed hope that the Negamam Cotton Saree will soon get its GI Tag in his Twitter post.