Every weave of Tamil Nadu carries a vibrant story. The shiny zari of Kanjeevaram silk, the elegant motifs on Chettinadu cotton, the timeless tie-dye on Sungudi, the intricate Toda embroidery, and the enduring weaves of a Bhavani jamakkalam — the state is blessed with an unmatched textile heritage. The play of the warp and weft, the way of using the loom, the myriad choices of motifs from mango to mayil — there is a lot that can be learned and that needs to be preserved.
While the history, architecture, and cultural influences of the state are much talked about, when it comes to textiles often a Kanjeevaram silk sari and Madras check lungis come to mind. But when you map the variety of weaves one can find in Tamil Nadu, you are sure to find some hidden gems, some that are almost on the verge of extinction.
While we enjoy fast fashion and light-weight daily wear, it’ is also worth pausing and reveling in the beauty of Tamil Nadu’s classic weaves.
Kanjeevaram silk
Among saris, the Kanjeevaram often reign supreme. No special occasion, particularly in the South, feels complete without the sight of a woman draped in a bright Kanjeevaram pattu, spanning from regal reds to majestic blues, complemented by jewels and flowers adorning her neatly tucked-away hair. Kanjeevaram weavers are said to be descendents of sage Markandeya, who, aeons ago, offered worship to Lord Shiva and wove fabrics from lotus fibre for Him.
Notably, it was during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya, ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, that Kanjeevaram silk ascended to its pinnacle. From sourcing the finest mulberry silk to intricately interweaving the contrasting pallus and borders into the body of the sari, a Kanjeevaram narrates the tale of weaving mastery. The motifs adorning these saris, such as the peacock (mayil), floral creeper (kodi visiri), and others, draw inspiration from nature’s bounty; motifs like yaali, ganda perunda, and rudraksham are influenced by the city's rich temple architecture.
Talking about the evolution of Kanjeevaram saris, Jeyasree Ravi, owner of Palam Silks, notes, “These saris are often rich in culture, with each pattu telling a tale of its own. When compared to the earlier hard-to-drape saris with heavy borders and zaris, Kanjeevaram saris have now evolved into a lighter, softer, and easier-to-drape version without any compromise in their quality or designs.” Beyond a mere purchase, Kanjeevaram saris represent an investment in the profound legacy they carry. More than just pieces of clothing, they are living expressions of art, culture, and tradition.
Chettinad cotton
While there’s demand and an equal supply of silk from Tamil Nadu, the state is also well-known for its cotton saris. The black soil belts like Erode, Madurai, Pollachi, and Aruppukottai are known for their quality of cotton. Among them, a popular weave is the earthy and rustic-hued Chettinad cotton saris.
The Chettiar community of the Chettinad region introduced this timeless variant. This fabric uses a thick variety of cotton making it almost opaque. Cotton has always been preferred by locals due to its high absorbency and breathability, which makes it perfect to wear in the hot and humid weather. With a shimmery look, broader borders, and bold checks and stripes, these saris are woven in raised pit looms with a flying shuttle weaving technique. They now come in vibrant hues and a pallu depicting the traditional designs.
The Chettinad cotton is often mistaken for the Kandangai Chettinad cotton saris, which is an ancient form of weave that received a GI tag in 2019. The main difference between these saris is the warp and weft, which are thicker in Kandangi saris. The Kandangi cotton saris are shorter than the others and are often preferred by women who work in the fields. Introduced by the Nagarathar community of Karaikudi, these saris were traditionally made in combinations of black, mustard, and brick red. To craft these saris, weavers take each strand of the thread and attach it to the loom. Due to their thicker weave, they are worn differently and, in earlier days, they would be worn without a blouse or an in-skirt. These thick saris are long-lasting and often passed down through generations. Over time, the elegant Kandangi borders have been merged into other silk and cotton saris too.
Madras checks
Bleeding Madras, George cloth, Guinea cloth, Madras Checks, Real Madras Handkerchief (RMHK) is woven on a 60x40 handloom and comes in many colours and patterns. The RMHK was an important product exported from Madras to Nigeria, referred to as ‘George’ by the Igbo and Ijo tribes, and as ‘Injiri’ by the Kalabari tribes. This checked fabric was an ethnic marker to the West African tribes. The newborn was received in this cloth and years later, it would be placed within the coffin.
“The Madras exporters packed the Madras cloth in trunks which contained 64 pieces of the square handkerchiefs to the main buyers, who were British trading firms. The Madras cloth was popular in Southern Nigeria and Sierra Leone, in Africa. In Nigeria, this eight-yard piece was used by women as wrappers around their hips and as head ties,” shared Sreemathy Mohan, project coordinator and researcher for DakshinaChitra’s project on RMHK, in a previous interview with TNIE. Unfortunately, once a best-seller, this textile is now extinct.However, the kattam and kodu patterns have found their way into our other textiles.
Thirubhuvanam saris
Be it a one-year-old wearing a pattu pavadai for her ear-piercing ceremony or a woman wearing a sari for her wedding ceremony, silk play an important role in the festivities of Tamil Nadu. As for the Thirubuvanam sari, it has a long tradition inextricably linked to offerings to temple deities and is produced in Thirubuvanam town, close to Kumbakonam. Since the Chola period, this town has been preserving the art of this particular weave.
“The weavers leave a human touch through their designs. They narrate stories with every design element and are extremely passionate about it as artistes,” says Arundhati Menon, founder of Shilpi Boutique, and a handloom textile revivalist. Mulberry filature silk yarns are used to design the warp and the weft of the sari. Pure gold zari is used for extra warp and weft. “The texture of the sari is soft. That is the beauty of these original silks, when wrapped around they give comfort. Even in the weather like in our country, it feels warm,” adds Arundhati.
These saris are woven either in raised pit looms, pit looms or on-frame looms equipped with two jacquards. In the latter, the body and pallu designs are woven using one jacquard, while the border designs are woven using the other. The fan-folding on this sari, called visiri madippu, is another unique characteristic. Arundhati worries that youngsters, with the advent of fast fashion and the compulsion of wanting to look trendy, might miss out on the country’s treasures of textiles.
Toda embroidery
The Toda embroidery is an elegant artwork practiced by the Adivasi community living in The Nilgiris. The artisans draw inspiration from nature for their works. The motifs include local flowers, animals, farming nuances, and other elements that surround them. Folklore and religious songs also can be found in traditional works. This type of embroidery — which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2012 — is known as ‘poothkuli’ or ‘pukhoor’, usually woven by women. The stitches reflect the community’s close-knit nature and are characterised by the usage of red and black (with the occasional blue) threads on a white cloth.
Whether diamond waves, forest, or floral patterns — they appear in the mind’s eye and are then stitched onto fabric, leaving no room for error. In an earlier conversation with TNIE, Ramya Reddy, author of Soul of the Nilgiris and founder of Coonoor & Co, explained that with the aid of activists from the community, namely Evam Piljen, the craft was popularised outside the Nilgiris.
“The art came into the mainstream by some of the movements that were spearheaded by some senior Toda artisans back in the ‘60s. It came to the forefront and became a livelihood for women. They sell it to various cooperatives across the district, and you’d see it at several garment stores across the state,” she had said. The embroidery can be found on tablecloths, cushions, and more. While the fabrics designed with Toda embroidery, like shawls, are regularly worn by elders of the community, the youngsters hold on to their traditional threads by opting for them for special occasions.
Sirumugai silk
The fame of Sirumugai silk is unparalleled. Be it a sari woven with 1,64,492 shades of thread in the early 2000s, the shawl with the face of Chinese premier Xi Jinping gifted to him during the 2019 India-China summit, saris with Thirukkural or a Gandhi portrait etched on it — the weavers of Sirumugai are known to work their magic. Beyond the Kanjeevaram silks and Sungudi cotton, this textile variant has been having its moment under the spotlight.
The hamlet, tucked away a few kilometres from Coimbatore, is home to weaving communities and much like Kancheepuram’s bylanes, one can purchase saris fresh off the loom. Several cooperative societies in the locality help weavers by providing silk and cotton threads. The soft silk saris, known for their lightness, have now become a preferred alternative to Kanjeevaram and Benaras silks, often chosen for special ceremonies.
Sungudi saris
Traditionally woven on pit looms, Sungudi saris and textiles are a peek into Madurai’s rich cultural legacy. Termed as ‘Madurai Sungudi’, this drape is woven, and patterned with signature dots and knots inspired by the cosmos. From the 11th to 16th century, skilled artisans and weavers from Gujarat migrated to south Indian states including Tamil Nadu. During the Nayak Dynasty, this community – later termed the pattu-nool-karars – crafted the tell-tale pattern for the aristocrats. In Saurashtra, the Sanskrit word ‘Sunam’ refers to ‘round’ representing these dots. Weavers incorporated the tie-and-dye method inspired by the city’s women knotting their hair. In 2005, this textile was conferred the GI tag. However, this weave is a dying art due to mechanisation, shortage of manpower, and changes in the market. Attempts have been made to revive this textile. February 8 is celebrated as Sungudi Day to honour the craftsmanship.
Compiled by Anushree Madhavan, Archita Raghu, Diya Maria George, Sonu M Kothari and Sreelakshmi S Nair