Chendamangalam Handloom

Chendamangalam Handloom

Part of: Prelims and GS-I- Culture

In News: A serious shortage of yarn and dyes and plummeting sales have pushed the popular Chendamangalam handloom weavers’ cooperative societies in Ernakulam district and around a thousand weavers into a serious financial crisis, which now threatens to end up in the closure of at least a few cooperatives. 

About

• There are four main centres for weaving the traditional handlooms of Kerala – Balaramapuram, Chendamangalam, Kuthampully, Kannur and Kasaragod. 
• Like in other parts of Kerala, weavers in Chendamangalam were under official patronage of the feudal family of Paliam, who served as chief ministers for the Rajas of Cochin. 
• In terms of the actual process, Chendamangalam textiles are woven on frame looms, and their texture is slightly heavier than similar fabrics from Balaramapuram.
• Chendamangalam are similar to what one finds in Balaramapuram, but with less emphasis on kasavu patterns. Instead, the typical Chendamangalam mundu or settu mundu has coloured borders with a matching colour stripe, and only small amounts of kasavu for ornamentation.
• In 2010, the Government of Kerala applied for Geographical Indication for Chendamangalam Dhoties, Sarees/Set Mundu. The Government of India recognized it as a Geographical indication officially since the year 2011