The last of the traditional weavers of a cooperative society in Vadamanapakkam in Cheyyar taluk of Tiruvannamalai district have returned to creating the famed Kancheepuram cotton saris after a gap of 15 years.

The Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society, better known as Co-optex, has tried to revive the nearly extinct variety of saris by increasing the weavers’ wages. The weavers had switched to jacquard machines and elaborate designs as it brought more earnings. Now, a group of 30 weaver families attached to the Vadamanapakkam Sakthivel Murugan Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society has taken up weaving traditional designs.

“Kancheepuram silk weavers use the korvai method and we adopted it. In those days, weaving was a family effort and children were employed as they were deft. Ever since child labour was banned we had to adopt a different method,” recalls Kadirvel, a weaver. Mr.Kadirvel has never been to school and learnt weaving from his parents. Like him S. Ambiga joined her parents at the age of 10. Since last year, when Co-optex began attaching cards with each handloom sari, introducing the weaver to the buyer, Ms.Ambiga has earned respectability as a weaver. The Vadamanapakkam Society was a one-man show for over 20 years, with M. Lakshmi as president.

“The children would finish the toughest part and we would do the rest. Just one weaver can create the entire sari in three days. We used to provide 50 saris a month to Co-optex. But now they have raised our wages by Rs.100 per sari and we produce 100 saris a month,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Sujatha / Chennai – July 08th, 2015