Saree, the traditional wear of India, never goes out of style. Six yards of sheer grace, this costume is versatile, an elegant drape for any occasion. Every saree tells a story, a story of one of the most beautiful gifts God has given to India.
South India is home to various sarees and variations of saree draping styles. The white and gold bordered Kasavu sarees symbolise Kerala’s great tradition. Famous on par with the Kasavu Saree is the Kasargod Saree, a checked pattern saree woven by the Shalia weaving community of Kasargod. These sarees are available in cotton and art silk fabric but are mostly cotton owing to Kerala’s climatic conditions.
The weavers, now most of them aged well in years, continue to make the saree in its traditional way. To make the drape, cotton yarn is immersed in soap oil for up to one hour. This helps increase the yarn’s absorbability when the dye is used. Next, the yarns are boiled in water and soda ash for an entire day. It is later washed and then dried. For colouring, vat dye, hydrosulphite and caustic soda are used. The yarns are further dried to enable oxidation, after which they are wound to bobbin pins on warping frames.
The warp is generally made for 33 sarees which are later separated into single pieces of 5.5 metres each. After drying and oxidation, the yarns are spread on looms through the combs with long nails. Next, the saree is starched using a palm fibre brush for every half metre of yarn on the loom to impart stiffness. Traditionally the starch of Tapioca was used for this purpose. Nowadays, Rice flour or Maida is used for this purpose. This entire starching process is why the Kasargod sarees do not shrink after washing compared to their other counterparts. Finally, the saree is ready to be packed after a quality check.
The entire process requires minimum manpower of five. These sarees are available in thread counts of 60s, 80s and 100s. These sarees are excellent daily wear. Today the Kasargod Saree has also received the Geographical Indication tag from the Indian Government. The Kasaragod weaver’s society has taken the initiative to train people from backward classes and local tribes in the art of weaving.
We at Poothali, while offering our best in the hospitality segment, also try our best to revitalise, promote and uphold the pride and dignity of local and handmade products of Northern Kerala.