Neythkari refers to a woman weaver in Malayalam. We are here to share the story of our village, Chendamangalam, and the tales of its weavers. As storytellers from Chendamangalam, a town in Kerala, we convey our narratives through our rich heritage, the Chendamangalam handloom.
Chendamangalam, our village, is located in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. This region was once part of the historical Muziris settlement, which vanished during the great floods 1341. It features a unique geographical combination of three rivers, including the Periyar, seven inlets, hillocks, and plains.
Aravindan remembered that they had found a spindle from the excavations at Pattanam. A fairly civilized society, such as the one that existed then, would have had such niceties…Today, the village is known in its neighborhood for its handloom.
-Saga of Muzris
Chendamangalam is home to the Paliyath Achans, who served as the prime ministers of the Cochin kingdom for over 150 years. They brought weavers from Tamil Nadu, specifically from the Devangar community, and established a thriving weaving industry in the village. As a result, many young people in the area embraced this new employment opportunity, leading to the flourishing of weaving in Chendamangalam.
“Veera Mani, a trader from Salem, used to supply us with threads, and they took the dhotis back for sale in Tamil Nadu,” Thampi Chettan recollects.
As time passed, these private enterprises struggled to survive. With the help of social reformers, the weavers formed the Chendamangalam Handloom Cooperative Society in 1955 under the Travancore Cochin Societies Act. The societies ended the exploitation of traders who had taken advantage of weavers’ inability to purchase threads, which were available in large quantities from factories at wholesale prices. These societies supplied the weavers with threads and bought their products, offering them the best prices. The emergence of these societies introduced a sense of discipline and established systems to ensure product quality. The latter half of the 1970s and the 1980s are considered the golden era of Chendamangalam Kaithari, which began with ‘setum mundum’ (a type of dhoti worn as both upper and lower garments by women).
This trend emerged due to the demands of Malayalis working in West Asia and Gulf countries. In the late 1990s, a significant shift occurred with the amendment of the Textiles Act, which repealed the reservations the handloom industry had received since the Second Five-Year Plan. As a result, the power loom industry began to take over. Despite these challenges, the Chendamangalam handloom industry continues to survive, thanks to support from the state government, district cooperative banks, and a few loyal customers.
In the 1940s, Mr. Krishnankutty Menon, a local leader, organized the weavers and established a factory at Kottayil Kovilakam, located a few kilometers from Chendamangalam. The factory also provided training and employment for the weavers.
The Kerala floods of 2018 devastated the region, particularly impacting Chendamangalam, a low-lying area. Local businesses had stocked up for the Onam festival, but much of this inventory was damaged. In response, designers from across the state united to support the weavers and the affected communities. Innovative initiatives, such as the Chekutty dolls, received an overwhelming response from around the globe. Thanks to widespread support, the industry was back on track within a few months.