Stock image used for representation purposes only. Image by Andrew Martin via pixabay.com.
Located near Chennai airport, Anakaputhur is a small suburb that was once known for its Madras check-design handkerchiefs and bleeding Madras fabrics (a type of fabric that would bleed colour with each wash, giving it a new look without looking faded). Once a textile hub with more than 5,000 handlooms, the town now only has several hundred looms. This decline of business primarily took place in the 1970s, when a military coup in Nigeria put an overnight ban on the exports of clothes.
Now, a third-generation weaver from the town, C Sekar, is on a mission to revive the industry by introducing innovative sustainable practices. He and his team of 100 weavers produce alternate fibres made out of natural sources such as aloe vera, bamboo, banana stem, cecil, crown flower, gongura, jute, khas khas, pineapple, and silkworms, to name some. Much like the material itself, the fibres are dyed with natural colours made from indigo, turmeric, coffee powder, tulsi, tea, and beetroot.
While the involvement of the South India Textile Research Association planted the seed of producing natural fibres in Sekar’s mind, it was reportedly an act of Ramayana (Hindu mythological book) that inspired him to work with a banana stem. He had once read in a Tamil magazine that when Sita Ji was in Lanka, she asked Hanuman Ji to get him a saree woven from vaazhai naaru (banana fibre). This led Sekar to give it a go,t and after a series of trial and error, he finally managed to develop fibres from banana stems, along with many other natural items.
Although Sekar uses many natural sources to make his fabrics, banana stem is one of his more preferred choices, since they can be locally sourced easily. According to reports, a banana stem yields around 150 grams of fibre, which becomes 100 when it is dried. In order to produce a 50% natural saree using banana stems, the process takes around 10 days and requires at least four to five workers.
In 2011, Sekar earned a Limca Record by producing a saree with as many as 25 natural fibres in its fabric. Thanks to Sekar, Anakaputhur is now regaining popularity for its weavers and looms. Sekar is currently the head of Anakaputhur Jute Weavers’ Association, and works actively to encourage more weavers to produce natural fibre-based textiles.
Sources -
Comments