Monday, September 22, 2008

Kara Ventures















A few enterprising women got together with a mission. A mission to revive the dying handloom industry in Kerala. The result - Kara, Weaves of Kerala.
I came across their website while I was in the process of doing my new house. As I was very keen to have handloom curtains that resembled the neriyathu sarees of Kerala, Kara ended my search at their online shopping store. But there was this inscrutable urge to prod a little further and to trek down to the place from where these weaves originated. I travelled from Mumbai to Kochi and from Kochi to Kanjiramattom. Waiting there was Indu Menon, Sreedevi, Suryakala Satish and Lakshmi Menon. I was bowled over by their sheer zealousness and childlike excitement while exhibiting their creations. Elegant off-white drapes with intricate weaves in gold adorned the windows of the little ancestral property from where these women were operating. They took pride in showcasing the works of the handloom weavers who were once part of the dying handloom industry. And the stuff what they have is what I was looking for. I must say...worth all the toil

They also have the traditional Kerala towels, torthu, alongwith cushion covers and hand towels.
I am imprressed. Aren't you?

No comments: