Lifestyle

Crisis-ridden Balaramapuram handloom sector looks toward a window of hope

Film-maker and fashion designer Sanjana Jon steps in with a plan to accord world-class tag for Balaramapuram handloom

The traditional handloom industry of Balaramapuram, a tiny town off the south of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, has been going through difficult times since the past few years. The recent COVID-19 pandemic came about as a death knell for the already down industry, which had resulted in the loss of livelihood for the weavers.

Balaramapuram handlooms had been seen as a brand that held aloft all the traditional excellence in this part of Kerala. However, it is not so anymore with weavers left with no income or an assured market.

Things are bound to change for the better, with concerted efforts to save the Balaramapuram handloom from its death throes.

As part of a bid to make the world sit up and notice the excellent craftsmanship and exquisitely woven fabric of Kerala, a noble initiative rolled out by a group led by the NGO, Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action, has been kicked off.

Looking to make Balaramapuram handloom world-class

As part of the initiative, renowned fashion designer and film-maker Sanjana Jon has been roped in to accord a world-class tag to Balaramapuram’s own handloom fabrics. Sanjana has, in fact, voluntarily taken up the task, and has begun the shoot of a documentary on the Balaramapuram handloom sector.

The proposed documentary is expected to capture the context in which handloom products came to Kerala, their connection with the kings of Kerala, their lost popularity and a blueprint on bringing back their lost prowess.

With the handloom sector already neck-deep in crisis, the weavers are to be assured of no further exploitation, Sanjana Jon said. “Only if they get the remuneration they deserve, will this venture carry on in the best possible way,” she added.

Balaramapuram Handloom
Union Minister V Muraleedharan and Sanjana Jon in Balaramapuram

Aiding weavers to earn what they deserve

Sanjana said her aim was to guide the weavers on how to make fabrics that could turn out to be world-famous, and to create a global market for it. She said Union Minister V Muraleedharan has been a source of support as she took up this task. The Union Minister accompanied her as she arrived in Balaramapuram to begin work on the documentary.

Pointing out that the weavers, who have been engaged in creating handlooms for 50 to 70 years, should be given due consideration, she added that the Kerala attire woven by them may not be picked up by the Western users. So, instead, the aim is to help the weavers reach out to the global market by educating them on the changes in their style of dressing up the potential buyers.

The documentary and the subsequent marketing efforts are seen as opening possible avenues for the Balaramapuram handlooms to be showcased. Sanjana Jon also hopes to showcase the traditional fabric at the Oscar venue too, so that it grabs more eyeballs that would help in its marketing.

Show More

Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
Advertisment
Back to top button