The Making of a Kuthampully Handloom Saree

A saree embodies tradition, work, and quality craftsmanship. The Kuthampully handloom saree, a specific fabric of a small village in Kerala, is a perfect example of this tradition. The saree is also valued for its homespun elegance and rustic aesthetic. When using it for draping at a festival or including it along with traditional set sarees, the charm of handwoven art never fades.

The Origin of Kuthampully Sarees

Over 500 weaving families have inhabited Kuthampully village in the Thrissur district of Kerala for centuries. Their family members have also followed the tradition of hand-weaving fabrics on wooden looms for centuries. All Kuthampully sarees are hand-woven in different designs, and all feature stunning golden borders that are full of royalty and Kerala's traditional culture. Every Kuthampully saree and its creation process is unique, from selecting the finest cotton threads to making the warp for weaving properly and accurately to weaving itself. Every saree is a labor of love, with days of work to create and make it special.

The Weaving Process

The process of making a Kuthampully saree starts with dyeing the yarn. Weavers will have washed, sorted, and made sure that every single thread is strong, colorfast, and sturdy. Warping is the next big step, which means that weavers have to align hundreds of lines of yarn in the correct order so the threads will form the backing of the saree. After mounting the weft threads to the loom, they are interlaced one by one. Golden zari is finally utilized to create the traditional borders and motifs that characterize Kuthampully sarees. The traditional motifs include temple borders, checks, and floral ones, which are also used in making a set saree. Weaving is done in unison using skill and memory, without digital patterns and shortcuts. A saree is produced within two to five days based on the complexity level. This is what keeps every saree imbued with the spirit of the weaver who made it.

Preserving a Tradition in a World of Change

Handloom weaving is a lost art in our contemporary world, which has everything in haste. Haradhi aims to keep these craftspeople in business by offering them a showcase and fair prices for their handiwork. Wearing a handloom saree means you embrace age-old customs and help maintain them for future generations. People wear sarees for important events like weddings, Onam celebrations, and religious ceremonies. They can be easily coordinated with jewelry and keep their elegance longer than most other garments. It is simple to buy a machine-woven saree, but a machine-woven saree will not have the elegance and grace of a hand-woven saree. Our collection shares this admiration for tradition and craftsmanship, including the tissue Kerala saree, characterized by its delicate luster and diaphanous beauty, to beautiful pieces from older handlooms. We hand-select every piece in our shop to reflect our love for the textile heritage of Kerala.

When you wear a Kuthampully saree, you are carrying on the bloom and the handiwork of master weavers, who still uphold the tradition of weaving, and Haradhi invites you to experience and celebrate the joy of tradition, heritage and craftsmanship with us.