TN: With GI tag, Woraiyur weavers eye better livelihood

TIRUCHY: Woraiyur handloom cotton sarees, which have obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, have not only garnered global recognition for the traditional wear but also instilled hope among the hundreds of weavers for uplifting their livelihood.

Woraiyur cotton sarees date back to the Chola Dynasty, when it flourished in all grandeur. The Woraiyur weavers, with their centuries-old tradition of weaving exquisite designs and patterns, attract not only domestic but also buyers from abroad.

These weavers flourished in business in those hay-times, and in due course of time, the Woraiyur Devenga

Cooperative Society was formed in 1936. The society flourished till the 90s, until powerlooms and synthetic fibre fabrics invaded the sector.

There were as many as 656 members till the 90s, and there are just 330 members now and hardly fewer than five looms are operating now. Each loom weaves 30 yards, which could be divided into five sarees, and they earn Rs 2,000 for it. Even today, certain community people opt for Woraiyur

cotton sarees during weddings for the product’s unique texture and plain design with lines and checks.

“I was into weaving since my younger age and I was taught to operate the loom by my father and we are traditionally into weaving despite all odds andthe GI tag for the traditional wear has instilled a kind of hope among us so that our long wait for a greener pasture has come into reality as the name is globally recognised,” said R Panneer Selvam(54), a fifth generation weaver from Woraiyur who still possesses two looms at home and continues weaving not only for livelihood but also for upkeeping the ancestral practice.

Panneer Selvam said that, as the Woraiyur sarees earned the GI tag, it would certainly attract the masses, and it would become a regular wear rather than an attire used only for certain occasions.

PanneerSelvam said that the uniqueness of the Woraiyur sarees is 80/80 yard type with six yards, plain bodied with a small zari line, as well as a small pallu with a single colour. It costs between Rs 650 and Rs 3,000.

Meanwhile, Intellectual Properties Right (IPR) Attorney andAdvocate of Madras High Court P Sanjai Gandhi, winner of national IP award constituted by the Government of India, who has been spearheading in achieving GI tag for Woraiyur cotton sarees said, the GI tag for the product would paveway for registration in the international exhibitions.

“The tag will also help in global business,” Gandhi said.