How the weaving community at Kalamachal in Thiruvananthapuram is surviving against odds
The Kalamachal Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society in Thiruvananthapuram is struggling to maintain its traditional weaving legacy as the number of active weavers declines. Despite the challenges, the community continues to produce handloom products through a collective effort.
Why it matters
It illustrates the economic struggle of traditional cottage industries in India against modern industrial competition.
Quiet, rustic, far from the madding crowd. We couldn’t have asked for a better milieu as we reached Kalamachal, a sleepy village, some 30 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram city. Our destination lay close by — the weaving units of Kalamachal Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society.
If Balaramapuram handloom is the first name that comes to mind when one talks about the handloom cluster in the capital city, Kalamachal too has an equally prominent legacy, thanks to the Cooperative Society.
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