India is a resourceful land bestowed with a glorious textile tradition for thousands of years. Textile has been one of the greatest product of culture, tradition, innovation, design, for economics and value creation. This agricultural land has given birth to a lot of artisans creating value for the livelihood of its land and people. Its multicultural society has various colours which has gradually led to the formation of diverse art and culture, thereby enhancing the flavours of creativity in the fields. Despite the technological advancements in textile industry, the glorified artisanal creations are still sustaining with its traditional identity and stands tall in the global arena. The textile material, making, design and products hugely vary across the land with the indigenous culture, geographic, religious, agricultural, natural and historic influences creating exotic, exquisite variety and diversity.
The state of Tamilnadu has an unrivalled history of handloom tradition that dates back to prehistoric ages. Its early origin and development through ages can be traced through various Tamil literary sources like Silapathigaram, Purananooru, Agananooru, Kurundhogai, Perumpanatrupadai, Nedunelvadai and Mullaipattu testifying the glorious tradition that changes and reshapes according to the creativity of the artisan and the demands of the rulers and market.
The western Tamilnadu of today with special reference to the Coimbatore region has been well known for its handloom textile of cotton and silk for over 2000 years. The trading Romans were keen importers of textile from here and the heritage continues to make this region as a hotspot for textile globally even today. The rich handloom heritage of the region is still surviving, but in ways it is also languishing due to the enormous impact of the machines. The major crop cultivated in the rich black soil of Coimbatore has laid foundation for textile industry. First textile mill came up as far back as 1888. India’s 15 % textile mills are situated in and around Coimbatore. Textile machines were produced here.
The state of Tamilnadu has an unrivalled history of handloom tradition that dates back to prehistoric ages. Its early origin and development through ages can be traced through various Tamil literary sources like Silapathigaram, Purananooru, Agananooru, Kurundhogai, Perumpanatrupadai, Nedunelvadai and Mullaipattu testifying the glorious tradition that changes and reshapes according to the creativity of the artisan and the demands of the rulers and market.
Coimbatore Center for Weavers will serve as a catalyst to build capacity, innovate, create designs, strengthen and build markets for Handloom Industry.
Re-establish Handloom Weaving as a sustainable, profitable and dignified Profession, thereby conserving the tradition by working with the weaving community, Government, the market and designers to ensure that outstanding products are created in a win for all condition while the handloom heritage stays on.
Presently the authenticity / originality for Coimbatore Cotton and its Textiles is lost in the market. The center for Weavers will focus to bring back its originality. Good Initiative of design interventions, assistive technology without removing the essence of handloom, enhanced skills for the weavers and lastly but most importantly the exposure for the weaving community for knowledge and capacity to market the products will ensure that this tradition will not only survive but actually thrive.
GoI DST – SEED – TIASN funded LOW WEIGHT MODIFIED JACQUARD FOR HANDLOOM through a project titled, "Enhancing Livelihood of Handloom Weavers through Technology Upgradation and Training" developed an innovative light weight modified handloom Jacquard. Dr. G.Ramakrishnan, Professor - Fashion Technology, Dr.B.Poongodi, Professor - KCT Business School and Dr.C.Velmurugan, Professor - Mechanical Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology developed the LWMJ and was successfully installed, tested, in the field study centre at Chinna Aranmanai, Samathur, Coimbatore. This innovation not only improved ergonomic efficiency but also reduced fatigue among weavers and contributed to enhanced productivity and ease of operation within the weaving process. The force required to lift the Jacquard by pedal operation was solved by incorporating low weight composite alloy in Jacquard hooks. Further weight reduction was also done for lifting bars, linking rods, sliding cylinder rod were also done. Thereby pedalling force was reduced by one third which in turn eliminated the knee pain and fatigue of weavers. Post implementation follow up and studies revealed that there is a significant reduction in the physical fatigue while using the low weight modified Jacquard and productivity improved by 1.5 times, without any additional investment contributing for improved income for the handloom weavers.
