"The art of is over 1000 years old," says Mayank Bhutra, a , who grew up in Erode. "When we moved to Erode about 20 years ago, the sound of the looms would annoy me. But, I yearn to hear the same noise again," the 24-year-old quips.
Bhavani jammakalam, a GI-tagged artefact, has a place in nearly every household in whether rich or poor. The thickly woven carpet is used for everything from weddings and other functions like thread ceremonies and pujas to music class and even napping.! The fate of jammakaalams is now hanging by a thread.
Bhutra founded in May 2023. A jammakaalam shirt by the label was, in October 2023, worn by television personality Tan France who became a popular television fixture after his big break with . "When I visited the Erode in 2021, I saw how the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the weavers.
The number of weavers had come down considerably, and there were no youngsters to take over the trade. Orders had fallen considerably and they were only getting orders from the Cooperative Society by Co-optex in Chennai.” “I felt a deep sense of responsibility to bring attention to the beauty and significance of Erode’s fabric.
We need to act swiftly to prevent such crafts from becoming extinct,” he adds. Mayank plans to take his latest collection titled ‘Kaalam’ to the renowned fashion trade show, Who’s Next . With Erode clothing Bhutra hopes to provide weavers fair wages and better working conditions.
There are efforts being made on this front. The Ce.
