The sarees of Chendamangalam
A handloom village near Kochi, in Kerala, known for cotton mundus and saris woven by a cooperative of weavers.
Motifs of Chendamangalam
Woven here
Best time: November to February.
Chendamangalam is a village near Paravur, in Ernakulam district, north of Kochi. Its handlooms make cotton mundus and saris. The village drew attention after its weavers were helped to restart their trade following the floods of 2018.
What is woven here
The weavers of Chendamangalam make cotton cloth in the Kerala style, including mundus, set-mundus and saris with narrow borders, as well as plain dress material. The cloth is light and easy to wash. After the floods, many weavers also worked with new designs and colours, and their saris have since appeared in markets outside Kerala.
The craft and its people
The village weavers work in cooperative societies on handlooms. Floods in 2018 damaged looms and stocks, and the weavers' recovery drew support from many people. The craft remains a small one but has a recognisable name.
Seeing it
Chendamangalam is easy to reach from Kochi by road. Cooperative society showrooms sell the cloth, and the area has a history of old Jewish settlement and a synagogue that is now a place of interest. Check opening times before you go.
A trail idea for Chendamangalam
- Handloom cooperative See cotton mundus and saris on the looms and in the showroom.
- Weavers' homes A look at how a small society organises its looms and yarn.
- Kochi The city nearby, for Fort Kochi and the old market quarters, worth a day of its own.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Chendamangalam" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chendamangalam saree: Malluchronicle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source