Stamping a unique mark for its silk saris that stand out for their richness, design and quality, Thirubuvanam Silk Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Production and Sale Society, more popularly called Thico Silks, has marched into its diamond jubilee year with an enviable clean slate all-profit performance.
Situated near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district, Thirubuvnam is a historical village known for its handloom silk saris. The 13th Century Chola King Kulothunga III ordained a permanent place in history for the weavers and artisans of the village by patronising them, a gesture that led to the village’s name get into the annals of the silk books from then on.
But over the years the weavers slipped into the mercy of handloom unit owners who paid a pittance for the artisans’ works. Literacy and awareness of their rights and weaknesses led the handloom weavers and artisans to consolidate and finally emerged Thirubuvanam Silk Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Production and Sale Society.
The society was registered on November 12, 1955, and commenced commercial operations 12 days later with an initial membership of 129 and a paid up capital of Rs. 10,145. The charter president, G. Ramanuja Mudaliar, and later on S. Rajagopal Naidu along with other administrators toiled to uplift the weavers and the society.
They along with the society employees used to take the produced saris on head loads to various regions across the State in the first few years of the body to popularise Thirubuvanam silk sari. Quality, variety, appeal, craft, design, and colours allured the public and made Thirubuvanam silk sari a worthy competitor to the famed Kancheepuram silk sari. Those sterling traits had ensured that Thico Silks is running profitably for the past 60 years.
Its product enthused Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to India while the late Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev admired the Thirubuvanam shawl when he was presented with one in Moscow at an exhibition.
Now into its golden jubilee year, Thico Silks boasts 23 direct sales showrooms, 10 agencies, and channel partnership with the Co-Optex in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. There are silk saris for everyone with products ranging from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh a piece.
The society now boasts a membership of 1,829 up from the initial 129, paid up capital of Rs. 3.78 lakh, and production value of Rs. 31.20 crore from the first year’s Rs.6,218.
