Chirala weavers look to go global with craft that floored Marco Polo

Italian traveller Marco Polo’s accounts stand testimony to their weaving expertise which had floored the Europeans during the medieval period. K. Venkateswara Rao, a weaver from Epurupalem, said that the government should provide solar lamps of higher capacity to energise at least two tube lights and a fan instead of an emergency lamp which would not serve any purpose.

Weavers in Chirala in Prakasam district had carved a niche for themselves worldwide from time immemorial with their weaving skills.

Italian traveller Marco Polo’s accounts stand testimony to their weaving expertise which had floored the Europeans during the medieval period. Chirala, which gets its name from Chira (saree), had weavers who could produce a transparent saree which could be folded and kept in a match box.

However, in the wake of power looms gaining ground, weavers from, among other places, Kanigiri, Ethamukala, Vetapalem, Janarpeta in the district faced hardship due to lack of orders for their deft hands in the era of globalisation.

“The Rs. 70 crore Mega Handloom Cluster, which is all set to commence operations from the second week of October will be game changer,” explained Handlooms and Textiles Assistant Director M. Ramamurthy Naidu after holding awareness programmes for the weavers.

“Eight interventions are planned to strengthen the hands of 12,000 identified weavers to come out with innovative designs, reduce drudgery and help them find new markets within and outside the country through e-marketing,” he added while talking to The Hindu .

He said the interventions included a Rs. 7-crore yarn bank, modern compressed looms, motorised jacquards, emergency solar lamps, a modern design studio, work sheds for the identified weavers to improve productivity and income for them.

“Our aim is to empower the 12,000 weavers from the district to work wonders on the loom like their forefathers a tapestry of designs and textures”, he added.

K. Venkateswara Rao, a weaver from Epurupalem, said that the government should provide solar lamps of higher capacity to energise at least two tube lights and a fan instead of an emergency lamp which would not serve any purpose.

Weaver A. Veerabrahmam felt that the government should do away with the 20 per cent beneficiary contribution and double the subsidy component for new work sheds from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000. Subsidised yarn and chemical dyes as also export sub-centres should be set up, added another weaver Katuri Narasimha Rao.