Kural: The voice of wrights

  Swamimalai, a suburb near Kumbakonam is a home for more than 2000 Sthapathis, sculptors and metal artisans. A journey of rejuvenation of traditional handicrafts and culture set forth by our researchers led us to the GI tagged Swamimalai bronze icons (no: 514). This metal craft is mainly famous for the creation of Hindu temple deity statues called ‘Utsavar silai’ . Apart from the temple statues, the sthapathis create intricate icons ranging from 6 inches to 12 feet in height. These icons are exported around the world and can be seen at entrance in many star hotels and other affluent areas as a welcome symbol. Background The history of bronze icons is traced back to the Chola dynasty. King Raja Raja Cholan summoned many sculptors during the construction of Brihadeshwara temple. These sculptors later settled in Swamimalai region and started to create these superlative bronze beauties. Contrary to the name, these statues are made up of an alloy called Panchloha of five different m...

  In a world where the global fashion trends are constantly evolving, upholding our intangible culture is on the foremost line. Weavers of India play a vital role in exhibiting our culture across the globe. Ayyampettai Kutni fabric is a medley of silk and cotton in a noble note. It is exclusively known for its unique heritage textile engineering technique, shiny glossy silk in the front and cotton in the rear, woven in satin weave, which makes it comfortable designer clothing. History The major contribution of Kutni weaving style comes from the weavers of the Sourashtra community , who had migrated to Tamilnadu from Gujarat. With their exquisite knowledge and extraordinary skills in silk weaving they created silk clothings and other materials for the royals and eventually settled here. They were locally known as ‘pattu nool karanga’ (silk people) and passed on the tradition for generations.   The journey The story revolves around Mr. Selvaraj, a master weaver awardee who ...