During a workshop at Nurpu Handloom Collective

| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

For generations, the weavers of Chennimalai have been crafting fabrics to the rhythm of the handloom at home. How do they work their looms? Their craft, that has been passed down generations, has been turned into a curriculum by C Sivagurunathan, the founder of Nurpu Handloom Collective at Chennimalai’s MPN Colony. The 40-year-old is set to organise a two-day handloom and handspin workshop at Nurpu’s handloom school.The workshop, Sivaguru explains, will show participants the entire lifecycle of a woven piece of fabric. “They will learn to spin thread from cotton on wooden charkha or takali, moving on to working on the hand looms at our premises,” he says, adding that they can take their creations home. “Those keen on mastering spinning can take the takali home,” he says. “They can also buy it from us; a piece is priced at around ₹400.”

Sivaguru (left) introduces participants to weaving at Nurpu Handloom Collective

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