ARIYALUR: Single bulb hangs over K Amsavalli as the sole spectator to her magic. Her fingers skillfully transform yarn and thread to colourful six-metre saris with carefully-woven gold borders, a skill passed down through generations. Her house in Elaiyur village at Ariyalur district fills with the clacking sounds of a handloom, the family’s primary source of income and the room’s largest occupant.
However, over the past two years, business had been bleak for weavers like Amsavalli with a decrease in demand and problems in transporting raw materials. “We used to sell saris in bulk to other States like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The wholesale price of a cotton sari would range from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 and a silk sari, from Rs 3,000 to Rs 25,000. But now with the pandemic, we had to sell saris locally with Rs 50 discounts,” Amsavalli said.
Unable to make ends meet, she had to transfer her two sons from a private school to a government one. Her family managed to get by with supplies from ration shops. August 2021 arrived with the government spinning hope for weavers in the district. Recognising the loss of livelihood, Backward Classes Welfare Minister, SS Sivasankar, launched a portal to boost the sale of handloom saris there and help weavers secure bulk orders. Now, Amsavalli’s magic is no longer confined to local markets. It’s just a click away on https://ariyalur.nic.in. In just the first two months, the website recorded a sale of Rs 1 lakh.
Drapes woven by Amsavalli and over 7,000 women from Self Help Groups at traditional handlooms dotted across Jayankondam, Utkottai, Vilandai and other villages can reach customers across India. Recently, the website found a surprise customer in South Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, who purchased two saris.
Speaking about setting up of the portal, K Kavitha, Ariyalur District Manager (Marketing) said, “The weavers were finding it difficult to sell their products, so we offered them loans and then helped them sell saris directly or through the website.” Now, they can sell products without intermediaries and we look forward to taking this to the next level, Kavitha explained.
“We usually make two saris per day and sell them in bulk once a month or two. We used to get payments from traders a week after the sale,” mentioned K Thilagavathi, another weaver from Vilanthai, who has been in the field for 15 years. She pointed out, they now receive orders and instant payments online.
The weavers also receive a profit of Rs 300-400 as traders have been taken out of the selling equation. “Our livelihood will improve if the administration continues to help us with bulk orders,” Thilagavathi said.
Online sales worth Rs 1Lakh in just a couple months
Recognising the weavers’ loss of livelihood, Backward Classes Welfare Minister, SS Sivasankar, in August this year, launched an online portal (https://ariyalur.nic.in) to boost handloom sari sales in Ariyalur and help them secure bulk orders. In the first two months, the website recorded Rs 1 lakh worth sales.
District Collector P Ramana Saraswathi has brought this scheme here with her own efforts. This would not have been possible without her, said weavers thanking her.