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Anitha K. Moosath

Their parents struggled to make ends meet despite being master weavers of the traditional `kasavu' sari of Kerala. But Vanaja and Susheelan decided to make a difference by setting up a string of successful `kasavukada' stores.

Vanaja Susheelan has come a long way from the days she used to help her parents unwrap bundles of yarn and pack saris and dhotis. She and her husband, S. Susheelan, run six `Kasavukada' stores that showcase the cream of Kerala handlooms.

Vanaja belongs to the third generation of a weaver family in Peringamala village near Thiruvananthapuram. The ethnic reams streaming out of the dimly lit loom attached to her house always held a fascination for her. "My father used to take saris and dhotis to wholesale dealers in nearby Balaramapuram," she recalls.

Those were hard times. Weavers were in the stranglehold of middlemen; they hardly ever got their due. Vanaja had always felt that there should be an end to the dependence on middlemen.

"When I got married, I was happy to find that my husband shared my views," she says. His family too had a loom and faced the same problems as hers.

"Direct selling seemed to be the only answer and that meant setting up shop on our own," says Susheelan. They were new to business, but were clear about one thing — that the shop would not be in Thiruvananthapuram, which is close to Balaramapuram, a veritable handloom zone.

"Moreover, what we needed was not just another commercial shop. We wanted to take the traditional grandeur and regional splendour of handlooms outside of Balaramapuram," says Vanaja.

The first `Kasavukada' shop was opened in Kochi a decade ago. Initially, things didn't look up. "There were just a few walk-in customers and, at one point, we even thought of closing down. Moreover, we could not afford any ads," says Susheelan.

Slowly, but steadily, the high-count weave and purity of kasavu (zari) spread through word of mouth and in five years, the shop could boast of a decent turnover and a loyal clientele. This encouraged the couple to open more shops — one each in Kozhikode, Kottayam and Thalassery and two more in Kochi, all within a short span.

`Men's Wear', which opened in Kochi last year, set a new trend by stocking dhotis and shirts exclusively. It spares one the trouble of scouting around for a shirt to match the dhoti. There is the option to mix and match too.

Apart from saris and dhotis, the Kasavukada stocks `set-mundu', the traditional two-piece ensemble for women, salwar kameez and material for long skirts and blouses.

All the clothing material is procured from Peringamala. The Susheelans have 20 looms attached to their home and Vanaja supervises each step of the weaving process. Knowing the nitty-gritty of the craft has made things easier for her. She suggests designs, helps out with the weaving and ensures that the end product is flawless.

The silk yarns are sourced from Surat. "They are of the best quality, dipped in silver with 76 per cent content and given a coating of 22-carat gold," says Susheelan.

Kasavukada has provided looms to around 300 weavers in and around the village; they also procure material from about 1,000 other looms during the Onam festival and the wedding season that falls in August-September. "The sales go up almost four times during the festival period. This year, it peaked almost five times," he says.

The mainstay of Kasavukada sales has been the Kerala trademark... classy off-white saris that interlace simplicity and elegance with the glitter of zari.

"In Kochi, many North Indian customers prefer our saris even for festivals like Diwali," says Vanaja.

Kerala saris are no longer confined to traditional wear. They are light, long lasting and have an easy drape; they make ideal summer wear and their subtle elegance suits any occasion, she says.

And, of late, the `kasavu' sari has become a fashion statement even in glitzy metro circles. Boutique owners from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai shop here for saris and salwar kameez sets. Some have even come up with block prints on Kasavukada saris. But Vanaja feels this is akin to remix songs. "The craze won't last long," she says.

Kasavukada has not started exporting yet. But the Susheelans are proud that their handlooms have reached corners of the US and the Gulf countries, where the Malayali population is quite high. They take orders for specific designs, but otherwise, the motifs are traditional — lotus, parrots, swans, peacocks, flowers and leaves. They have also come up with a line of gorgeous off-white saris in pure silk. Last Onam, Kasavukada introduced kasavu saris in offbeat pastel shades. The price of each sari depends on the effort that goes into its making. "A simple `kasavu' sari takes less than two days to weave. But an intricate design can take up to five months," says Vanaja. Kasavukada saris are priced from Rs 200 to Rs 30,000.

Master weavers spin saris of the finest weave and heavy pallav, spending hours on end in the throw-shuttle pit looms. The moulds are made, the patterning explained to the weavers and quality checks made at all stages. And yet, she says, each product bears the stamp of the individual weaver's dedication and imagination.

The Susheelans' association with looms exists at a deeper level. They do not want the weaving tradition to shrink into just Big Business. "We want the thread to be carried on to future generations," says Vanaja. They have already drawn their children into the fold; the two boys spend their spare time in the family looms, picking up nuances of the craft.

Picture by K.K. Mustafah

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