Pattamadai is a panchayat town in
Tirunelveli district(surrounded by Kozhumadai/
Melacheval in the East, Paymadai/ Cheranmahadevi in
the West, Pulavan Kudiyeruppu/Kanganankulam in the
South and karisulnthamangalam in the North east) in
the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
World Famous Mats of Pathamadai
About The Mats (Pai) :
The majority of mats made in here have cotton warps and korai wefts. Korai belongs to the sedge family of plants, Cyperaceae. Korai mats may be broadly divided into three categories.
Coarse mats are rough in texture, relatively quick to weave and may be made using either a handloom or powerloom. Higher quality handloom mats are finer in texture. The highest
quality have a texture akin to silk. To make such mats the korai is soaked in running water for up to a week until it begins to rot, the central pith is then scraped off and each stem split into fine strands, dried and dyed. The finer the mat desired, the longer the korai needs to soak and the thinner the weft strands will be. The number of warp threads also increases with finer mats.
Apart from the regular weaves and patterns, Pattamadai paais are made to order for wedding ceremonies. The bride and the groom's names and the wedding date are woven in to the mat make the occasion memorable.
The Weaving ...
The process of mat weaving is time consuming and
painstaking. The art and craft of weaving and blending
intricate designs of Pattamadai mats are considered
unique to this region. "Korai' grass grows in swampy
lands and riverbeds. Online research mentions a specific
set of Labbai/Lubbai and Rauther Muslim families are
involved in weaving these mats or making the loom.
According a research submitted at a seminar in New
Delhi -by Ms Soumhya Venkatesan in 2003, this
household cottage industry contributes to over 75% of
the local income in Pattamadai.
Patterns and colours
Traditional colours include rich "Indian" colours : black ,
brown and red as these are the colours derived from
sappan tree. Dyed grass strands are woven into bold
stripe patterns with a thick set of streaks on both ends
to make conventional looking mats. Beautiful traditional
motifs and designs bring out the luxurious look of these
mats. I prefer the natural scent of these mats to the
stinky plastic odor any day!
Over the years, traditional designs are giving way to
contemporary patterns, designs and custom
motifs.Traditional colours have been replaced by use of
synthetic dyes which provide a wider colour choice ( I
am in favour of natural dyes) .These paais are ideal for
hot and humid climates and most importantly are eco-
friendly (with natural dyes), a major selling point for
people like me. Buyers may choose their own set of
details to be spun into the paai to suit any occasion or
ceremony.
There has been an increase in demand for other korai
grass products such as shopping bags, placemats, table
runners, small office folders etc. How about a few
decorative pillows?...
Industry Overview...
The mat industry has gone through a cycle of transition
from being most coveted to the most ignored and then
back in demand. Efforts by a few organizations to
promote this handicraft led to an influx of commercial
interests. This cycle doesn't benefit any craft/art form,
and the same applies to the Pattamadai mats industry
as well.
Commercial weaving led to increased use of pure cotton
and nylon threads instead of silk thread. Over the years,
excessive exploitation and stress for over production
resulted to waning in use of traditional methods. As I
have always maintained, over production and apparent,
in flow of money in the short term doesn't translate to
"growth".
Increased domestic and international Demand and
supply imbalance eventually led to increased use of
synthetic dyes, shorter product life cycles, and lesser
focus on long term benefits for the weaver and the
industry as a whole. I remember members of my family
discussing a drastic fall in quality of mats produced.
With plastic mats making a foray into the market, silk
mat industry lost its foot hold and its patrons among
Indian buyers. My research led me to this video(in
tamil) highlighting the current state of affairs in the
Pattamadai pattu paai industry in general.
Issues with synthetic dyes...
It is common knowledge that natural dyes and product
are more eco-friendly and do not impact a weaver's
health and the community/environment they live in.
Human tendency, in general, is to put long term gains
on the back burner for minimal short term benefit. What
pains me is emphasis on shot term benefit despite its
negative long term impacts on all the Earthlings. Sappan
plants were originally used as colouring agents and
grown for their natural red dye. Botanical name for this
tree being, Caesalpinia sappan.
Market dictat and the extinction of this species of trees
led to increased use of synthetic dyes. Sappan has been
categorized under endangered species category by World
Conservation Monitoring Center (1998). Caesalpinia
sappan. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
IUCN 2006. Another article in The Hindu mentioned a
research program dedicated to reviving this tree species
and the effort a few organizations were putting in to
promote traditional practices.
One thing disheartening about any industry in India is
their tendency to concentrate on the export market.
Agreed that international market contributes to a major
chunk of their revenue, but spending potential of the
Indian middle class needs to be given its due credit.
Overview
The famous mats are crafted out of korai grass (marsh Reed (plant) ). These mats are also called as Indian Chattai. They are flexible and soft. Mats of this type have been given to Soviet leaders like Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev .
Many weavers have received national awards from the President of India for their unparalleled skill in mat weaving. Pathamadai Pattu Paai has been sent to Queen Victoria & Queen Elizabeth during the British Regime as the Royal Gift from India to highlight the quality and workmen ship of world fame mats. The success of this mat weaving is the closely guarded trade secret among the Muslim Community of Pathamadai from ages.
The traditional colours used are red, green and black
and the weaves can reach up to the maximum 140
counts in the silk or pattu mat. The old pattern
consisted mainly of stripes at the two ends or streaks
through the body (Resemble the Jamakkaalam).
Designs inputs by modern designers has led to the
making of contemporary mats which are greatly in
demand both in the international and national
markets.
Today, apart from the sophisticated Pattamdai pai,
Pathamadai weavers also craft korai grass shopping
bags, place mats, runners, office folders etc.
The last pic showing the natural dye's
courtesy:
The Design Enthusiast
Wikipedia
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