CHENNAI: Valli starts her day at the Anakaputhur natural fibre textile cluster at 10 am. Amid the beating sound of the loom, the 55-year-old and three of her co-workers meditatively design a sari from vetiver a herbal fibre and cotton. But little do they know that the sari is for Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
The sari, which was ordered by India Vetiver Network (INVN), will be presented to the princess at the 7th International Vetiver Symposium and Exhibition being held from May 29 to June 1 in Thailand.
"We get completely engrossed in our work and usually don't ask who the sari is for. Irrespective of who it is for, we ensure that the output is of good quality. We are extremely happy to learn that it is for the princess. Vettiver has a lot of medicinal properties," said Valli.
Apart from Valli, 35-year-old Bagyalakshmi, 45-year-old Padma and 60-year-old Janaki worked for two days from 10am to 6 pm to weave the sari.
"We combined vetiver oil and cotton and came up with geometrical designs such as triangles and wheels for the print," said C Sekar, president of the Anakaputhur natural fibre textile cluster
How much do these specially-woven saris cost? The minimum price is 2,500.
"We have gifted a shawl made of 25 fibres to prime minister Narendra Modi, while one sari made of banana silk was given to the director of Gandhi Museum in USA. Many more were given to other dignitaries across the world," he said.
Inbarasan, of the INVN, said that for the last three years, the exhibition did not happen in physical mode.
"This time the princess is inaugurating it, hence we wanted to gift her something different. Vettiver was used by the Cholas for river bund strengthening and is famous in Haiti and Indonesia for its vaired usage, including the role it plays for a sustainable environment.
"It is also used widely in making perfumes and cologne," Sekar said, on the benefits of vettiver.
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