Our Craft

Woven in Chendamangalam

Along the banks of the Periyar river in Ernakulam, a cluster of villages has been weaving for centuries. This is Chendamangalam, part of the ancient Muzris trading settlement, home to one of India's most storied handloom traditions, and the birthplace of every Neythkari piece.

The craft arrived here when the Paliyath Achans, prime ministers of the Cochin kingdom for over 150 years, brought weavers from Tamil Nadu's Devangar community to settle in the village. What began as a new livelihood took root across generations until it became inseparable from the identity of Chendamangalam itself.

The Loom

Chendamangalam weaving uses no electricity, no motors, no mechanisation of any kind. The weaver operates entirely by hand and foot, one hand passing the shuttle for the weft, the other tightening the weave, both feet working the pedal to section the threads. Eyes stay fixed on the cloth, watching for snapping threads, counting the borders and motifs as they form. It is an intensely mindful process. On a good day, a weaver can complete no more than four metres.

The Yarn

Every piece begins in Coimbatore or Tirupur, where harvested cotton is spun into yarn. That yarn is then cured, soaked in water for ten days, stamped by hand to remove impurities, boiled at high temperature for 24 hours, washed again, dyed, and dried, first in shade, then three days in open sunlight. The dyed yarn is washed repeatedly before a single thread is set on the loom.

Before weaving, the warp threads are rolled, street-warped in the early morning hours, starched with a rice-and-flour mixture, oiled, and brushed clean with a coconut fibre brush until they are smooth and ready. Around 6,000 warp threads are set for a single piece.

The characteristic kasavu border is woven with real zari, a silver-gilt thread coated with gold plate. The finer the yarn count, the lighter and more breathable the finished cloth.

The Finishing

What comes off the loom goes directly to the customer. There is no ironing, no waxing. Each piece is folded crisply by hand. Every wash makes the fabric finer.

How We Make It

1. Yarn Preparation. Cotton yarn sourced from Tamil Nadu is cured, boiled, dyed in natural or low-impact dyes, indigo, pomegranate rind, turmeric among the traditional choices, and dried over several days before a thread is wound.
2. Warping. Around 6,000 warp threads are rolled, starched, oiled and arranged in sequence. The warp is the foundation that determines the cloth's width, border and density.
3. Weaving. The weaver operates the loom entirely by hand and foot, every interlacement of warp and weft a deliberate, counted act. A six-metre saree takes three to five days of continuous work.
4. Finishing. The completed fabric is hand-checked, hand-folded, and packed for dispatch. No ironing, no machinery. Each piece carries the Handloom Mark, India's official certification that the cloth was woven by hand on a traditional loom.

Our Commitment

Neythkari works directly with weaver families, not middlemen. A fair portion of every sale returns to the craftsperson. When you buy from us, you are participating in a supply chain that keeps one of Kerala's most enduring traditions alive.