Artifacts of Kerala

[macrylinda1]

Simple and elegant, the beautifully crafted coir products of Kerala give an aesthetic touch to any home or office. Crafted by the women of the picturesque coir villages of the land of coconuts, the innovative range of products include mats, rugs, wall hangings, door pieces, bags, hammocks, ceiling/floor furnishing, beds, cushions, little showpieces, blinds... Made from the husk of the coconut, coircraft is a long drawn out process. First the coconut husks in huge quantities are left to decay in the backwaters surrounding these villages. Once the softer parts decay and only the fibre remains, it is collected and woven into ropes on indigenous machines. These are then dyed and meticulously crafted to fill orders. Most of the coir industry is concentrated in the Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Over four hundred thousand people, of whom nearly 84 per cent are women, are engaged in coir making, one of the traditional industries still surviving, in Kerala. You can pick up these coir products from the showrooms of the Kerala State Cooperative Coir Marketing Federation (Coirfed) across the country. The Coirfed site on the internet offers facilities to choose or contribute designs and to place your orders. These environment friendly articles will be shipped to you within days of receiving your orders. Prices range from less than a hundred rupees to a few thousands depending on the texture and size of the article ordered.

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