Saree Weaving ~ Dindigul

Introduction:

Usage:

The usage of the Dindigul sarees ranges from daily wear to other occasions. The closet of a woman offers her endless possibilities to choose from different colours, motifs, textures and patterns. All of these sarees represent a different aura of the woman and allow her to establish her sense of identity and position in society. One day she may choose to look as gracious as Lord Sita and on the other, she may choose to look as bold as Devi. These Dindigul sarees compliment and accentuate a woman and her inner beauty.
semi-formal occasions such as housewarming parties also present the opportunity for women to wear these sarees. These include slightly toned down motifs and zari work alongside contrasting colours to create a moderate yet fancy look.
Lastly, dark colours such as black are found on these Dindigul sarees that are used for daily wear. This is mainly because darker colours do not get dirty easily and are able to withstand everyday wear and tear. Thus, sarees often combine simplicity and beauty to create garments that can be worn by women for their everyday work. They not only ensure mobility of women but also add grace to their appearance.

Significance:

The sarees of Dindigul are significant not only because of their designs and colours but also because of the history of the weavers that design these sarees.
These sarees have been given the ‘Handloom mark’ that was launched as a government initiative in 2006 to offer a guarantee to the consumers that the product they are purchasing is a genuine handwoven product and not something out of a power loom or mill. This also provides an exclusive identity to the Dindigul saree and contributes to their significance not only in India but also abroad. This scheme is being implemented by Textile Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. In Tamil Nadu, Primary Weavers’ Co-operative Societies, Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society Ltd. (Co-optex) and individuals /master weavers /exporters have been registered under Handloom Mark Scheme for using the Handloom Mark Labels. Moreover, many of the companies that are selling these sarees have been given ‘silk mark’ which further contributes to their significance.
Another factor that we must take into consideration is that these sarees are yet to be given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag which explains their comparatively lesser popularity as compared to other sarees. However, this also helps in creating a sense of mystery and enhanced uniqueness around the sarees by making them more exclusive and special.
In addition to this, the work done by the government and the weavers in this cluster is gradually helping in the promotion of this saree and the work that goes behind it. With their different colours, shades and patterns, the Dindigul hold the potential to become as popular as the Kanchipuram saree. Therefore, they offer a promising future market and sales.
Currently, these sarees are sold between the price range of 2000-6000 rupees which makes them at par with other saree markets.
Dindigul area has five clusters under it. These are, namely- Dindigul black one, Dindigul black two, Dindigul black three, Palani and Toppampatti.
Dindigul black one has 1760 weavers whereas Black two has 2500 weavers weaving similar kind of saris on double jacquard looms since the beginning of the cluster. Dindigul black three, also known as Aathur in Chinalapatti area works on tie-dye single Ikat saris, followed by Palani and Toppampatti. The other prime source of income is agriculture.

Myths & Legends:

The tradition of wearing sarees or saree-like drapery goes way back in time. Indian history has accounted for several mentions of sarees since time immemorial. Various paintings, poems, and literature point out the significance of sarees and their evolution.
The word ‘sattika’ has been mentioned in early Sanskrit literature which evolved to become the word, ‘sari.’ This sattika or sari was composed of three pieces, namely- Antriya (lower garment), Uttariya (veil worn over the head and shoulders), and Stanpatta (chest band). This is mentioned in Sanskrit and the Buddhist Pali literature of 6th century BC. Other works in Sanskrit such as the Kadambari by Banabhatta and ancient Tamil poetry, Silappadhikaram, describe women dressed in exquisite drapery or sarees.
Although in ancient India, women often wore sarees that bared the midriff, texts from the Dharma Shastra state that women should be dressed in a way that does not reveal the naval. Contrary to this idea, the Natya Shastra states that the navel is the source of life and creativity, as a result, it must be left bare while wearing a saree.
It is widely accepted and known that saree-like drapes were worn by women in ancient India wherein the lower garment was known as ‘Nivi’ and the upper body was usually left bare. Works by Kalidas mention ‘Kurpasika’ or a tight-fitting band that was worn by women to cover their chests.
Tamil works like ‘Silappadikaram’ from the Sangam period indicate women wearing a single piece of clothing to cover their lower body and head while the midriff was left entirely bare. Similar saree styles can be found in the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma in Kerala.
One must also notice that in Hindu culture, all goddesses in temples and shrines are dressed in beautiful sarees. These sarees are changed regularly and special colours are worn on certain days. Festivals and other celebrations call for even more extravagant and beautiful sarees for the goddesses. Moreover, movies, TV serials, and even animated cartoons featuring Hindu goddesses always showcase these goddesses being dressed up in sarees. This further allows us to understand the deep connection between Hindu mythology and saree garments.
The literary and historical sources from India point out the different styles of draping a saree and the different names given to it. Even today, we find different sarees and draping styles all over India. It is this difference and diversity in Indian sarees that adds to their beauty and cultural significance. Every saree is an expression of a state culture embedded in the Indian culture. As a piece of clothing, these sarees speak volumes about India’s notion of ‘unity in diversity’ and how a single piece of cloth worn differently by Indian women, connects them and creates a perfectly balanced blend of religion, culture, and distinctiveness.

History:

Since these sarees are becoming increasingly famous due to the community of weavers that stitch them. It is integral to understand the history of these weavers, that is, the Saurashtrians.
Sourashtra or “Sourashtras” refers to a community of people who had their original homes in Gujarat and presently are settled almost in all major towns of Tamil Nadu with their concentration in Madurai (their cultural headquarters) and other neighbouring areas like Paramakudi. The origin of the name dates back to the time when the ancestors of these people inhabited the kingdom of Saurashtra in Gujarat State. The Tamil name by which these people is known in Southern India is Patnūlkarar, that is silk-thread workers or weavers who speak “Pattunuli” or “Khatri”, a dialect of Gujarati.

Sourashtra, also known as Palka, Sowrashtra, Saurashtram, is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sauraseni Prakrit. The Ethnologue puts the number of speakers at 510,000 (1997 IMA), although the actual number could be double this figure or even more. The equivalent of Saurashtra in the Linguistic Survey has been recorded as Saurashtri which is yet another name of Patnuli dialect of Gujarati spoken by the silk weaving community of Madurai who is considered to have migrated from Gujarat to the south several centuries ago. On the basis of current preference for the name of their mother tongue, the name ‘Saurashtra’ and not Saurashtri has been adopted. On account of several generations of association in the Dravidian Language area, the speech is supposed to have been strongly affected by Dravidian traits.

Oral tradition states that they have migrated on the fall of Somanath Temple when Gazni Mohammed invaded and plundered Hindu Temples. It is said they lived for about two centuries in Devagiri and later moved to Vijayanagar Empire at the invitation of the Kings. They manufactured fine silk garments for the use of Kings and their families and were engaged in the Silk trade. When Nayak Kings started to rule Madurai, they were invited by the Madurai Nayak Kings and were given accommodation around Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Madurai, where even now there are many Sourashtra families living. The migration might have taken place in various groups at different times and they settled in many places in Tamil Nadu. Later Hyder Ali invited some families from Thanjavur to settle in Srirangapattanam in Karnataka. Those people are now in Bangalore after the fall of Srirangapattanam and they are called ‘Jamkhaanadavaru’. Similarly, some families went to Andhra and settled in Tirupati. The majority of people are settled in Madurai.
In history they are referred to as Patkar, Pattegar, Patvekar and Patnulkarar. In Tamil, the weaving community is referred to as ‘Kaikkolar’. In Tamil Nadu State they are called Sourashtra (Patnulkarar) or merely Palkar.
Even though mainly Saurashtrian communities stitch these sarees, individuals from other communities such as Nadar, Modaliar, and Naidu are also involved in weaving.
Unique features of South Indian Saurashtrians
The Saurashtrian community that migrated to South India has unique features in comparison to other migratory movements of the Saurashtrians. These are-
1. The Saurashtrians who have migrated to other places did not go there collectively as a larger group, however, the Saurashtrians in South India migrated to this region in a larger collective group and that too, in a planned manner.
2. These Saurashtrians in South India are equipped with the art of weaving. The whole community is blessed with this remarkable skill. The other Saurashtrians who have migrated to different places have not taken with them a collective industry or art.
3. The Saurashtrians who have migrated to other provinces or foreign countries have been in some sort of direct contact with the original homeland. For example, the Saurashtrians who had migrated to Africa have always returned (at least some of them and at least for some time) to the homeland sooner or later. In the case when these Saurashtrians have lost the link with the homeland, they have not been able to preserve the linguistic and cultural heritage of the homeland. On the contrary, the Saurashtrians in South India had lost all the direct contact with their homeland to such an extent that, for some time, they did not know exactly where the homeland Saurashtra was geographically situated. But even then, they have been proud of being Saurashtrians and carry a sense of pride in their old language and culture of Saurashtra.

Design:

The quality of Dindigul cotton saris is known to be extremely sophisticated. Artisans use different types of lines to create a layout for these sarees. In between two lines, very fine repetitive motifs are filled. These motifs are the heart of the saree and different permutations and combinations of traditional motifs are used to decorate these sarees. For example, motifs like Temple Rekku, Mango Butta, Chakkaram, Rudhraksham, Ashvath (elephant), Darbarpetu border, Chirala border (from Andhra Pradesh). One sees an interesting blend of traditional motifs like Peacock, Mango or elephant with modern patterns, sitting in balance.
The best feature of Dindigul saris is their colour combinations, especially their use of less contrasting colours that appear to suit modern tastes. Moreover, black is a colour that the weavers of this cluster do not hesitate to work with, as against every other cluster, where it is considered inauspicious.
Mubbakam, a three-part sari is divided equally horizontally along its 6.2 meters of length (5.5 m of sari + 70 cm for blouse). There are about 25-30 designs in this pattern.
Every saree has a border of about 1-6 inches. The pallu is the most interesting part of the saree with fine repetitive jacquard motifs. In some sarees, weavers also use ½ inch small motif of body. The artisans have few traditional motifs but are now exploring new motifs and patterns according to market demand. There are no particular elements or motifs that differentiate the sari from other saris of the region. In fact, even the use of the double jacquard technique is similar to Paramakudi sari. People here understand market demand and keep evolving design and material.
Brandloom & Fancy cotton are some of the names given to the saris by their weavers here. Many weavers claim that the most preferred style of saree by the customers is the traditional saree decorated with traditional motifs.

Challenges:

There are a large number of challenges that are faced not only by the weavers of Dindigul sarees but also by the overall handloom industry.
Government spending is mainly directed towards the agricultural sector and other prominent sectors due to which the hand loom industry is often ignored. In particular, the handloom industry of Tamil Nadu faces a problem with a lack of financial facilities. Various commercial banks have failed to provide the cooperative societies with resources and this has directly resulted in the failure of the cooperative movement in Tamil Nadu. At the same time, there has been an unexpected sprout in the power looms which has led to a scarcity of yarn. Therefore, the main challenge is the lack of yarns. This points out the need for the government to supply yarn to the handloom industry.
There has also been a sharp increase in the cost of production of these textiles due to which there has been a challenge in the process of selling. This is further worsened by the problem faced by this industry in the marketing of its products and the pressures of globalization. It has been suggested that the government must take more initiatives to modernize the power loom sector to make it more competitive domestically and internationally. Thereby, highlighting the need to improve the infrastructure in the industry.

Labor Experiences
The weavers from Dindigul are considered to be sharp and are able to pick up new designs very quickly. It is believed that Dindigul has a society of energetic weavers walking at a pace with modern times. These weavers have been experimenting with new materials and designs in order to keep the cluster up to date with current demands and simultaneously worked on polishing their skills. However, this has also served as a drawback since the efforts of trying many things at once has resulted in the inability of this cluster in forming its own identity.
The government initiative plays an important role in the improvement of the working conditions here and also in enhancing the popularity of this cluster. The need for government initiative has been highlighted especially in the provision of LED lights since a lot of these weavers have to work in dark and dimly lit areas.
It is believed that Dindigul has a great opportunity to create its own identity through specific work directions. First, the usage of innovative geometric patterns can bring a new freshness to these sarees. Second, since Dindigul is the only cluster weaving black saris, black colour in combination with zari or other contrasting colours can open up a possibility to create even more bold and striking designs. Third, the use of silver zari with mercerized cotton can also give the sari an interesting festive look for the traditional youth of our cities. Fourth, inspiration from various painting styles can be taken, and lastly, a little usage of tie and dye can bring in new aesthetics for the sarees that can prove to be like a breath of fresh air.

Introduction Process:

Raw Materials:

Warp & weft of 80s cotton is used in cotton saris. The body has 80s combed cotton with 3200 csp (count strength product). 20/100 cgm (cotton gas mercerized), a fine and lustrous variant of cotton is used in border & Pallu. For silk saris, 75 Diner wrap & the 80s combed yarn for weft employed. Silk is sourced from Bangalore.
Bemberg cotton, from ‘Bumper’ cotton, meaning “new cotton” is used as weft and art silk (artificial silk) as warp in weaving. Cotton is sourced from NHDC or Maharashtra.
A new range of saris using pure and art silk together has been in production for 15-20 years. This higher range with similar colour combinations and motifs also fetches better prices. An extra weft is introduced for Butis like in Banaras weaves and these saris are popularly known as pure silk Maharashtra saris. Weavers explore all colours & motifs. Their designs keep changing as per the market scenario.
Therefore, cotton, art silk, zari and dyes are the main raw materials for the Dindigul sarees.

Tools & Tech:

The following tools and technology are used in the cotton sarees of Dindigul-
• Looms– Double jacquard looms have been used for weaving the Paramakudi sarees since the beginning. One jacquard is used for the border and the other one is used for the pallu. Jacquard border is of 120 hooks and the pallu as well is of 120 hooks. There is an 80s reed and 1:1 ratio harness.
• Paddle– Every loom setup has about 4 paddles attached to it.
• Shuttle– Every loom setup has about 3-4 shuttles attached to it.
• Warping Machines– These machines are huge and used while preparing the warp. The prepared warp is loaded into the warpers beam before the weaving process.
• Huge containers– These are used for dyeing and boiling water.
• Reel and Charkha – Reeling is done using a charkha machine. The women of the household usually take up this task.
• Computer-generated punch cards– These punch cards are loaded in the jacquard machines to create the motif patterns for the sari, border, and pallu. In the present day, the local designer makes these designs on the computer and transfers them into punch cards using simple machines. These punch cards are made out of thick paper boards.

Rituals:

When we look closely at the process of making these Dindigul sarees in the first place, one can say that the process is a ritual in itself. It is believed that hand loom weaving is a form of sadhana or meditation since one requires an almost meditative state of mind to achieve the rhythm and become one with the loom. This is why hand-looms are a precious part of India’s textile heritage.
Chandan or sandalwood has a prime significance in this weaving process. Owing to its auspicious properties, Chandan is smeared onto the looms of the weavers since, in Tamil Nadu, Chandan is known to bring abundance, wealth and prosperity. Therefore, all looms of the Dindigul weavers feature marks of Chandan and sometimes even photographs of deities or popular political leaders. The weavers seek the blessings of these individuals, touch the Chandan and only then begin their weaving process. These rituals attach an element of sacredness to the entire weaving process.

process:

A weaver takes around 3 days to finish one sari wherein one day is given to Pallu only and the intricacies of silk take a weaver about 2.5 days to complete. These saris are locally wet dyed from approved dyers. For azo-free vegetable dying they are also sent to Pollachi. Pre-loom processes of warping and sizing are done in Chinnalapatti or Palangudi and finally, the warp is set on the loom by the weaver himself.
The first step in the weaving process is that of design conceptualization. 2-3 local designers usually sit down either with the master weavers or with the cooperative society to conceptualize the design and colour for the saree according to the market demands. After this is finalized, the process of weaving the saree begins. The design chosen might be a traditional one or one that is specifically requested by a customer.
Dyeing: This is the first step in the process of weaving the saree. The colours are decided as per the available shade cards or market demands. These saris are locally wet dyed from approved dyers. After finalizing the design, society or master weavers take care of the dyeing process. This dyeing process can take up to 10-12 days. Both silk and cotton yarn has different dyeing process. The arrangements for the dyeing process are entirely dependent on the colour, design and material of the saree. Some of the different colours dye colours used for the cotton threads are- green (pachai), pink (rose), yellow (manjal), magenta (vada mali), black (karaf), red (sindupu), white (velle), and blue (neelam)

Warping: This step follows after the dyeing of the yarn. The yarn is now handed over to the weaver with pre-processing until the warping is completed. The weaver along with two other people undertake the beaming process. The warp is stretched in the streets (allu neetradhu) and rolled onto the beam with equal tension while checking on yarn damages. The metal comb is used to distribute the yarns evenly while being wound into the beam. The warp is then wound onto the beam by rotating the same with a stick and carefully distributing the yarn equally. The loaded beam is then taken to the loom. Artisans attach a new yarn with the previously finished saree and pass it through the reed (72 to 75 threads /inch) After attaching every yarn, the loom is made ready for commencing the weaving process.

Punchcard making: The design is developed on a computer by a local person who is known as a ‘designer.’ Due to the jacquard limitations at Paramakudi, the maximum size for the motif or the border is 6 inches. Local designers use their creativity by repeating and mirroring the motif. They also have good knowledge about the local looms setup. Sometimes buyers may give them a printout or digital image to convert. The designers also utilize a simple machine to make these cardboard punch cards.
Two jacquard are used for weaving these saris. One is for weaving border design and the other is used for weaving designs in the body of the saree and its pallu. Punch cards are loaded in the jacquard machines to create the motif patterns in the body, border and pallu. After attaching every yarn, the loom is set ready for the beginning of weaving.
Artisans use paddles to lift the specific warp threads in the loom. Each thread of the warp can be lifted by a hook connected to a rod. After lifting the specific threads with the help of a rope, artisans pass the shuttle by hitting it. A pattern is then created on the fabric by lifting the warp threads and changing the choice of threads to lift from step to step.

The weft yarn is then inserted in the pirn using Chakra. Through a single wrap, ten saris are made in about a month. 7-8 wraps are made per design with different colour combinations. At Paramakudi, artisans usually get 800-1000 rupees per saree. If 2 members from a family are working on the loom, they will make up to 12-15 thousand rupees per month. Moreover, their occupation also gives them the freedom to work from home.
To make the one saree, the artisan has to use 2-3 punch cards wherein one set is for the border, one set is for the pallu and one set is for the body. This process is entirely dependent on the design and colour of the saree. A weaver takes around 3 days to finish one sari. One day is given to pallu only and intricacies on the silk take a weaver approximately 2.5 days to complete.
About 2-2.5 metres of a saree can be weaved in one single day. As and when the saree weaving is finished, the societies mark off the names of the weavers in their registers and accounts. A track is kept on exactly how many sarees a weaver is supposed to weave and till when he is required to make the final delivery. This ensures that the process is systematically carried out and there is no room for confusion.

Waste:

When we look at the waste generated from the saree weaving and production, we come across two noteworthy points, these are- cotton waste from pre and post customer usage and water after dyeing.
Cotton can be recycled from pre-consumer (post-industrial) and post-consumer cotton waste. Pre-consumer waste comes from any excess material produced during the production of yarn, fabrics and textile products. For example, selvedge from weaving and fabric remnants from factory cutting rooms. On the other hand, post-consumer waste comes from discarded textile products. For example, used apparel and home textiles.
During the recycling process, the cotton waste is first sorted by type and colour and then processed through stripping machines that break the yarns and fabric into smaller pieces before pulling them apart into the fibre. The mix is carded several times in order to clean and mix the fibers before they are spun into new yarns. The resulting staple fibre is shorter than the original fiber length, meaning, it is more difficult to spin. Recycled cotton is, therefore, often blended with virgin cotton fibers to improve the yarn strengths. Commonly, not more than 30% recycled cotton content is used in the finished yarn or fabric. Since waste cotton is often already dyed, re-dyeing may not be necessary. Cotton is an extremely resource intense crop in terms of water, pesticides and insecticides. This means that using recycled cotton can lead to significant savings of natural resources and reduce pollution from agriculture. In fact, recycling one tonne of cotton can save 765 cubic metres of water. This ensures that the wastage is curbed and environment-friendly methods are adopted.
Another form of wastage that takes place during the production of cotton sarees is that of the water left after the dyeing of the yarn. Most of the time, chemical dyes are used for dyeing the yarn, the water then left is polluted and harmful since it contains chemicals A lack of proper waste disposal techniques makes it worst and contributes to environmental pollution and water wastage.

Cluster Name: Dindigul

Introduction:

As you start travelling southwest from the capital city of Chennai for about 420 kilometres, the city of Dindigul starts approaching. The aroma from the freshly cooked meat soaked in pure ghee, sprinkled with green chilis and coriander, coming from the mouth-watering biryani of Dindigul provides a warm welcome to you; the clicks and clanks from the of the GI tagged Dindigul locks showcased in markets create a melodic harmony; and the soft fabrics of the famous Dindigul sarees reflect like rainbows in your eyes. The joyful environment and the rich culture of this city fill one’s soul with immense love and happiness. Every corner and crevice of this city has a story to tell and a journey to take you on. Its markets, people and communities create a movement and synergy that surrounds you with a certain magic and immediately creates a sense of belonginess. The hustle and bustle from this city adds the theatre to South India and expresses its true language.

History:

The name of Dindigul comes from a portmanteau of the Tamil words ‘thindu’ (pillow) and kal rock. It refers to the bare hill located in the city. The Śaiva poet Tirunāvukkarasar visited this city and noted it in his Tevaram. Dindigul, earlier known as, Thindukkal, was mentioned in poet Palupatai Sokkanathar's book Padmagiri Nadhar Thenral Vidu thudhu. This was later stated by U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855-1942) in his foreword to the above book. He also mentions that Thindukkal was originally called Thindicharam.

The city of Dindigul has experienced a rich history wherein several dynasties have flourished and then gradually fallen to get replaced by another. Dindigul finds its mentions in the ancient tamil book, Silappathikaram which claims that this city was situated at the northern border of Madurai. Dindigul is also mentioned in the works of Pillini who states that this region was ruled by the Chola kings.
In order to understand the entire history of this city, we can look at its rulers and kingdoms through the ages-

1. Cholas and Pandyas
In earlier days, the Dindigul region was situated on the border of the Pandyas, the Cheras and the Cholas- the 3 most important kingdoms of South India.
The Chera king, Dharmabalan is said to have built the most prominent temples of this region. Karikal Cholan captured the Pandya kingdom during the 1st century A.D. after which Dindigul came under the Chola rule. The Cholas continued to rule over Dindigul till the 6th century. After that the Pallavas defeated the Cholas and took the control of the region. In the 13th Century, the Cholas again returned to power. At that time, the Vijayanagar Kingdom was ruling over Dindigul and they helped the Cheras in the battle against the Pandyas.

2. The Nayaks
The Nayaks gradually became powerful and by 1559, they had successfully won a large part of South India. The Nayak territory bordered with the modern day Dindigul. King Viswanatha Nayak passed away in 1563. The next important Nayak King, Muthukrisna Nayakka sat on the throne on 1602 and he began the construction of the Hill Fort. The construction was completed on 1605 AD. Muthuveerappa Nayak and Thirumalai Nayak are two other important Nayak rulers of the period. During the Nayak rule, Dindigul again came into prominence. The region was also ruled by Rani Mangammal of the Nayak dynasty, one of the very few successful woman rulers in Indian history.

3. Delhi Sultanate and Maharaja of Mysore
Chanda Sahib, an important lieutenant of the Delhi Sultanate had seized the power of Dindigul from Vangaru Nayak in the year 1736. In the year 1742, Venkatarayer and the Mysore Army conquered Dindigul and for some time, he ruled the place as a direct representative of the Maharaja of Mysore. During the reign of Venkatarayer, there were a total of eighteen ‘Palayams’ however, each one of these Palayams wanted to be independent and refused to pay tax to Venkatarayer. The Maharaja of Mysore then replaced Venkatarayer in the year 1748 and made Venkatappa the Governor of the area.

4. Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan
In the year 1755, the Maharaja of Mysore sent Haidar Ali to Dindigul in order to handle a volatile situation. He successfully controlled the problem and then became the Majaraja of Mysore. Haidar Ali appointed Purshana Mirsaheb as the Governor of Dindigul in 1777. Purshana Mirsaheb strengthened the Dindigul Fort and made several other reforms in the tax structure.

5. The British
The British Army, led by Captain Long, invaded Dindigul in 1783. In the next year, an agreement took place between the Mysore rulers and the British Government. Dindigul was restored to the Mysore province. Tipu Sultan, the son of the famous Haidar Ali became the King of Dindigul in the year 1788.

James Stewart, a high ranking official of the British Army gained control over Dindigul in the year 1790 through invasion. This battle is popularly known as the ‘Second War of Mysore.’ In 1792, Tipu Sultan ceded Dindigul to the English Army and Dindigul became the first region to come under the British Rule. The British Army continued to develop and strengthen the Dindigul Fort as they believed the Fort gave them a unique advantage over their enemies. The fort was filled with canons on different sides and several sentinel rooms were built.

A large garrison of British army was stationed at the Fort from 1798 to 1859. Later Madurai was chosen as one of the head-quarters of the British Army and Dindigul was attached to Madurai as a taluk. Like most of the Indian Towns, Dindigul also remained under direct British Law until 15th August, 1947.

Geography:

Dindigul is situated in the foothills of Sirumalai hills and has an average elevation of 265 m. Its coordinates are 10.35°N and 77.95°E. This city is placed in the Dindigul district. It is situated at about 420 kilometres away from Chennai and 100 km from south-west of Tiruchirappalli.
The district is surrounded by Erode, Karur, Tirupur, and Trichy in the North, Sivaganga in the east part and Theni, Madurai, and Coimbatore districts fall in the along with Kerala. The Dindigul district has eight taluks, namely- Dindigul, Palani, Athoor, Kodaikanal, Oddanchatram, Nilakkottai, Natham and Vedasandur. The total square area of this city is 5.41 square mile.

Environment:

Dindigul is located at the foot of the Sirumalai Hills in Tamil Nadu. The topography of both the district and the town is plain and hilly. No notable mineral resources are available in and around Dindigul city. In most parts of the city the soil is of thin veeneer soil. Most of the soil is black clayey soil, while some parts of the Dindigul town have the red soil in it.
The climatic conditions of Dindigul are favourable for horticulture and cultivation of different flower varieties. Apart from flowers, Dindigul is famous for producing fruits like orange, pineapple, guava, vegetables, like onions, and other non-food crops like tobacco, eucalyptus, and coffee.

Summer season is from March to July, while December to January marks the winter season. The temperature ranges from a maximum of 37 °C to a minimum of 29 °C during summer and a maximum of 26 °C (79 °F) to a minimum of 20 °C (68 °F) during winter.Dindigul receives rainfall with an average of 812 mm (32.0 in) annually. The Southwest monsoon brings scanty rainfall from June to August. Bulk of the rainfall is received during the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December.

Infrastructure:

The infrastructure of a region is seen as an indication of its development. In order to understand the level of development in this city, we can look at its connectivity and availability of facilities.
Dindigul is well connected by road and rail.
The Dindigul city corporation maintains about 131.733 kilometres of roads. The town has 21.66 kilometres of concrete roads, 98.311 kilometres of bituminous roads, 9.352 kilometres of earthen roads and 2.41 kilometres of cut stone pavements. There are three national highways, NH 44 (largest highway in India) connecting Dindigul to Madurai; NH 45A connecting Chennai to Kanyakumari; and NH 83 connecting Coimbatore to Nagapattinam via Oddanchatram, Palani, Dindigul, Tiruchirapalli, Thiruvarur. Natham road and Bathalagundu road are the two state highways that pass via the city. Being the district headquarters, many of the district roads also connect Dindigul to other parts of the district.

A town bus service operates in Dindigul which provided connectivity within the suburbs and town. Minibus services operated by private companies cater to the local transport needs. There are 150 town buses operated daily across 128 different routes. The Kamarajar bus stand is an A-grade bus stand covering an area of 5.37 acres, and as of 2007 and was located in the heart of the town.
The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily services connecting various cities to Dindigul. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long distance buses like Chennai, Bengaluru and Tirupati. There is significant truck transport with around 400–450 trucks entering the town for loading and unloading activities daily. Three wheelers, such as autos and taxis are also a common form public transport that is used by individuals. The Dindigul railway junction was established in 1875, and is located in the rail head from Chennai to Madurai and Karur to Madurai. It also connects Dindigul to Palani. The nearest local and international airport is Madurai Airport located 70 kilometres (43 mi) away.

This city has a large number of private and public hospitals, as well as chemists which ensures that the residents are able to avail adequate medical facilities in the time of need. Facilities like water supply, electricity supply, petrol pumps and ATMs have been placed all over the city for the convenience of the residents.
The city is surrounded by dams, these are- Dharmathupatti Dam, Kamarajar Dam, Manjalar Dam, Marudhanadhi, Pannapatti, Parapalar Dam, Palar- Porandalar Dam, Varadamanadhi Dam, Alagapuri Dam, Peranai and Kuthiraiyar Dam

Dindigul also provides educational facilities to its residents. As of 2011, there are 19 municipal primary schools, 23 other primary schools, 8 middle schools and 13 higher secondary schools in the city. There are 10 other private schools within the town. There are 3 engineering colleges and 3 arts and science colleges.

Architecture:

The houses of the people in this city are placed very close together due to which the society here is deeply integrated and collective. The most interesting feature about the houses here is that they painted in bright yellow, orange and blue have much in common with the current colour pallet that seems to have taken over the temple facades in the region. This displays their connection with religion and how they are inspired to create a godly presence within their homes as well.
There are several noteworthy architectural constructions in Dindigul, owing to its rich history and glorified past.

Amongst these, the Dindigul fort is the most appreciated and widely acclaimed. The architecture of this fort has evolved through the different dynasties that ruled over Dindigul. The rock fort is 900 feet tall and has a circumference of 2.75 kilometres. Cannon and gunfire artillery were included in the fort during the 17th century.
The fort was cemented with double walls to withstand heavy artillery. Cannons were installed at vantage points around the fort with an arms and ammunition go-down built with safety measures. The double-walled rooms were fully protected against external threat and were well ventilated by round ventilation holes in the roof. A thin brick wall in one corner of the go-down helped soldiers escape in case of emergency. The sloping ceiling of the go-down prevented seepage of rainwater. The fort has 48 rooms that were once used as cells to lodge war prisoners and slaves, a spacious kitchen, a horse stable and a meeting hall for the army commanders. The fort also has its own rainwater reservoirs constructed by taking advantage of the steep gradient. The construction highlights the ingenuity of Indian kings in their military architecture.

The fort is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. It is a significant tourist spot here. An entry fee of ₹25 is charged for Indian citizens and ₹300 for foreigners. The fort receives students from colleges and schools as tourists as well as occasional foreign tourists. Visitors are allowed to walk around the tunnels and trenches that reveals the safety features of the structure.
The temple has some sculptures and carvings, with untarnished rock cuts.
Visitors can view the ruins within the fort walls, arsenal depots, and damaged halls decorated with carved stone columns. They are allowed to go up to the cannon point and look through the spy holes. The top of the fort also offers a scenic view of Dindigul on the eastern side and villages and farmland on the other sides.
Just as every other town in Tamil Nadu, Dindigul is also famous for its temple architecture. Religion and is a significant part of the people’s lives here and therefore, the temple architecture becomes integral in understanding the community and the region.

There are several big, grand temples that can found in this region but some of the most important ones are-

• Dhandayuthapani temple

This temple is one of the six famous hill abodes of Lord Muruga at Palani Hills. It is situated on the hilly rock at a height of about 450 meters. Thousands of pilgrims visit this temple every day, especially during festival days, including Thaipoosam, Adi-kiruthigai, Panguni Uthiram, Sura-samharam, Vaikasi-visagam and monthly Karthigai. Apart from the renowned Murugan Temple, there is also another Murugan temple at Thirumalaikeni, which is situated at a distance of 25 kilometres from Dindigul town.

• Abirami Amman temple

This temple in Dindigul district which attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. It is situated in the centre of the district. During Navaratri, Goddess Abirami is on Kolu. There are about one lakh archana offered to the Goddess Gnamambikal. During the Fridays of Adi month there is a procession of Goddess Abirami on a flower Pallak.

• Sri Kottai Mariamman Kovil

This temple is more than 200 years old. The Mariamman idol is said to be installed by the army men of Tipu Sultanat the fort of the mountain. Hence it is called Kottai Mariamman temple. The temple is built in the shape of a square. There is a temple for Vetri Vinayaka at the South and Lord Muruga at the north of this temple. There is a Mandapam or a hall in the centre of the ground in which there is a sculpture of a Lion facing the Sannidhi.
The sanctum sanctorum is small and square shaped. The deity consecrated is seen here, embedded deeply under the floor. Several sculptures are there on the sniper structure over the sanctum sanctorum, depicting a number of the goddess Mariamman. All the four sides, various scenes showing the destroying of monster by the goddess are seen. On the eastern side over the Amman Sannidhi is a temple for Vinayaka and on western side a temple for Madurai Veeran. On the front side of Sannidhithe Navagraha idols are installed. On the back side of the temple, there is an idol of Goddess Kaliand another one for Goddess Durga. The temple covers an area of about two acres. The golden shield adorned by the deity everyday between 5 P.M. to 9 P.M. This temple is run by a board of Trustees.

• Thadikombu Temple

This is the Perumal temple and it is about 5 kilometres away from Dindigul (on the way to Karur district). During the month of Chitra, Lord Alagar gets twelve days of special Pooja. During full moon day of the month, Lord Alagar gets out on a procession of Ethir Servai.

Culture:

Once known as the ‘Land of Locks and Tanneries,’ the place had a flourishing iron lock making and leather industry which now seem to be fading.
Despite being a small city, the culture of this region is extremely rich and deeply entrenched in the ancient traditional Indian customs and practices. From the handicrafts to the food, every single aspect of this city is breathtakingly beautiful and magical. The culture of this region is considered to be so majestic that it can be compared to small glitter particles shining under the sunlight and throwing strokes of colour everywhere around.

The festivals here are celebrated with great fervour and joy. Pongal is the most important festival of Dindigul. Pongal festival takes place in the month of January. The people of Dindigul also celebrate the Tamil New Year or “Varudapirappu” with enthusiasm. Other important festivals celebrated in Dindigul are Dipavali, Christmas, New Year, Eid and so on. Temple festivals also form an integral part of the culture here. During all of these occasions, women adorn the Dindigul sarees alongside heavy jewellery, bindis and gajras. They celebrate festivals like Deepawali and Mariyaman.
In Mariyaman, the goddess in the temple is worshiped like Meenakshiaman from Madhurai.
The clothing of the people here not only allows them to express their cultural identity but also showcase the traditional South Indian clothing. Now, like most other places, men wear shirts and trousers, while women wear sarees, salwar suits and western outfits like tops and jeans. But in any traditional festival, both men and women like to wear the traditional dresses.

The people here are eloquent in different formats of arts such as- visual arts, music and dances. In Dindigul, classical dance is one of the favourite hobbies of the people. Apart from classical dance, classical vocal music and Karnatic Raag Sangeet are very common amongst the people here. A number of music and dance schools in Dindigul trains both young and adults on classical music and dance.
Dindigul is famous for its biriyani. The Dindigul biriyani chains are famous in all over Tamil Nadu. Sherumalai Mountain, which is the home for a very special variety of small but sweet bananas, is located in the vicinity. Dindigul’s food pallet enjoys the taste of it in raw and in various snack forms. Rice, Sambar and Rasam form the main meals of the people here.

Since the people here come from different religious backgrounds, throughout Dindigul, there are numerous mosques, temples and churches. This is one of the most religious cities of Tamil Nadu. Temples like Kalahastheeswara-Gnanambika temple, Seenivasaperumal temple, Abirami Amman temple, and Padmagirinathar temple are very popular and serve as major attractions for tourists.
Begumbur Periya Pallivasal, Dindigul, Thowheeth Masjid, Ahle Hadees Pallivasal, Bajar Masjid, Mohammadiyapuram Pallivasal, Mandi Pallivasal, Madinah Pallivasal, Ring Road Pallivasal and Makkah Pallivasal are some of the popular Islamic institutions in Dindigul.

People:

The people of Dindigul are known to be extremely hard working and loving. They harbour feelings of great pride in the culture of their city and have taken up various traditional and generational occupations in order to ensure the continuity of various Indian traditions and handicrafts.
According to 2011 census, Dindigul had a population of 207,327 with a sex-ratio of 1,012 females for every 1,000 males. This was much above the national average of 929. The average literacy of the city was 81.69% against the the national average of 72.99%.The city had a total of 53573 households.

The people of the city come from various religious backgrounds and live by a cosmopolitan attitude. As per the religious census of 2011, Dindigul had 69.11% of Hindus, 14.17% of Muslims, 16.59% of Christians, 0.02% of Sikhs, 0.02% of Buddhists, 0.01% of Jains and 0.1% other religions.
Tamil is the main language spoken in the city, however, the use of English is relatively common. English is the medium of instruction in most educational institutions and offices in the service sector.
Women generally wear a fabric drape around them, 6 to 8 yards of length. First tied round the waist with pleats gathered in front and then brought over the right shoulder, covering their breasts. A part of the drape is either let free hanging from the shoulder or brought in front along the waist.
Apart from sari, younger and unmarried women can also be seen wearing stitched salwars and Kurtas and skirts and blouses. There is also a considerable variety of gold jewellery women like to adorn themselves with. Ornaments like nose pins, anklets, ear rings, bangles and waist belts or a waist dangler carrying bunch of keys are common to this place. Some common designs of nose pins may have a circular metal ring.
Traditionally, Veshti (white fabric with simple line border) is the most common bottom-wear for men in Tamil Nadu. It is wrapped around the waist and legs. It is the traditional dress worn by men in marriages too… however, the material may be silk for special occasions. This rectangular shaped cloth is generally made with cotton for daily usage. It is mostly worn with a shirt or Angavastram. The Angavastram is another significant part of Tamil dressing. It is a piece of fabric wrapped around the shoulders. Men also wear Kumkum or Sandalwood tilaks on their forehead in various formations. The most preferred formation being that of a horizontal trident across their forehead, with a dot in the centre, just as the one seen on Shiva’s forehead.

The weaver community that designs and stiches the famous Dindigul sarees come from the Saurashtrian community. Though their mother tongue remains Saurastrian, they have picked up Tamil very well and being the only language of communication in the region, it has also entered their households as the prime communication language.

Famous For:

Apart from sarees, Dindigul is also famous for its locks, tanneries, biryani, temple culture and tourism.

Gallery

Craftsmen

List of craftsmen.

Documentation by:

Team Gaatha

Process Reference:

Cluster Reference: