A basketful of dreams

The monotony of the arid, dry landscape of Chettinad is broken by tall palmyra trees that stand like sentinels. Chettinad, the land of desolate mansions, is home to several traditional crafts, innovatively created from the limited resources of the area, but often nurtured by the rich gentry of the district. Many of these crafts are languishing today, for lack of encouragement and marketing. The traditional craft of basket weaving from Chettinad is called Kottan.


Traditional Kottan


‘Kottan' is the name given to the unique form of weaving baskets, typically in Chettinad. In the hoary past, women wove colourful baskets to perfection, as they were lapped up by the rich Chettiar community, who gifted them or used the baskets to adorn their homes.

Originally these baskets were used as containers or packaging for gifts. They came in brilliant hues, adding a hint of colour to the otherwise barren landscape of Chettinad. Sadly the craft was not lucrative enough to be pursued as a vocation, and it slowly waned into oblivion.


Craft & Technique


The art of weaving Kottan baskets may seem simple, but it is far from it! Leaves are first harvested from the palmyra tree, a native to the district of Chettinad. Each leaf is approximately 39" long and fans out in all its glory.

In the hot summer sun, these leaves are left to dry to a crispness, for about a week. Once completely dry, the leaves are then sliced into slender strips with a knife. These strips are then hand-dyed in different hues, and hung out to dry. The leaves cannot be dyed during the monsoon, since the humidity may alter colours

Weaving rainbows


There is an art in weaving Kottan baskets. Some are entirely woven by hand and some use the feet for weaving too. The base of the basket is gripped firmly with the feet, and the basket is woven upwards after the base is complete.

The strips are moistened to prevent them from breaking, and the baskets are woven with wet hands. The standard Kottan basket is approximately 6 cubic inches, and may take around 6 hours to weave.

Weaving a dream

A recent effort at reviving this craft has injected a new lease of life into basketry. The M Rm Rm Foundation has done some pioneering work to restore the halo around Kottan baskets.

They have devised a mechanized blade to cut the palmyra leaves into the stipulated size, making things easier for the weavers. They encourage young women to perfect the craft, by learning it from the stalwarts.

The foundation supervises quality, pays attention to the designs and colour combinations, and plays an important role in marketing the baskets.

So, go on a guilt-free shopping spree! Next time you buy or gift a Kottan basket, remember someone somewhere is going to benefit! You will be doing your bit by breathing life into a dying art.

Author Details

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