Handloom Kora Grass Mat - Vellore
Kora grass mat weaving is generally found in southern India that mostly grows in the marshy areas. It is typically found in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala regions in India. These mats were found used for all the household activities of food serving, relaxing the body, as shelter to protect from sunlight, for Puja’s/ Prayer mats etc. Kora grass is generally brought from Karur, Vellore, Madurai, Thanjavur, and Nagapattanam that is mostly grown near to the water places of the Tamil Nadu regions.
Kora grass are generally split very fine and woven with cotton warp on a ground loom. It is generally soaked in water before weaving, as it may break on rigid uses. The Kora grass mat weaving is done on the traditional ground loom at Vaniyambadi of Tamil Nadu. The craftsmen mentions he learnt it from his father who had taught him and his brothers when they were residing at Pattamadai (Pattapathei told by the craftsmen) that is few kilometers away from Vaniyambadi.
The Kora grass mat weaving is done by the Gounder family, the craftsmen weaves on the ground that is set on the little place that is near to the craftsmen’s house. The roofing of the work place is done with sticks placed vertical to the ground and coconut leaves tied tightly to each other such that there is no space for the rain water to pour into the place during the rainy seasons. This shelter is good and changed only once in either two or three years as said by the craftsmen. As kora grass is woven on the ground loom, the ground is spread with the cow dung paste as it is one of the tradition followed at the Tamil Nadu regions. This is done once in a week minimum for the better weaving of the kora grass on the ground loom. It is also said this coating is given on the ground to repel insects, thereby the person working on this loom and the loom materials are safe.
Though it is better to weave the Kora grass mat on the ground loom with the mentioned conditions, people have shifted to weaving on the power loom as they were unable to set and weave on the ground loom. There is about three power looms in working condition in Agaramcheri that is few kilometers away from Vaniyambadi that weaves the plain and the coloured pattern designs.
