Origin & History:
The Balaramapuram Cotton Saree hails from Balaramapuram, a weaving village in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. The craft dates back to the 18th century, when the Travancore royal family brought Shaliya weavers from Tamil Nadu to weave fine cotton for the palace. Known for its unbleached, off-white body and simple kasavu (gold zari) borders, these sarees are an embodiment of Kerala’s minimalist elegance.
Artisan Communities: Shaliya (Saliyar) community who have preserved this tradition for over 250 years.
Geographic Spread: Kerala: Balaramapuram and nearby villages like Kattakada and Neyyattinkara
Technique & Process:
1. Yarn Preparation: Traditionally uses unbleached cotton yarn for the body and gold zari yarn for borders.
2.Weaving (on throw shuttle pit looms): Woven manually with a coarse count cotton (80s–100s). The saree is a single piece, with no interlocking of body and border (unlike Kanchipuram). Borders are woven using extra weft for kasavu (golden zari) or colored lines.
3. Finishing :Sarees are softened using natural starch, folded, and ironed.
Notable Brands & Use:
Often paired with colorful blouses for contrast or styled with modern drapes by designers like Rimzim Dadu and Anavila
Materials & Motifs:
· Fabric: 100% cotton, unbleached and hand-spun in traditional methods
· Zari: Real gold-plated zari or imitation zari
· Motifs: Extremely minimal focus on plain body with narrow gold or colored borders, sometimes with small temple borders