Kuthampully Dhoties & Set Mundu

Kuthampully village near Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district is famous for producing handwoven, well-crafted dhoties and set mundu. The presence of 'Kasavu' (golden thread in the border) makes these handloom products extra special.

Kuthampully dhoties and set mundus are mainly woven by the 'Devanka community' with roots in the erstwhile Mysore state. It is believed that about 500 years ago, the erstwhile royal family of Kochi brought the community members here to make clothes needed for the members of the royal family.

The Kuthampully Handloom Industrial Cooperative Society, which was registered in 1972 with 102 members, now has more than 3,000 members. The society members specialize in hand weaving using 100% cotton cloth and the fabrics are designed using jacquard.

Knitting pattern is done with 84 count. The yarn is woven back and forth 80 times in one inch width. Dothies are 50 inches wide and 4 metres long. The set mundu and mel mundu (top piece) are 2.5 metres in length.

What makes handloom garments stand out is their texture (Kasavu). The gold-coloured Kasav differentiates Kuthampully from other sarees. Designing on sarees is done by hand. No other printing molds or other machines are used.