Bhavani Jamakkalam

Bhavani Jamakkalam
Geographical indication
Bhavani Jamakkalam
Description	Blankets and carpets manufactured in Bhavani
Type	Handicraft
Area	Bhavani, Tamil Nadu
Country	India
Registered	2005-06
Material	Cotton

Bhavani Jamakkalam refers to blankets and carpets manufactured in Bhavani in Erode district, Tamil Nadu.^[1][2] It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India in 2005-06.^[3]

In the late nineteenth century, competition from British made textiles led Indian weavers to invent new types of garments.^[2] In Bhavani, a community of weavers called Jangamars weaved a type of blanket using colored coarse threads called Jamakkalam.^[4] The popularity of the product led to the production of jamakkalams by other weavers replacing the production of traditional sarees and other cloths.^[4]

Two types of jamakkalams are produced in Bhavani.^[5] The first type is made from coarser cotton threads capable of producing carpets with colored bands.^[5] As the thread was coarser, designs could not be weaved on to this type of carpet.^[5] Hence, a second softer variety of jamakkalams were introduced that were made of artificial silk threads enabling weavers to weave different kinds of border designs.^[5] Jamakkalams are also used to make fashion products such as backpacks.^[6]

Traditionally, jamakkalams were weaved by independent weavers in their houses.^[7] Later it moved into a system where jamakkalam is weaved by weavers on hand-looms supervised by master weavers.^[8] The master weavers lease hand-looms and contract weavers. The hand-looms are owned by trade merchants who procure raw materials such as thread from neighboring cities of Coimbatore, Salem and Karur.^[9] About 1500 workers are involved in the production of jamakkalams with women forming two-thirds of the work force.^[10]

A pit loom is used to weave jamakkalams.^[10] The looms are made of wood with the threads stretched horizontally from end to end.^[10] The weaver sits in a pit dug in the ground, on level with the weaving surface.^[10] The weaver operates two pedals with his legs while enabling the hands to move the shuttle across to produce the weaving pattern.^[10]

The jamakkalams manufactured in Bhavani are exported to various countries such as Sweden, Germany, Italy, U.K., U.S. and Singapore.^[11] In 1993, Swedish major IKEA started procuring jamakkalams from Bhavani to be sold across its stores.^[11]

Since the 2000s, the hand weaved jamakkalams from Bhavani have faced competition from power-loom products.^[12] The Government of Tamil Nadu offers subsidy to weavers and has enacted laws to outlaw the use of power-looms.^[12] The government also sells the blankets through government run Co-optex stores. Competition from blankets produced in Solapur, Maharashtra and cheap imports from neighbors China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has resulted in drop in demand for Bhavani jamakkalams.^[12]

In 2005, the Government of Tamil Nadu applied for Geographical Indication for Bhavani jamakkalams.^[13] The Government of India recognized it as a Geographical indication officially since the year 2005-06.^[3]

• Geert de Neve (2005). The Everyday Politics of Labour: Working Lives in India's Informal Economy. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9788187358183.
• Jonathan P. Parry; Jan Breman; Karin Kapadia (2000). The worlds of Indian industrial labour. Sage Publications. ISBN 9780761993957.
• Jackie Assayag; Chris Fuller (2005). Globalizing India: Perspectives from Below. Anthem Press. ISBN 9780857287243.