Kumaraguru Institutions, Coimbatore, hosted “Nesavu”, a two-day celebration on August 9–10, 2025, dedicated to Tamil Nadu’s handloom sarees and India’s weaving legacy. Curated by Shakti Creativity and Culture Initiative as part of National Handloom Day, the event blended documentation, devotion, and rediscovery to highlight the artistry and stories woven into sarees.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Mrs. Sujani Balu (Past President, Crafts Council of Tamil Nadu), Mrs. Padmini Tolat Balram (handloom designer), weavers Mr. Sakthivel P and Mr. Thangavel, alongside KCT Fashion Technology students.
Curated sections included:
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“Akkarai: Ecosophy of Sarees” – exploring the deep care and cultural memory in saree-making, featuring heirlooms like an 8 gajam saree preserved by Akhila Chandrasekhar and a 70-year-old angavasthram belonging to G.N. Sam.
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“The Devanga Community” – honoring traditional weaving customs and heritage, including the symbolic yellow wedding saree.
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Weavers’ Collection & Ethics – sarees preserved as memory, and sustainable creations with organic cotton and natural dyes.
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Research Showcase by Padmini Tolat Balaram – reviving natural dye techniques, featuring an indigo-dyed saree.
Day 1 featured “Journey of the Saree” panel moderated by Shobhana Kumar, with voices like Pankaja Srinivasan, Paras Jain, Padmini Balram, and Shivaswami, who traced saree evolution and Coimbatore’s textile heritage. Running alongside, photographer Sanjay’s “The Unsaid” visually documented weaving lives across Negamam, Samathur, and Kulakkalpalayam.
Day 2’s “Saree as an Identity” explored the saree’s modern meanings, with speakers like Durgesh Nandini, Kalki Subramaniam, Miti Desai, and Vimala Palanisamy, who reflected on sarees as symbols of identity, community, and lived traditions.
Shri Shankar Vanavarayar, President of Kumaraguru Institutions, emphasized Coimbatore’s historic textile roots and entrepreneurial spirit, urging for innovations that keep traditions relevant. He called Nesavu a reminder of identity, where honoring the past allows us to imagine new futures.
Curator Lavanya NK shared, “Nesavu was an attempt to honour memory—the common man’s way of documenting life and those they hold close through textiles. In India, stories have always been our truest form of documentation.”
The event closed with a Sharing Circle, where participants shared personal saree memories. Alongside cultural dialogues, the handloom market recorded sales of nearly ₹2.5 lakhs, affirming both community support and the vitality of the craft.
