1.

Introduction
1.1 About the craft- basic introduction (300)
1.2 South India- zoom into Karnataka- (Zoomed out map)(600)
1.3 Tulunadu (800)
1.4 Methodology and fieldwork (300)

(Yellow- subheadings, blue-points to be changed/added)

1.1 About the craft- basic introduction (magga /Ajji sarees- cotton sarees
and lungis, hot climate- primarily used for daily wear)

Sarees with unique, distinctive features that are woven in South Canara and Udupi
districts, resonating with their rich heritage and artisanal craftsmanship, are called
Udupi Sarees.

These sarees are also called Magga or Ajji sarees. In recent years, the name"ajji"
has become particularly linked to these cotton sarees, often associated with older
generations or grandmothers(ajji) who still wear this traditional saree. It’s woven
using single-ply cotton yarn of 40, 60 and 80 counts in plain weave. Cotton sarees
are ideal for the hot climate of Udupi due to their lightweight and breathability.
They are very versatile and can be worn on various occasions, from casual events
to formal gatherings.

The sarees feature a plain or chequered design on the body with contrasting
colours on the pallu (decorative end) and border. The pallu portions of the warp
are dyed in a dark shade after the warp is prepared. The motifs or buttas on these
sarees are made using the extra weft technique and dobby mechanism. Art silk
(artificial zari) is used to make these buttas. The cut border technique is used to
create the solid border of these sarees. This technique requires three shuttles to be
used.

The looms used to weave these Udupi Sarees are the Malabar Frame loom
introduced by the Basel Mission. A unique practice of on-loom sizing is practised
wherein the weavers apply starch on the warp while weaving, strengthening and
protecting the yarn from abrasion in the loom’s healds and reeds.

Recognizing the exceptional craftsmanship and significance of these sarees, it was

given the geographical Indication (G.I) tag in 2016, underscoring its uniqueness
and regional identity. Moreover, the production of these sarees goes by sustainable
practices, further highlighting their aim to preserve traditional weaving methods
while following eco-friendly approaches, especially in recent times.

1.2 South India- zoom into Karnataka- (Zoomed out map)

(South India -intro-geo climatic and history)

The tropical lands of the southern part of India are mainly dominated by the
Deccan Plateau, flanked by two prominent mountain ranges—the Western and
Eastern Ghats along the two coasts. Many distinctive cultural features set this
region apart from North India. Additionally, several markedly different cultures
exist here.

“During the first and early second millennium AD, the southern region of India
experienced widespread conflicts, giving rise to various communities with rich
martial histories. Among these, the most prominent ones are the matriarchal
Nayars of Kerala, the Coorgs of southern Karnataka and members of the Tamil
Devanga weaving caste.”(The Sari by Linda Lynton)

Despite the fall of the Vijaynagar empire to Muslim forces in 1564, South India's
culture remained largely untouched by Islamic influence, and Hindu rule,
including various Maratha clans from the western Deccan, continued in the region.
The same can be said about the textile traditions here that remained unaffected
under the influence of European traders on both coasts. (The Sari)

(South INDIA- Cultivation of cotton and silk)

Cotton cultivation-where in South India

“Most regions of the Indian subcontinent provide a suitable environment for

growing cotton, a crop whose main requirements are high temperatures and
adequate moisture during its growing period.” Traditionally, varieties of older
species of cotton were grown on the premises of village homes and temples.
However, the cultivation of cotton as a commercial crop mainly relied on more
tender annualised varieties and became concentrated, by the 17th and 19th
centuries, in four major zones: the Gujarat plains, Central India, the Godavari delta
and parts of Bengal. Steady expansion continued in the 19th and 20th century.
Colonial attempts to introduce American varieties yielding longer, finer fibre
suitable for industrial machinery were taken up as early as the 18th century. The
shift in India’s cultivation from the older strains to exotic varieties and their
hybrids has contributed to re-establishing India as one of the leading cotton fibre
and fabric producers in the modern mill era. It has also meant, however, the loss of
the more subtle and varied yarn and fabric characteristics that distinguished, since
antiquity, India’s artisanal production from short-staple fibres. (Khadi)
South India is responsible for about 90 per cent of all the mulberry silk produced
in India, with Karnataka alone accounting for about 60 per cent. (1983-84). (The
Sari)

(South India- weaving traditions)

“Something that strikes one is the sophistication of the colour usage, particularly
in weaves combined with a certain geometric approach to the sari format (and to
motif) that seems to us distinctively Dravidian.” (Padu Pavu)

Sarees of South India

Today the South is one of India's major sari-weaving regions, producing
considerable quantities of rural, peasant and urban middle-class saris in silk,
cotton, rayon and polyester. Its handloom cooperatives sell saris throughout India,
creating whatever the market demands. Because of this, many traditional designs
from different south Indian localities have become incorporated into the repertoire
of other areas, which makes tracking down the origins of some textiles quite
difficult, but many sari designs typical of particular areas are still distinguishable.
(The Sari)

Traditional South Indian sarees are distinguished by their borders: they either have
a noticeably wide border of contrasting colour to the body of the saree, which is
created through a variety of weaving and dyeing techniques, or they have very thin
borders, of approximately 1 inch wide created solely through supplementary warp
patterning, the former varieties becoming more typical of the region now. In both
of these variations, the length of the border extends to the end of the saree and
forms a part of the end piece, which is usually long. (The sari)

“We mistook the origin of saris in Andhra and Karnataka many times, as there has been a
constant exchange of weaver population and markets, and therefore, of raw materials and
silks between these major Southern states. However, there are certain discernible features
in technique, design vocabulary, treatment, colour and fabric quality that set them apart.
“(Saris:Traditions and beyond)

Karnataka
(Karnataka -geo climatic )
Karnataka is located on the western half of the Deccan Plateau, surrounded by
Andhra Pradesh in the east, Maharashtra in the north and Tamil Nadu and Kerala
in the south, with a long coastline in the west. The Western Ghats, with rich
biodiversity forests, separate the narrow coastal plains from the plateau.
The region is well developed with coffee and cardamom plantations, tea, timber,
minerals and hydro-electricity. Sandalwood and gold are prized resources.
(Handmade in India)

(Karnataka - cultivation of cotton and silk)

Traditional cotton growing areas in Karnataka included Dharwad, Bijapur,
Chitradurg, Bellary, and Raichur districts. However, there is a shift in Karnataka's
cotton-growing areas to many non-traditional districts like Mysore, Shimoga,
Chamarajnagar, and Davanagere. (https://www.ikisan.com/)
In Karnataka, sericulture is mainly practised in the southern part of the state-
Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mysore and Mandya districts. (The Sari)
There are mentions of coarse cotton cloth being woven (in Davana-giri and Ali–
gutta) as early as the 1800s in A Journey from Madras Through the Countries
of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar.
There are entries about cotton cultivation in the Canara region too. “The women of
the cultivators spin part of the produce of their husband's farms, and others receive
the cotton wool from the merchants and spin it, for hire”

(Karnataka- craft traditions)

Karnataka’s craft repertoire is replete with many traces: royal patronage, Hindu
and Islamic influences, colonial impact, and contemporary fashions. Silks, wooden
toys, cotton weaving, leather puppets, bidri ware, stone carving and lace making,
among others, make this state rich in craft. Udipi is a pilgrim town that has
encouraged temple-related crafts such as sandalwood, stone carving and
metal casting.-(Handmade in India)

(Karnataka weaving traditions)

Karnataka in the north has influences from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh-
weavers, market and multilingual culture. Nizam rule to the northeast and Tamil
Nadu to the south with its cotton and silks.

(Karnataka(Saris))

There is homogeneity of colour, design sensibility and treatment between the

coarse, middle and fine count cottons; and across different categories there is a
tendency to combine cotton in the body with silk in the borders and end-pieces.”

There are some sarees which mix cotton and silk in the body too, in the form of
silk checks (kuttalam) and stripes. (Saris: Traditions and beyond)

Coarse cotton 10-30s-

High contrast pure colour in the borders and the weft bands of the end-piece.

The range of border patterns and end-pieces maintains continuity with the plains,
stripes and checks seen elsewhere. The weft bands has many interpretations in the
border colour in the serugu. The warp stripes run invariably. The kuttalam sari
has multicolour checks (sometimes compared to the Kornad checks of Tamil
Nadu).

Cotton medium upto 60s/ silk-

Checks/ striped- elaboration of the shahpuri multi-band end piece with more
colours. extra weft, heald-lifted patternmg. (add pictures)

Molakalmuru saris bind the single yarn resist chukki( dash-like pattern) in the
body with woven checks in white, with or without extra warp/weft end-piece and
borders patterning; sometimes have warp yarn resist too.

Kuttalam - Multicoloured checks (Tamil Nadu influence)- seen around Udupi-

narrow patterned elements placed on a broad border at the body and selvedge ends
with a plain coloured space between them. The weaving proceeds with two or
more shuttles, depending on the number of weft colours in the checks, returning
the coloured check yarn at the border's edge and it has finer weft bands.

Finer cottons and silks- The finer cottons up to silks highlight techniques
interlocking the body and border. Other silk traditions often echo the basic format
of the coarse, medium and fine cottons.

(Notable neighbouring sari weaving traditions)

(Tamil Nadu)

(Madras checks)

(kattam)
Seeru and kattam:

“Essentially, stripes and checks were the preserve of the cotton weaver, but they
have gradually been absorbed by the silks and more often in a combination of
cotton and silk stripes and checks.”

‘In the kattam (check) range, there are three distinct varieties: the kaal
yerengina kattam, in which the weft lines of the check run through the border
(12/43; see page 258) the maripu, in which two shuttles are used to return the
check weft at the border edge back into the body; and the korvai, in which
the three shuttles ensure a solid- coloured border (12/65; pg 262). It is in the
first of these techniques that the mixed cotton and silk check saris (korainadu selai;
12/42; pg 258) are woven, in which the silk element highlighted both the colour
and the texture of the cotton ground. Many of these mixed cotton-silk saris were
considered the 'common person's expensive sari', and post-1960s, have come to be
worn as everyday wear among the wealthy.” (Saris: Traditions and beyond)

(kornad)

Rural women in south Karnataka wear cotton kornad

saris, usually in more subdued colours than those of Tamil Nadu. Udipi, eastern
Karnataka, 1994. (The Sari) (Use photos from books?)

It has wide borders (karai, in Tamil)" approximately 10 to 40 centimetres (about 4

to 16 inches) across, woven in a plain colour, with two narrow bands of
supplementary-warp patterning, known as kampi or pettu (stripe), positioned
within 3 centimetres of each border edge . The body of the sari traditionally
contains a woven pattern, usually checks (kattam)or stripes (saarai, adyar)
reminiscent of, but larger and visually stronger than, those of western Deccan
saris.The endpiece (mundhu, tholai) contains either a series of widely spaced zari
stripes (adyar mundhu) [Pl. 155] or, in more expensive and elaborate versions,
supplementary-weft figuring. The endpiece commonly has reku- weft wise
triangular points woven in the interlocked-weft technique. (The Sari)

(Kerala)
Coloured Muslins:

South India's coloured muslins are usually very fine and transparent, although their
rich colours often obscure this fact. Although transparent, their most striking effect
is saturated colour with yarn-dyed threads in such hues as purple, olive green,
orange, bright red or bright green. Often different-coloured threads are woven in to
create fine checks or stripes. Today, standard-length (4.5 to 5.5 metre, or 15 to 18
foot) saris are made for the middle-class market and heavier, but not necessarily
coarser, 7 to 9 metre (23 to 30 foot) varieties are made for rural Dravidian women.
(The Sari)

Udupi district and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka state and Kasaragod
district of Kerala state together form “TULU NADU”

(Kasargod sarees)

The sarees woven here are very similar to the Udupi sarees.

It is widely believed that another group of Padmashaliyas reached the present

Kasaragod taluk (in Kerala, close to the Karnataka border, 100 km from Udupi)
from Mysore and surrounding regions of the present Karnataka. Traditional
accounts identify fourteen settlements of this community from Pattuvam in
Kannur, Kerala, to Panambur in Mangalore, Karnataka - (gi tag)

(Kuthampully sarees)

Pit looms are the most widely used handlooms in Kuthampully and other
geographical regions for producing the traditional varieties. Frame looms are also
in use for some varieties. Fly shuttle pit looms are mainly used for weaving
traditional products in this cluster. Though sizing is not carried out in
Kuthampully cluster, the traditional method of ‘street warping’ and ‘brush sizing’
is practised for the yarn meant for this cluster. Natural materials such as rice
starch, coconut oil and rice gruel are important ingredients for sizing.

Rampant usage of modern devices such as Dobby, Jacquard and Jala are common
in this cluster for making intricate designs using half-fine. zari or dyed yarn in the
border, cross-border, pallav and also for buttas in the body. - (Gi tag)

Cotton sarees of Karnataka :

(Add how they are different or similar)
1.3 Tulunadu

(Tulu Nadu- intro)

Present day Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka state and
Kasaragod district of Kerala state together form “TULU NADU”.

“Many of those in Canara, are shaded by fine rows of trees, especially of the
Vateria indica; which, being now in full blossom, makes the most beautiful
avenues that I have ever seen. On getting within sight of the sea near Udipu, the
country be- comes more level; and round the town it is finely cultivated, and the
rice fields are beautifully intermixed with palm gardens.”-(A journey from
madras through the countries of Mysore etc) (Add actual excerpt)

The Tamils of the Sangam period were quite familiar with this area, known as
“Tulunadu” which is mentioned in a song by Mamuldar. - (Dakshin Kannada
census)

(Physical features, climate, vegetation and cultivation)

Extending more than 250 kilometres along the Arabian Sea coastline from Goa in
the north to Kerala in the south, Kanara on the western coast of southern India
(present-day Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada Districts in Karnataka)
remains a land apart. Geographically the region is separated from the rest of the
south interior peninsula by the towering heights of the Western Ghats. Rising
to more than 1,700 to 1,800 metres, these wooded ranges act as an effective
natural barrier between the coastal plain and undulating lowlands and the
elevated hinterland that forms part of the greater Deccan Plateau.

The climate is marked by high humidity and intense heat, especially in summers
from March to May. This is followed by the annual rainy season, also called the
southwest monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, bringing
heavy and continuous flooding rains. The months of October and November
constitute the post Monsoon season followed by the winter season. The rivers and
streams of this district necessarily flow from east to west.

Since the Ghats trap the severe monsoon rains that feed the numerous rivers
flowing into the Arabian Sea, Kanara is an exceptionally well-watered land, an
ideal locale for the cultivation of rice, of which as many as three annual crops can
be gleaned from the soil in the lowlands. In addition, there are spices, particularly
pepper, which are grown in the adjacent foothills, their natural habitat.

Dakshin Kannada is known as a forest district. The slope of Western Ghats is

clothed with dense vegetation containing valuable timber species. The heavy
rainfall in the area is conducive to the growth of forest. Originally the forests in
the district were evergreen. But now different stages or types of forest ranging
from the evergreen to shrub type can be seen in the district.

Arecanut and coconut, raised in gardens are the other most important crops of the
district. the order of importance there are the garden crops of cardamom, pepper
and fruits such as plantains. The district is also well known for its forest produce
which include timber of high quality. (Census 1971. Series 14, Special Study
Report on Bhuta Cult)

The odds faced by man in the district in the remote past such as his struggle for
survival against the fury of the elements and the wild animals must have been
really great. The conditions, it may be conjectured, were ideal for him to take to
nature worship, the traces of which have survived till today in the Hindu religion
and the cult of Bhutas. Serpent worship is very widely prevalent in the district.
Nagabanas (serpent groves) and serpent stones usually under the pipal trees, are
found in every nook and corner of the district. (Census 1971. Series 14, Special
Study Report on Bhuta Cult)

Shakti cult
The veneration of Narasimha, Krishna and Janardana also forms part of the religious life
of Kanara, nowhere more prominently than at y the celebrated Krishna Temple in Udupi
that is the focus of great chariot festivals. To these cults must be added those of Ganapati,
Subrahmanya and Shankaranarayana.

(History)
Tradition has it that the West Coast was created (that is, retrieved from the sea) by
Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. -(Dakshin Kannada census)
claims its origin with the land reclaimed by Parashurama, one of the ten avatars of Vishnu by
throwing a hatchet from the peaks of the western ghats to Arabian sea.

The historic name of the district, "Tuluva” or “Tulunadu” was changed to South
Kanara and then to Dakshina Kannada, now bifurcated into Dakshina Kannada
and Udupi districts.

The subordinate situation of the Alupas was due mainly to the superior strength of
these larger, more powerful kingdoms( Kadambas, Early Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas
and Late Chalukyas), and the concern of their monarchs to exploit the agricultural
wealth of Kanara and the products that arrived there by sea.

The area was ruled by Alupas till the end of 14th century followed by the
emperors of Vijayanagar, Keladi Nayakas, Hyder Ali, Tippu Sultan and
then by Britishers in 1799.

After Tipu Sultan's defeat in 1799, Tulunadu became part of the British-controlled
Madras presidency. Dakshin Kannada was initially combined with Udupi and
North Kanara along with certain territories now in Kerala. In 1860, it split, with
South Kanara remaining in Madras Presidency and North Kanara moving to
Bombay Presidency. The district joined Mysore State (now Karnataka) in 1956
after India's linguistic state reorganisation. Kasaragod taluk shifted to Kerala.
Udupi district was carved out in 1997. (census 2011)

The historical phases range from the rule of Rani Abbakka of Ullal, the reign of
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, to being a British colony, until it took active part in the
struggle for India's Independence. Alupas, Alukas and the Banga Kings have a
place of pride among the rulers of Mangalore. It has been an important seaport
since Hyder All's time and is today famous for coffee, cashew nut and pepper
plantations. It is an important link in the granite exports of south India.-
(Handmade in India)

(Also, mention the relevance of it being a coastal region and possible influence of
traders, missionaries- Basel)

Kanara's advantageous natural setting and long-established coastal trade help

explain the region's comparatively dense population.

The region enjoyed international status in ancient times. as confirmed by the coins
from the eastern Mediterranean region, Armenia and even China that have been
discovered here, and the mention of Kanara's ports by Ptolemy, the 2nd-century
Greek-Roman geographer.

Trade: Arab traders were active on the coast as early as the 8th century, and their
dominance of the Indian Ocean trade lasted until the 16th century when they were
supplanted successively by the Portuguese, Dutch and English. Portuguese
documents list corals, seed-pearls, rubies, copper, quicksilver, lead and salt,
together with horses, among the commodities that they were able to trade at
considerable profit in Kanara's ports. Among their purchases were rice, pepper and
cloves, as well as sugar, iron, saltpetre and timber. -(Kanara: A land apart)

(Religious practices)

Other than hinduism, mention the presence of Buddhism, Jainism, Islamic and
Christian practices in the region too.(Check Kanara book))

Festivals and rituals

The name “Udupi” comes from the Sanskrit word “Udupa” signifying “Moon”.
This term is linked with the establishment of the ancient Chandramouleshwara
temple. Udupi is renowned for it’s temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. Udupi is
famous for its temple enshrining Lord Krishna. Apart from Udupi Sri Krishna
temple, the other important temples in the district are Kollur Mookambika,
Hattiyangadi Ganapathi, etc. Dravidian form of worship of the Cobra, spirits and
trees are prevalent in the district. Jainism spread from its spiritual centres at
Sravanabelagola, Karkal, Koppala, etc. -
Jainism, a religion that thrived throughout the region, particularly in the coastal
ports and riverside towns, thanks to the support of wealthy individuals, pontiffs
and mercantile guilds. Jain temples known as bastis were even financed by local
kings and queens, such as those in Mudabidri, Karkala and Gersoppa. (Kanara: a
land apart)
The presence of Islam in Kanara may be traced back to the Arab traders who
frequented the coast of southern India. These foreigners and their converts settled
in the port towns of the region, notably Mangalore and Bhatkal.
Christianity started to exert its real influence from the 17th century onwards,
gathering momentum in the 19th century. Perhaps the advent of modern education
in this area is attributed to the churches and their activities. (Udupi 2011 census)
Though Catholicism remained the dominant sect in the region, Protestantism also
established roots, especially under the influence of the Mission Society of Basel,
members of which arrived in Mangalore in 1834.
(Architecture) Kanara's craftsmenship is evident from the smoothly turned
columns with cut-out lotus brackets, and the elaborate doorways and frontal roof
gables. All these features are still to be found in the control grand mansions of the
region, as well as in the mathas linked with the larger Hindu and Jain Though
temples. (check)
The close link between these arts and live performance is nowhere better seen than
Yakshagana, Kanara's most characteristic form of theatre. (mention yaksha kase)

(People)

Language: The majority of the population in the southern part of Kanara speaks
Tulu, a distinct Dravidian language with its own literature; as a result, this part of
Kanara has come to be known as Tulunadu. But Konkani, the characteristic
language along much of India's western coast, is also common. - (Kanara: a land
apart)

(Add food)

Until recent times most of Kanara's population lived in settlements that were little
more than villages, usually with large homesteads surrounded by rich agricultural
holdings. But there is also Mangalore in the extreme south, the largest port city of
the region, as well as the bustling towns of Udupi (Udipi), Basrur, Kundapur
(Coondapoor), Bhatkal and Honavar (as listed in a south-to-north sequence).
These centres are today well connected by a modern highway and the recently
completed Konkan Railway, but in earlier times communication was mostly along
river estuaries linked to the sea. (Kanara: a land apart)

(Occupations)

In Tulunadu, the main occupations included agriculture, toddy tapping, weaving

and fisheries. The Padmashalis were mainly involved in weaving (Kula Kasuba-
hereditary occupation/Udyoga) like Bilavas did tapping, Moggaveers had
fisheries, except around Udupi where other communities also were into weaving.
The business doing communities were Konkanis.

Agriculture- The chief economic resources are land, livestock and the sea in the
case of coastal villages. The agricultural lands are either wet or garden, for though
there are very large extents of dry lands due to their unfavourable situation. The
soil in this district is of laterite type characterised by high iron and
aluminium contents. This type of soil is suitable for paddy, sugarcane, areca
nut and plantation crops like cardamon and plantain.

Rice lands are further categorised with reference to the availability of water
and fertility of soil. The garden land is suitable for raising arecanut and
coconut plantations are called Bagayat land. Paddy is the principal
agricultural crop of this district. The other crops raised during the season are arecanut,
cashewnut, black gram and green grams. Sugarcane is confined to the coastal taluks.

Cashewnut, areca nut, pepper, cloves and coconut are the important cash
crops in the district.
Rearing-(Check rearing of animals-Bhuta book)

He-buffaloes are in great demand for being used as draught animals, preferred
especially for puddling the rice fields.

Fishing- Marine fishing is an important economic activity prevailing from very

ancient times all along the coast, while fishing in inland waters is confined to only
such of the villages.Unlike agriculture this is a specialised occupation which is
usually pursued by members belonging to the traditional Hindu fishermen castes
such as the Mogaveera (also spelt as Mogeyers or Mogers and called Marakala in
Tulu), Boyi, Mukkuvan, Kharvi etc., besides some Muslims and Christian
communities.

Toddy tapping- Toddy-tapping (from coconut and palm trees) another age-old
profession in this district. It is the hereditary occupation of Billavas who are also
called Pujaris and Baidyas.

Carpenters were traditionally responsible for the making and repair of looms and
belonged to the Achari or Vishwakarma community and some Protestants too in
Udupi.

Trade, commerce and banking significantly drive the local economy of the
district. Mangalore is a major commercial centre. Every taluk headquarter has a
primary co-operative society and in addition there are Arecanut Marketing Society,
Horticultural Marketing Society, Fish Marketing Federation and South Kanara
Agriculturist’s Co-operative Marketing Society. There are a number of consumers’
cooperative societies as well as industrial and primary agricultural cooperative societies
all over the district.

Initially, the primary sources of livelihood in this region included agriculture, agro
product processing, weaving, tile factories and foundries. However, due to access
to the airport and seaport, these districts turned into a significant centre for
education, banking, healthcare, hospitality and export enterprises. This evolution
led to the surge in job opportunities. Recently, these districts have emerged into
major business hubs with a lot of activities such as petrochemical industries,
power generation, fertiliser production, special export processing zones, textile
parts etc.-(VTPC)

As a matter of banking, the district enjoys a high reputation. It witnessed the

founding of the two commercial banks, namely the Canara Bank and the District
Central Co-operative Bank.
Development has accelerated due to factors such as the Hassan-Mangalore
Railway line and the Kudremukh Iron Ore Project. (census-2011)

Mangalore is a thriving port on the estuary of the Netravati and Gurpur rivers

Early mediaeval Karnataka too witnessed the growth of both agrarian

and artisanal activities. With this their organisations called the guilds gradually
came into existence. inscriptions. The guilds have been broadly divided into two
divisions such as the merchant guilds and the craft guilds. The important merchant
guilds were Ayyavole Ainurvar, Nanadesi, Ubhayanadesi, Mummaridanda,
Gavare, Gatriga,etc. and the important craft guilds were the metal
workers( Panchakarukas ), oil-pressers ( Telligas ), potters (kumbakaras), weavers
guilds ( Jedgottali , Jagatikottali), florists ( malegara kottali), etc. Appadorai refers
to the artisanal activities like tailoring, wood-works, leather work, pottery, toddy-
tapping, dyeing, oil-manufacturing, cane-works, but there is no reference to their
guilds.3 G.M. Moraes refers to the craft guilds of stone-cutters, braziers,
carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers, potters and oil-mongers. - (Census
1971. Series 14, Special Study Report on BhutaCult)
1.4 Methodology and fieldwork (classroom)

We aimed to conduct a detailed study of the participants in their natural

environment. The methods employed were quite similar to those used for studies
in anthropology. While these studies can be more time consuming, they tend to
provide better results in terms of qualitative data.

We visited the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts for 10 days in the month of
June. This time of the year is marked by torrential rain here, characterised by rains
trickling down roofs lined with Mangalore tiles. (Terracotta tiles were
manufactured first in 1865, in a factory setup by the Basel Mission Society in
Mangalore. The region's heavy monsoons, availability of red clayey soil inspired
the design of the "Mangalore tile-a ubiquitous, affordable and tropical building
material.) Boards of co-operative societies or societies turned banks for different
occupations were a common sight as we went around/ took the bus on the express
highway between Udupi and Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada.

We had the opportunity to visit four out of the five active weaving cooperative
societies, namely the Talipady weavers’ society (Kadike trust), Shivalli society,
Udupi society and Padupanambur society. Additionally, we made a stop at two
prominent Udupi saree outlets: Sai Ram Textorium and Priyadarshini
Handlooms, both located in the town of Udupi. We also visited a brand selling
Udupi sarees - Ghar by Malsi in Manipal. Furthermore, we had a chance to have
a look at an ongoing training session at the DC office of Zilla Parishad in
Manipal.

We started by visiting the societies, and these mainly have a small store section
and a yarn bank inside. Most of the weavers work at their homes except for in
the Talipady society. Generally, weavers collect yarn at the society and deposit
sarees. Padupanambur Weavers Society does most of the dyeing and supplies it
to the other societies.

Weaving for a lot of weavers is not their primary occupation anymore. It is like a
secondary activity. Sometimes, they also have some agricultural activities on the
side.

(just making points, need to write this properly)

 - When we visited all these places, we tried noticing the differences each weaving
place from each other.
- Record audios and tried taking notes and making sketches on field.
- Spent 4 days in talipady and got to see the in between processes as well
- Langauge barrier thing? Idk
- Made sure we didn’t take up too much of their time
- How they treated us?
-

Extras:
Tulunadu-
HISTORY- which regions, splitting, influences, port and trade
PHYSICAL FEATURES- climate, crops
RELIGION- Udupi Matha’s
ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDINGS
PEOPLE- language, caste, food
OCCUPATIONS- AGRICULTURE (or crops here)AND OTHER OCCUPATIONS with the
castes - tapping, fisheries, rearing, CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES

The handloom industry is the most important cottage industry in Karnataka and Sholapur.
Next to agriculture, it provides employment to the largest number of persons.
Ragi, rice and jowar are the staple foods of the Padmashali community.