Weavers of wellness: Wearing ayurveda
The handloom weavers of Balaramapuram near Thiruvananthapuram have given a fresh lease of life to the ancient science of ayurvastra—a branch of ayurveda. In ayurvastra, yarn or fabric is treated with dyes prepared from over 1,200 herbs, like holy basil and turmeric. Some of these herbs grow wild around the brick building, out of which functions the Handloom Weavers Development Society. Ayurvastra garments are said to aid in the treatment of skin infections, diabetes and hypertension. International design houses like Lecoanet Hemant source fabric from the society.
Curated By: Mexy Xavier
An assortment of medicinal herbs, spices and roots go into the preparation of organic dyes. Some of the herbs are sourced from tribal settlements near Balaramapuram
