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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

By Mexy Xavier
May 12, 2018, 19:31 IST2 min
At the Handloom Weavers Development Society, fabrics are bleached in a solution of aloe vera, before they are dyed
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At the Handloom Weavers Development Society, fabrics are bleached in a solution of aloe vera, before they are dyed
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Red sandalwood, to be used as red dye, is broken into small pieces before being powdered
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The powder is mixed with freshly plucked medicinal leaves, spices, roots and water
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The mixture simmers over firewood
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The organic dye is strained through a fine cloth
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Stirring of the clothes into the herbally formulated dyes
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Yarn is soaked in the dye. Depending on the strength of the colour required, it may remain soaked for a few days
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The dyed material is rinsed and... 
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Again soaked in water...
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Then rinsed again to remove foreign particles
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