Madurai in Tamil Nadu has always been known for Sungudi saris. But the Saurashtrian community which moved to Madurai from Saurashtra in Gujarat centuries ago and which is engaged in the production of these garments feels neglected by the government. Tamil Nadu has a population of 20 lakh Sourashtrians. Of these, two lakh people live in Madurai.
The production cost of the Sungudi has shot up manifold in recent years. Representatives of the community want the government to give them additional units in textile parks and provide them subsidy. They also want a government-run showroom to promote Sungudi garments.
The Madurai Sungudi is a six yard sari. It’s made of cotton and is perfect for tropical weather. It absorbs sweat and dries out easily. It has been given a makeover to make it appealing to young women as well. New designs like peacock, butterfly and rangoli have been developed, to make them appealing to college girls.
It takes 10 to 15 days to manufacture a traditional Sungudi sari. The traditional Sungudi sari was handwoven, had single dot patterns and dyed with natural dyes. Now there are saris with dot patterns in two different colors, but with chemical dyes.
Sustaining in a competitive market is not easy for Sungudi manufacturers and they are consistently introducing innovative and creative patterns. Sungudi salwars, shawls, bags, bedspreads and pillow covers have been introduced.
