Udupi Saree weavers societies

Weavers Societies of the twin districts

As a part of freedom movement headed by Mahatma Gandhiji, many co-operative handloom societies were formed before independence. Local leaders like Shree Rama Rao (who was known as society Rama Rao), P.A. Pai, M. Ramakrishna Poonja, Shree Mahabala Shettigar, Shree Janardana Shettigar, Shree Veerappa Bangera took initiative in forming Cooperative Societies of weavers in many places across South Canara District. Eight handloom co-operative societies were formed. Most of them were functioning till 2016.

Many types of clothes were woven, like 40, 60 and finer counts of 80, 100 and 120 count sarees, which were known as Magga saree then ( Udupi Saree now), lungies for Kerala ladies, gents lungies, head cloth worn in estate work called kodagu than, kora clothes which is used in last rites, elevasthra the loin cloth, bath towel known as byraas , shawls, angavasthra, pani panche for priests, jeetige vasthra which is used for lighting torch for rituals etc. Clothes were sent to far off places from here. Later when the onslaught of power looms started during 1990s, the golden era of weaving industry in undivided south Canara came to a halt.

Products started to pile up and wholesale buyers defaulted in payments, local market collapsed due to cheap, flashy power loom clothes, slowly societies had to liquidate part of their assets to clear debts. Weavers looked for other odd jobs which fetched them better wages.

At present Udupi sarees are produced at only Five Weavers Co-op societies and one KHDC unit.

Three societies which produce Udupi Sarees now in Udupi Districts are

(i) Udupi Primary Weavers Service Co-Op. Society Ltd., Udupi
(ii) Shivalli Primary Weavers Service Co-Op. Society, Ltd., Adiudupi,
(iii) The Brahmavara Primary Weavers Service Cooperative Society Ltd., Udupi Basrur weavers Society has no active weavers now.

Two Societies which produce Udupi sarees in Dakshina Kannada Districts are
(i) Talipady Primary Weavers Service Co-Op. Society Ltd., Kinnigoli
(ii) The Padupanamboor Primary Weavers Service Co-Op. Society Ltd., Haleangady

Mangalore weavers Society does not have any active weavers now. Mijar Weavers society is closed down now.

Apart from these societies, Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation also produces Udupi Sarees. They have collection centre at Mangalore and Priyadarshini Show Room at Udupi. Recently their Collection centre at Udupi and Priyadarshini Showroom at Mangalore are closed.

Presently, five societies are functional and Talipady society has good number of young weavers, where Kadike Trust has intervened.

Udupi Primary Weavers Service Coop – Society, Udupi

Year of Establishment :	1938
Founder President :	P A Pai
Current President :	Shree Ratnakara Indrali
M.D. (incharge) :	Shree Dinesh Kumar
Products :	60 count and 60 x 80 count Udupi sarees
Facilities :	Dye house and weaving centre

Achievements :
National Award – Silver in 1993 – 94
State awards to some weavers before 2010

Total No. of Udupi Saree Weavers

weavers without any break

New/come back weavers

Vitala Shettigar

Vasudeva Shettigar

Somappa Jattanna

Sarojini Vathsala

Puneeth Shettigar

Manjunatha Shettigar

Jagannatha Shettigar

Geetha Shettigar

Ebenezer Sathyarthi

Devaraya Shettigar

Bharathi Shettigar

Aithu Shettigar

Padu Panamboor Primary Weavers Service Co-op Society, Haleyangadi

Padupanamboor Weavers Society is a cluster which represents all weavers Society of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. In 2016, GI registration for Udupi Sarees was done through this cluster. This cluster has a yarn bank. All the weavers Societies place order for yarns through Padupanamboor Weavers Society. Yarns are supplied by NHDC.

Padupanamboor Society provides dyeing Services to other Weavers Societies (Udupi WS Co-op, Shivalli WS Co-op, Brahmavara Weavers Service Co-op) and KHDC.

Year of Establishment :	1943
Founder President :	Shree M Ramakrishna Poonja
President :	Madhava Shettigar Kerekadu
M.D. :	Smt. Vishalakshi Shettigar
Products :	60 count and 80 count Udupi sarees
Facilities :	Yarn Bank and Dyeing House.

Achievements :
1) National level award for design in 1993-94
2) State level awards to weavers before 2010
3) “Shantha Prasad Award for Excellence in Weaving “, National level award – 2020 by Craft Council of India to Shree Vyasaraya Shettigar.

Total No. of Weavers

Vysaraya Shettigar

Sarojini Shettigar

Booba Shettigar

Brahmavara Primary Weavers Service Co-op Society, Brahmavara

Year of Establishment :	1947
Founder President :	Shree Mahabala Shettigar, Salikeri
President :	Balakrishna Shettigar
M.D. :	Suresh Shettigar
Products :	60 count and 60 x 80 count Udupi sarees
Facilities :	Dye house and weaving centre

Achievements :
1) National Award to Shree Manjunatha Shettigar in 1993.
2) State Award in 2001

Total No. of Weavers

Udupi Saree Weavers

Krisha Shettigar

Vijaya

Mohini

Talipady Primary Weavers Service Co-op Society, Kinnigoli

Year of Establishment :	1950
Founder President :	Shree T.S. Janardhana Shettigar
President :	Smt. Rukmini Shettigar
M.D. :	Mr. Madhava Shettigar
Products :	60 count and 80 count Udupi sarees
Facilities :	Dyeing House

Achievements :
1.National level award to weavers Society in 1994 – 95
2. State level award to some weavers before 2010

Total No. of Weavers

weaving continuously without break

New weavers trained by Kadike Trust with NABARD support

Migrated from KHDC

Udupi Saree weavers

No. of comeback weavers

New weavers undergoing training by the Kadike Trust

Bharathi Shettigar

Bhavani Shettigar

Booba shettigar

Chandravathi Shettigar

Devaki Shettigar

Harshitha

Kutti Shettigar

Laxmi Shettigar

Malathi shettigar

Mohini Shettigar

Nagappa shettigar

Poornima

Rajivi

Rekha

Sadhana

Sanjeeva Shettigar

Shantha Shettigar

Sharadha

Sitha

Sujyoti

Sumangala

Vidyavathi

Yashodha

Gunavathi

Mamatha

Nanda

Payaswini

Prabhavathi Shettigar

Seetha K

Sujatha Shettigar

Purushottama Shettigar

Vital Shettigar

Venkatesha Shettigar

Meenakshi Shettigar

Laxmi Shettigar

Ananda Shettigar

Shivalli Primary Weavers Service Coop

Year of Establishment :	1970
Founder President :	Shree Veerappa Bangera
President :	Shree Sanjeeva Shettigar
M.D. :	Shree Sashikantha Saliyan

Migrated from KHDC : 02
Other than Five Weavers Societies, production of Udupi Sarees are carried out at Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation also. At present 8 weavers are working for KHDC.