If murky sludge could be the thread to a colourful story of resurrection and hope, then it could be nothing more beautiful than weaving the success tale of Chekutty dolls. One month on, the handmade dolls made of soiled and severely damaged fabric of Chendamangalam weavers continue to steal the hearts of millions, post floods. The figurines did wash away the tears of flood-distressed weavers in North Paravoor in Ernakulam district by pocketing them a business of Rs 11 lakh so far. The crowd-funding initiative also helped them bag another order to the tune of Rs 25 lakh.
The love for the dear Chekuttys doesn’t end there. Federal Bank has stepped in to up the market rate of the upcycled dolls made of damaged handloom material. The bank will chip in Rs 10 into the weavers’ accounts for every single Chekutty sold in the market at a rate of Rs 25. This will be based on the number of dolls sold in a week. A pact has been inked in this regard, says National Innovation Council member Lakshmi Menon and entrepreneur Gopinath, who are the brains behind the idea to help the 600-odd weavers.
Chekutty or Chendamangalam kutty is a tiny handmade cloth doll designed to raise funds for the Chendamangalam weavers who were hard hit by the recent floods. Chendamangalam, a small village about 35 km from Kochi, is known for its highly acclaimed handloom craft.
Though Chekuttys are in demand from within the country and abroad, the warmth and support of Keralites for the initiative is beyond measure. “Keralites have given tremendous support to the concept of owning lovely dolls made of soiled fabric damaged in the flood waters so as to treasure the scars and stains left behind by the great deluge,” says Lakshmi.
Several individuals and entrepreneurs have placed huge orders, some touching 12,000 dolls and the aim is to double the income from the sale of Chekutty dolls.
Direct revenue to weavers
The revenue from the business is credited to the account of Karimpadom Cooperative Weavers Society at Chendamangalam in North Paravoor. “Initially, we purchased the fabric from H191 Society. It makes the statement that the dolls are manufactured as per the order placed by the Society. There has been some delay due to this. Last time, we visited Kuriapilly unit run by women weavers,” Gopinath said. The women were ready to supply stocks of damaged sarees worth Rs 5 lakh. “We purchased a few sarees from them.” However, Gopinath wants to give priority to the activities of the present Karimpadam unit.
Chekutty and copyright
Each doll bears a QR code that links the consumer to the weblink, a copyright logo of Chekutty, a one-liner in Malayalam explaining the concept, and an English version to it. Now, the products will also bear the Federal Bank logo.
The Chekuttys are fashioned from the fabric of handloom saree that normally fetches the weavers around Rs 1,200 during Onam season and as many as 360 dolls could be made from a single saree. The handloom dolls come in a pack of 20 in the online market and each doll costs Rs 25.
Learning the craft
The dolls are made by volunteers and workshops related to the craft were conducted at schools and colleges. A few students in the locality had travelled to Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi with the fabric and designed the Chekuttys with the help of a collective formed there.
The volunteers are given the liberty to make the best of their creativity, but there should not be any wastage. The cloth dolls are thus carefully crafted so that the business weaves maximum benefits for the traditional artisans. All activities are operated through the website www.chekutty.in