The Tamil Nadu Handloom Weaver’s Society or Cooptex has decided to start marketing traditional sarees especially Madurai handloom Sungudi sarees, owing to the queries of handloom and textile enthusiasts across the country who wanted to procure handloom Sungudi sarees, said T.N. Venkatesh, Managing Director of Co-optex.

Most of the Sungudi sarees available in the market were made using powerlooms. One of the first products from Madurai to get the Geographical Indication (GI) mark by the Geographical Indications Registry, the original Sungudi sarees which are hand-woven with single dot patterns and natural dyes.

Co-optex has tied up with Thiruvalluvar Society located in Town Hall Road. Functioning with three weavers, the society makes handloom Sungudi sarees with simple single dot patterns and wax printing which are supplied to the Cooptex showrooms.

Co-optex officials said handloom Sungudi sarees can also be bought online.

Initially, weavers were manufacturing art silk sarees. They have been making Sungudi sarees for the last two months, said K.R. Ramkumar, Manager of the Thiruvalluvar Cluster.

Mr Ramkumar has launched a YouTube Channel called ‘Madurai Sungudi Sarees’ with videos which feature the weavers and the work that goes into making a Sungudi saree.