India · Natural Fiber / Basketry
തേങ്ങ ചകിരി നെയ്ത്ത് (Thenga Chakiri Neythu)
Kerala coir weaving is a large-scale handloom cottage industry tradition using the fiber extracted from coconut husk (coir) to produce woven mats, rugs, and matting. The tradition is centered in Alappuzha (Alleppey) district, the coir capital of India, where the backwater ecosystem provides both the raw material (coconut husks) and the processing medium (backwater for coir retting). The retting of husks in backwater for 6–12 months produces coir of different qualities: brown coir (from mature husks, strong) and white coir (from immature husks, softer and finer). The handloom weaving of coir into mats uses a simple frame loom with coir warp and weft. The tradition supports an estimated 300,000 workers in Kerala, making it the state's largest cottage industry. However, the authentic handwoven tradition is under severe pressure from power-loom production, while backwater pollution is reducing retting water quality. The tradition chosen for documentation here is specifically the handwoven premium mat segment — the commodity mass-production tier is beyond CRAFT's scope.
Risk level: Endangered · Not inscribed
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