For generations, the weavers of Chennimalai have been crafting fabrics to the rhythm of the handloom at home. How do they work their looms? Their craft, that has been passed down generations, has been turned into a curriculum by C Sivagurunathan, the founder of Nurpu Handloom Collective at Chennimalai’s MPN Colony. The 40-year-old is set to organise a two-day handloom and handspin workshop at Nurpu’s handloom school.

The workshop, Sivaguru explains, will show participants the entire lifecycle of a woven piece of fabric. “They will learn to spin thread from cotton on wooden charkha or takali, moving on to working on the hand looms at our premises,” he says, adding that they can take their creations home. “Those keen on mastering spinning can take the takali home,” he says. “They can also buy it from us; a piece is priced at around ₹400.”

Sivaguru has been hosting weaving workshops since 2024. “We’ve had students of Fashion Designing, school students, and even architects from Coimbatore, Chennai, and Bengaluru,” he says. The two-day workshop will unfold at an unhurried pace at Nurpu’s school premises, with discussions in the evenings about the lives and working conditions of weavers. “We will also have documentary screenings at night, followed by more discussions that encourage thinking beyond clothing brands and buying directly from the weaver instead,” he adds.

Sivaguru quit a well-paying IT job in Chennai to start Nurpu in 2016. Today, he works with 20 weavers across Tamil Nadu, who weave fabrics that he sells at the store in Chennimalai as well as online. “Ten years of working with weavers, observing their way of life closely, has changed me,” says the 40-year-old. “While I value money, I have learned not to place it at the centre of everything.”

He believes in sharing what he learned from weavers, and hopes that the workshops provide them and their work visibility. “There also is a seven-day intensive session for those who want to take a deep dive into weaving,” he says. “As part of this, we will be travelling to the homes to weavers to learn directly from them.” Nurpu also offers six-month internship programmes.

Exploring Handspin & Handloom Techniques workshop in on August 22 and 23, 10am to 5pm. To register, visit nurpu.in, call 9578620207

Published - August 15, 2026 12:26 am IST