Udupi saris are steadily regaining their rightful place in the cultural fabric: Mamatha Rai

Mamatha Rai, founder of Kadike Trust, on Sunday, said the Udupi sarees are steadily regaining their rightful place in the cultural fabric following sustained efforts by the Trust and weavers.

Mamatha Rai, founder of Kadike Trust, on Sunday, said the Udupi sarees are steadily regaining their rightful place in the cultural fabric following sustained efforts by the Trust and weavers.

She was delivering the keynote address on ‘Revival of Traditional Weave: Udupi Sari’ to mark the World Heritage Week celebrations organised by the Mangaluru Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) at Kodialguthu Centre for Art and Culture here.

Sharing her inspiring journey of reviving the Udupi sari, Ms. Rai said Kadike Trust works closely with weavers in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts to preserve and rejuvenate the heritage craft. She recounted her transition from being a science professor to becoming a passionate advocate for the Udupi sari. “When I started, there were only 40-45 weavers remaining, most of whom had abandoned the craft decades ago. The younger generation saw no future in weaving,” she said.

Ms. Rai elaborated on the Trust’s holistic approach for revival, which includes extensive research, confidence-building within weaving communities, training programmes, branding and awareness campaigns, etc. These efforts have led to a remarkable transformation — the weaving tradition now enjoys a growing market, recognition through a Geographical Indication (GI) tag and an assured steady income for the weavers. Younger generations are increasingly embracing the craft, she said.

INTACH Convener Subhas Chandra Basu, member Sharvani Bhat and others were present. Ms. Rai was felicitated for her contribution to heritage preservation on the occasion.

The World Heritage Week celebrations will conclude with a photo exhibition on ‘Kattes in Mangaluru’. The exhibition will be open to the public at the Kodial Guthu Centre, Ballalbagh, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. till November 30.