Rising gold prices – Kasavu clothes on the decline?
Published November 10, 2009 | The rising prices of gold has adversely affected Keralites’ wearing of the traditional attire ‘Kasavu Saree and Mundu‘. The prices of the gold colour threads which are used for weaving the kasavu clothes have risen due to the price hikes in gold. This hike has put all kasavu lovers in agony and they have had to put off their wishes to buy new Kasavu clothes, for another time.
The golden threads which are used for weaving the kasavu dresses are brought to Kerala from Surat in Gujarat. The silk threads which are wrapped in silver is then dipped in gold to make Kasavu threads. These threads are sent to Kerala in rollers each containing 30 grams. The prices for 240 grams of kasavu threads is now raised to Rs. 7, 100 from the Rs. 2,700 it was two years ago. Usually for a four metre Mundu, they use kasavu in ¼ inch or 1 inch for sides and for borders they use 2 inches to 2 ¼ inches in thickness.
The prices for original kasavu saris range from Rs. 5000 to 25, 000 and, if you want a wider gold border or need more designs, the prices will increase gradually. The hike in gold prices has pushed all those who are in the handloom industry into a great crisis. A great amount of hard work is needed to weave a Kasavu sari. It takes almost a month and a half to weave a single sari.
Kasavu embellishment in clothes have been on the rise but the hike in gold prices may in fact end up with people choosing the simpler designs in traditional clothes.
