The Toda women from the Nilgiris are renowned for their distinctive, GI-tagged, black and red embroidery. Inspired by nature, the pukhoor (motif) embroidery follows the base cloth’s warp and weft thread count. The artisans count the thread with their fingers by merely stretching the material as they work.
Our journey with the Toda Project began two years ago, though it has been many years in the making. Starting as a small collective of seven, we have grown to nearly 50 artisans and designers, working together to celebrate and sustain this rare art form. We collaborated with local weavers and went beyond traditional cotton to develop fine, sustainable fabrics tailored to the intricate thread-counting technique. This renewed approach required numerous trials to honour the precision and heritage of this rare craft.
With fewer than 1,700 Todas and only 500 artisans practicing, preserving this art is vital to sustaining the community’s cultural identity. At the heart of our work is a commitment to the artisans. We ensure fair wages, support skill development, and create opportunities for the next generation to embrace this heritage.
Our vision is to ensure that this work remains meaningful to both the artisan and the patron. We are driven by the shared purpose of preserving this extraordinary art form.
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