Weave a Chettinad Kottan with Kanadukathan's Women Weavers

Baskets for Every Ceremony

In Chettinad, the kottan is far more than a basket. These bright, square palm-leaf boxes once carried sweets, rice and gifts between families at weddings and festivals, and a Chettiar household might keep dozens of them in every size. Woven at home by Chettiar women, kottans nearly disappeared as plastic took over; women's collectives in villages like Kanadukathan have since brought them back, and Chettinad Kottan is now a registered GI.

Preparing the Palm Leaf

Visalakshi Annamalai and the women of her self-help group meet in the courtyard of an old Kanadukathan mansion. They show you how young palmyra leaves are dried, split into even strips and dyed in the vivid pinks, greens, purples and oranges that mark a Chettinad kottan, then softened just enough to weave without cracking.

Weaving Your Kottan

You start with the base, working strips over and under into a tight check, then turn up the sides and build the walls, keeping the corners square. The women show you how coloured strips are introduced to form checks and borders, and how a lid is woven a fraction larger so that it slides on snugly. With a helping hand at the corners, most guests finish a small lidded kottan within the session.

The Collective

Over tea and snacks, the group explains how orders are shared among members and how the earnings go directly to the women who weave. Kottans of every size, from small coin boxes to large wedding baskets, can be bought at the courtyard table.