Madurai sungudi sarees are a traditional handloom product from Madurai, India that are known for their distinctive dotted patterns. They are made of pure cotton by the Saurashtra weaving community and have been woven in Madurai since the 16th century. The sarees are dyed using natural dyes with vibrant colors and feature thousands of tied knots that are undone after dyeing to create the unique dotted pattern. Madurai sungudi sarees remain an important part of the local culture and economy, with over 5,000 people involved in their production.

1. . Madurai Sungudi Sarees - Present Trend
R.S. Balakumar
Associate Professor
Dept of Fashion Design & Arts
Hindustan University, Chennai, India
Email: rsbalakumar1953@gmail.com
Madurai is the pilgrimage and also called as one of the famous temple city of the
south India. This is the place of foreigners visiting day to day, showing their tourist
interest. This place is famous for the jasmine flowers and jigarthanda (milk added
with china grass, roseflavor and sugar included soft drink served with chillness,
available).
In Madurai sungudi sarees are made in pure cottonand generally its weaving is
called woven. Present generation of women prefer to wear these sarees due to its
soft and suitable for drapability and enhance the aesthetic look. These sarees are
also be used as both informal and formal wear. Even the traditional and orthodox
women will prefer to wear the nine yards saree and these particular sarres are made
by the weavers in recent days.
Fig: Madurai sungudi sarees
Sungudi is the word specially denoted to saurashtras community and derieved from
the ancient language, sanscrit word sunnam meaning “round”. Thus sungudimeant
ringed dots, normally spread in to the entire saree and forms the unique, special
appearance to the sarees. These sarees are made by the saurashtrian community

2. since the sixteenth century during the Nayak dynasty ruled in Madurai. These
weavers were migrated into southern India along with the Nayak dynasty or the
rulers.
Sungudi sarees have been so deeply entrenched in the psyche of south India for it
is a must and necessary to wear in many communities during marriages in the
south India to adorn themselves only in the sungudi saree and nothing else. The
weavers are engaged in manufacturing of the sungudi sarees belonging to the said
community came to be known as the “Pattunulkarans”, in Tamil language and in
English, silk weavers. According to the official catalogue, classvii, page 252 at the
colonial and Indian Art exhibition conducted over a century ago won a Bronze
medal for these cottonsarees.
Madurai is famous for its river vaigai. This river is the life source of Madurai and
considered as sacred. Vaigai river water is used for dyeing process and the
manufacturing process ofthe Madurai sungudi saree is merely meant as the cottage
industry. Now a days Tamil Nadu government has granted major subsides to these
cottage industries to be well grown up.
Unbleached cottonsarees are being woven by means of hand loom and as well as
power loom in recent days, then tie-dyeing process are make as a value added
goods. The sarees used are woven using 80’s or 100’s-combed/carded yarn for
warp and 80’s-100’s combed/carded yarn for weft.
Near by Madurai a small village is located named as Chinnalapatti, here, more
number of saurashtrian weavers community are engaged in artificial or art silk
sarees weaving to meet the requirement of economically weaker people to wear
these as silk sarees. Splendid and vibrant colourful sarees are being manufactured
in thschinnalapatti village and this is called as chinnalapattu-means less expensive.
Sungudi sarees have Bandhani pattern lightweight and comfortable wear for all age
group women. In chennalapattu involves looming, weaving, dyeing and printing.
In the pastgeneration sungudi sarees dyeing process purely based on the natural
dyes-stuff.Attractive colours red, deep yellow, maroon, burgundy deep blue
colours were used for dyeing,but even now the traditional weavers are still
following the same techniques.
Todaywith the advent of artificial dyes are also be used. These dyes are purchased
from Bombay and Ahmedabad. The process ofdyeing the saree after tying the

3. knots is also be termed as the intensified labour force and thus time consuming is
also considered to be more with cheaper labour cost.
Fig: Beautiful women with Madurai sungudi sarees
In single plain saree usually longer than six yards contains more than 20,000
puttasapproxily,which generally are uniformly placed,using a single thread.The
perfection of the Sungudi saree depending on the firmness of the knot. Pallu
portion is always given a contrasting colour.For the pallu portion is dyed
separately.Ones the dyeing process is complete and the knots undone
metriculously,the single thread is also be reused.
Under the guidance of the Tamil Nadu Government,various co-operative soceities
are marketing the Madurai sungudi sarees in their domestic as well as in foreign
exporting purpose.Due to rapid growth of online business and export orders
sungudi sarees are manufactured and marketed throughout the year.To encourage
the marketing purpose,Govt of Tamil Nadu has also exempted the sales tax to these
sarees since the year 1959 on wards.
Though more labour intensified and lesser salary structure,more women
employability are being araised but the dyeing process area is fully occupied by the

4. men folk.
High –lights about Madurai sungudi sarees:
1. 1100 people alone directly involved in the making of sungudi sarees in
Madurai.
2. 5000 people involved in the ancillary (or related to the weaving)such as dyeing
,marketing etc.
3. The annual sales turnover more than Rs.7. crore per annum exclusively for
Madurai sungudi sarees.
4. Each co-operative society has its quality inspectors.
5. The process ofverification is done through physical examination and
comparison.
6. Now a days traditional and orthodoxold aged women prefer to wear nine yard
sarees due to the impact of their custom,weavers are also be produced.
7. Sales tax exemption is given by the government authorities to encourage the
weavers community.
8. To day the Madurai sungudi sarees are exported to all the parts of world and
foreign exchange is well increased.
9. People living in and around Madurai will eager to buy sungudi sarees as their
social entity. Summer collection sarees are more comfortable for women due
to using of the pure cottonyarn.
10.More tourists are always visiting the Madurai as the tourist place of interest
and willing to purchase the beauty of the sungudi sarees as well as the
chinnalapattusarees.more exclusive sungudi and chinnalapattu sarees are
salable throughout the year and the sales value also be considerably well
increased.