Ooty Handicrafts are popular all over the world. One of the popular handicrafts of the region is Toda embroidery, which is well known all over the world. The Todu community of the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu have a distinct style of embroidery locally called Pugur, which means flower. This fine and intricate embroidery is done by tribal women on shawls. The shawl adorned with the Toda embroidery is called Poothkuli.
The shawl has alternate red and black bands at the interval of six inches, the embroidery is done in the gaps in red and black. Buffallo horn is one of the most important motifs used in the embroidery as the Toda tribe worships buffallo. Some of the other motifs used in the embroidery are Izhadvinpuguti, the design derived its name from the ancient priest of the tribe, a little box known as mettvi kanpugur, a number of motifs named after various wild flowers and many more.
The Toda embroidery is so fine that it is often mistaken to be woven. Articles decorated with this embroidery has huge demand in the overseas market especially in the countries of United States and Germany. They admire this embroidery and are ready to pay a good price for it. But unfortunately, the scenario is quite different at home, as people are not willing to pay much for the toil of the craftsmen.
This Ooty handicraft is carried on from one generation to another. The various items that are beautified with this embroidery are traditional drapes, puthukulis, dupattas, luncheon sets and table cloths
Last Updated on 9/20/2011
