Indigenous knowledge on natural dyeing of <i>Korai </i>grass mat in Pattamadai, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu

542-545Mat weaving is an important traditional handicraft of Tamil Nadu which is famous for its korai dry-grass mats. Mat weavers from here not only create intricate patterns and designs, but mats are multicoloured and often represent the ornate pallav of traditional silk sari from Tamil Nadu. Mats made with korai /sedge grass are extremely delicate and highly valued. Korai grass (Cyperus corymbosus Rottb.) is found in abundance along the banks of the rivers and in marshy areas in Tamil Nadu. Pattamadai village in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu is famous for its fine quality mats. Here the local reed is split into nearly hundred pieces and are woven on a loom with a cotton warp. The mats are so fine that they can be rolled and placed into a small box. The weaving also takes enormous time and patience on the part of the weaver. Men and women of the Lebbai Muslim community weave these famous mats only in this village. The mat weaving industry of Pattamadai, which hitherto used synthetic dyes for colouring its internationally acclaimed rugs, is all set to use an eco-friendly colorant, extracted from a plant. The study involved field works and interviews. The present work was undertaken to collect the information about the mat weaving art, and also study the natural dye yielding plants and their extraction methodology as well as dyeing properties in mat weaving