Craft initiative

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The Tribal Craft Initiative enables local people to value their tradition and allows them to bring money into their local economy.

The local Lambadi tribals migrated from the north of India several hundred years ago. They have their own distinctive dialect, costume and traditions. Their tradition of embroidery was very nearly lost. Only a few of the older women remembered how to make the distinctive designs. This tradition has now been revived by the Tribal Craft Initiative, with the older women teaching the younger women. They have decided to call their work “Porgai” which in the Lambadi dialect means “pride”, reflecting the pride they feel in their work and in rediscovering the tradition to which they belong. We have about 60 artisans working now under the umbrella ‘Porgai Artisans Association’. We also have set up a tailoring unit with the help of AICIA.

We believe in:

• Preserving the magic of their age old Lambadi embroidery
• Respect for the artisan and fair wages for their time and skill
• Empowering rural women by adding to their income
• Reviving a dying traditional craft
• Encouraging future generations to take pride in their culture
• We currently retail Porgai products during Exhibitions in Chennai and Bangalore. For upcoming events, please see the website or contact porgai@gmail.com

Download the Porgai brochure

Vediappan and Manjunath, our community workers have only one thing to say – “It’s so rewarding to see a woman who has never done this suddenly come out with the most beautiful designs. Looks like this runs in their blood.”