Kora Grass Products – The Eco-friendly Pride Of Tamil Nadu

Korai is a Natural Product – a sort of thick grass that grows mostly in marshy areas abundantly in the Karur, Vellore, Madurai, Thanjavur, and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu, India.

Korai mats are eco-friendly and biodegradable, and they keep the body cool. The kora grass is mainly used to weave mats, which are traditionally used as sitting mats for pooja, prayer, dining, sleeping mats, and home decor. These mats are time-tested and people use them for generations as they count on the quality of the mats and the accompanying health benefits.

The traditional production of mats involves several labor-intensive activities. The whole process consists of three distinct phases: (1) Coloring, (2) Loom Weaving, and (3) Post-Loom Weaving.

The kora grass collected from the nearby water locations is segregated into mats to be woven plain or colored. Kora grass is colored by soaking and boiling them with dyes in water. Once dried, they are segregated based on the colors and then cut to required lengths in a machine. Kora grass is finely split and woven with a cotton warp. The complicated and time-consuming process of loom weaving starts with removing the white pith using a sharp knife. Loom weaving is done in a manually operated apparatus set by the sticks and threads. The final phase of post loom weaving includes cutting the stick edges or covering them with colored cloth.

The final product is a wonderfully handcrafted, durable, smooth colorful mat that can be used for making contemporary and trendy products. Uniquely crafted dining mats, boxes, trays, gift bags, sleeping & sitting mats, home décor, and tableware are showcased as part of our eco-friendly products.