Sarees made from Aloe Vera fibre make waves in Tamil Nadu

By Jayakumar, Chennai, Oct.26 : Having already been used in medicines and cosmetics, Aloe Vera has found its way into cloth. Weavers in Tamil Nadu are experimenting with it to make colourful sarees.

Weavers in Anakaputhur, a suburb of Tamil Nadu capital Chennai appear enthusiastic about using Aloe Vera fibre in saree-making.

'With the price of yarn increasing, we thought of finding a natural fibre to make sarees. First, we used banana fibre, and now we have used fibre from the Aloe Vera plant. Sarees made from Aloe Vera fibre are in demand. Weavers today are earning well,' claimed Sekar, President of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association.

Traditional handloom weavers, are also delighted about using Aloe Vera fibre.

'The Aloe Vera saree is becoming popular here. Earlier, we used to get 100 rupees per day, but now we receive 150 rupees; said Mallika, a weaver.

The sarees are worth Rs. 700 (14 dollars) and are available in markets across the state.

--ANI