Beautiful craftsmanship: Letchumy showing off her Aari embroidery at her store in Batu Caves, Gombak. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Indian women will wear their best during the Ponggal festival, adorning garments with intricate handmade “Aari” embroidery.
Letchumy Arumugam, 50, owner of Sara Bombay Tailoring, said she had received numerous orders for the embroidery, with prices ranging from RM100 to RM2,800.
“Aari work mostly involves thread and needle craftsmanship, complemented by the use of stones and other embellishments to add opulence to the embroidery.
“The handcrafted Aari is aimed at creating intricate designs. It either covers the entire garment or specific sections, enhancing its overall appeal.
“The labour-intensive nature of Aari takes a minimum of eight to 10 hours to complete the embroidery for a single blouse. Therefore, the pricing is justified due to the meticulous workmanship,” she told Bernama.
The term “Aari” originates from “aar”, denoting the needle employed for this craft.
Aari embroidery, tracing its roots to the Mughal era, involves stretching fabric on a frame and meticulously stitching with a long needle that ends with a hook.
A pen-like needle, reminiscent of a crochet needle, is used for the intricate work.
With eight years of experience in the garment industry, Letchumy noted a surge in demand for this embroidery, especially among young women, wishing to showcase it on the third day of the Ponggal celebration, known as Kanni Ponggal. This day is traditionally observed by unmarried women who pray for a prosperous life and an ideal life partner.
On the trend of online orders, Letchumy, who has branches in Rawang, Selayang and Batu Caves, said orders were pouring in through platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
S. Bavani, 28, a customer, described the embroidery as unique and stunning.
“The price is reflective of the impeccable workmanship. I have ordered three saree blouses featuring a design of milk pouring from a clay pot. It’s my first time choosing this design,” she said.
Ahead of the festival today, the Tamil community will also buy vibrantly designed clay pots, milk and sugarcane.
Ponggal falls in the 10th month of the Tamil calendar known as Thai.
The festival holds significant importance, especially for the farming community.
The four-day festivities will kick off with Bhogi, a day dedicated to introspection, symbolised by burning old and unused household items.
This is followed by Thai Ponggal, where a sweet rice dish (ponggal), is prepared in a traditional clay pot as an offering to the Sun God, expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest.
On the third day, Mattu Ponggal, cattle are worshipped. It is believed to contribute to a successful harvest.
This is followed by Kanni Ponggal where unmarried women make ponggal while praying for good husbands.
