synopsis priya

A Thread Through Time: Reviving Madurai’s Crafts and Culture
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PRIYA DHARSHINI
2020701519
Background
Madurai, a city rich in cultural heritage, is seeing a gradual decline in its traditional crafts due to
globalization and the erosion of traditional artisanal skills. These fading crafts not only represent the
city’s artistic history but also provide livelihoods to vulnerable artisan families. As these crafts and
the associated communities face extinction, the need for dedicated spaces to preserve, revive, and
promote them becomes more urgent. The city’s historical, social, and cultural fabric is built on
these crafts, and their loss threatens not only the livelihood of artisans but also the cultural identity
of Chennai itself.
Project Outline
This thesis aims to revitalize Madurai’s vulnerable and dying arts and crafts by creating
community-centric hub(s) across the city and its surrounding regions. Each hub will celebrate a
specific traditional craft or performance, offering integrated spaces for artisans to live, work, and
engage with the public. The design focuses on providing artisans with improved living and working
conditions, fostering opportunities for skill transfer, and creating interactive platforms for
showcasing their crafts to the community and visitors. By promoting these endangered art forms,
the project seeks to preserve Madurai’s cultural heritage while empowering the artisan communities
economically and socially.
Need for This Project

The project aims to address the economic challenges and social marginalization faced by artisan
communities in Madurai, who are vital custodians of the city’s rich cultural heritage. These
communities, specializing in traditional crafts like Sungudi sarees, Jamakalam weaving, temple
parasol making (Kovil Kodai), and traditional folk dances, are now endangered due to
globalization, dwindling demand, and insufficient support infrastructure. By creating well-designed
spaces that celebrate and sustain these crafts, the project seeks to empower artisans, improve
their working and living conditions, and ensure the continuity of their cultural practices.
Additionally, this initiative envisions revitalizing Madurai's identity as a cultural and heritage hub. By
integrating traditional arts and crafts into urban development strategies, the project will provide a
sustainable model for cultural tourism, economic regeneration, and heritage preservation,
positioning Madurai as a thriving center of living traditions that connect its historical legacy to
contemporary relevance.
Approach #1 - Cultural Village Township
The cultural village township concept aims to establish a dedicated community for local artisans
and artists in Madurai, creating a vibrant space that celebrates and preserves both traditional crafts
and contemporary art forms. This initiative seeks to improve the quality of life for artisans, promote
cultural tourism, and support economic development through creative industries.
This project envisions transforming Madurai into a cultural hub where heritage and modernity
coexist. By integrating sustainable practices, involving the community in planning, and preserving
local crafts, the cultural village can ensure the city’s rich cultural identity is celebrated for
generations to come while providing better living conditions and opportunities for the artisan
community.
Programs
Each part of the cultural village will include a mix of architectural and non-architectural programs,
such as:
● Housing Units: Modular homes designed for artisans, where they can live and work in the
same space, ensuring a harmonious balance between daily life and craftsmanship.
● Workshops and Studios: Dedicated spaces for artisans to create their crafts, with special
areas for teaching and learning. This will also include performance spaces for traditional art
forms like Mayilaatam and Oyilaatam, and space for the Sungudi saree weaving
community.
● Cultural Hubs and Museums: Public spaces that feature exhibitions, performances, and
workshops to engage visitors and tourists. These hubs will generate economic
opportunities by showcasing the city’s unique crafts and heritage, such as the intricate
work of Jamakalam weaving and the sacred art of Kovil Kodai.
● Community Spaces: Courtyards, pavilions, and open-air areas for social gatherings,
performances, markets, and community events. These spaces will encourage interaction
among artisans and the broader community, strengthening social bonds.
● Education and Training Areas: Learning spaces designed to teach the next generation of
artisans, ensuring the continuity of traditional crafts and art forms. These will include areas
for youth to train in crafts such as Sungudi saree weaving, Kovil Kodai art, and terracotta
crafts.
Approach #2- NETWORK/MULTIPLE SITES (most preferred )

Rather than relying on a singular, large-scale intervention, this project proposes a network of
multiple sites across Madurai and its surrounding areas. Each site will focus on a specific artisan
community and their craft, offering multifunctional spaces that combine workshops, housing units,
cultural museums, and public spaces. These hubs aim to act as catalysts for economic, social, and
cultural revitalization, fostering the preservation and growth of endangered art forms.
1. Sungudi Sarees
Focus: Reviving the iconic Sungudi saree weaving community.
○ Proposed Spaces: Dyeing areas, weaving workshops, and exhibition spaces for
showcasing sarees.
○ Objective: Preserve the traditional tie-and-dye technique and empower artisans with
better living and working conditions.
2. Jamakalam Weaving
○ Focus: Supporting the artisanal production of handwoven Jamakalam rugs.
○ Proposed Spaces: Modular weaving units, training centers for new weavers, and
retail spaces for direct sales.
○ Objective: Revitalize the dying tradition and introduce sustainable production
techniques.
3. Traditional Dances and theatre art
○ Focus: Creating spaces for endangered folk dances like Mayilaatam , Oyilaatam and
theatre arts (therukoothu, boomallattam ) .
○ Proposed Spaces: Rehearsal halls, outdoor performance arenas, and training
spaces for local youth.
○ Objective: Ensure these vibrant dance forms are passed on to future generations
while integrating them into Madurai’s cultural tourism.
4. Kovil Kodai Art and other crafts
Focus: Supporting the artisans who create intricate temple parasols and decorations.
○ Proposed Spaces: Craft workshops, living spaces for artisans, and public galleries
for demonstrations.
○ Objective: Preserve the art form and provide artisans access to sustainable
livelihoods.
Program Features
● Living Spaces: Modular housing for artisans and their families.

● Workspaces: Craft-specific workshops tailored to the tools and materials of each trade.
● Community Engagement: Cultural centers, galleries, and performance spaces to attract
tourists and engage locals.
● Learning Centers: Training spaces to pass down skills to younger generations.
● Retail Spaces: On-site shops for direct sales, boosting economic opportunities.
By developing multiple hubs across the Madurai region, this approach will not only revive
endangered artisan communities but also position Madurai as a cultural beacon, blending its
historical legacy with a sustainable future.
Architectural Outcomes:
○ The artisan hubs, connecting the cultural fabric of the city.

○ Detailed designs for the individual hubs, including workshops, homes, and public
spaces.
○ Scalable, modular designs that can be adapted for different crafts and future needs.
○ promoting local tourism, and supporting the broader cultural ecosystem of the
region by ensuring the preservation and continuation of Madurai’s traditional crafts
for future generations.
Case Studies
1. Katara Cultural Village, Qatar

2. Shilparamam, Hyderabad
3. The Dakshinachitra Museum (Muttukadu, Chennai)
4. National Crafts Museum, New Delhi
Bioliliography
1. https://behindtheloom.wordpress.com/2020/09/21/madurai-sungudi-sarees-a-dying-craft/
2. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/madurais-tourism-potential-still-untapped/
article67860893.ece
3. https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/changing-landscapes-dying-crafts/article189
51177.ece
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383661483_A_Study_on_Challenges_to_Revival
_of_Handicrafts_in_India
5. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/tribal-artisans-struggle-to-keep-a-tradition
al-craft-alive/article7994428.ece

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A Thread Through Time: Reviving Madurai’s Crafts and Culture

Need for This Project

Approach #2- NETWORK/MULTIPLE SITES (most preferred )

Focus: Reviving the iconic Sungudi saree weaving community.

● Living Spaces: Modular housing for artisans and their families.

○ The artisan hubs, connecting the cultural fabric of the city.

1. Katara Cultural Village, Qatar

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